Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-06
3O3d Holds First
Reunion at "Oaklands'
Nearly 300 Present

One of the most notable military
gatherings held in Gardiner for many
years, was that of the 303rd Field
Artillery which was held Sunday and
Monday at "Oaklands" as the guests
of Major Robert Hallowell Gardiner.
Jr.. of Boston and Gardiner Lieut..
Col. F. w. Stopford of the regular
army was present.
The men began to arrive Saturday
night and were billited in the great
barns of the estate, the same as they
were in France during the great war.
the cooking being done in regular
service field kitchens. and the men
given a spread at the mansion on
Monday 1t was free and easy
party, them en- taking their turns at
kitchen duty. There were games of
all sorts. participated in with great
enthusiasm. which included baseball
and water sports. The 303rd band
furnished music and on Monday the
band from the National Soldiers
Home was present to enliven the oc-
casion. Monday afternoon perman-
ent organization was formed to be
known as the 303rd Artillery Associa =
tion. The committee in charge were
r. TT. Gardiner, Jr.. J. Prescott Dill,
Frank Naimen of this city, Harry T.
Goss of Waterville, Roy c. Hanley
and Ralph d. Olfene of Auburn, John
IT. Murphy of Bath, J.. E Felker and
Herman A. Gastner of Augusta, Ar
thur A. Bicllford of Waterville.
The 303rd Field Artillery was or
ganized at Camp Devens, September
1917. being a part of the 151st Field
Artillery Brigade of the 10th Division.
The commissioned officer personnel
was comprised of officers of the reg
ular army and graduates from the
First Officers Training school, At
the suggestion of 1t. Col. F. w. Stop
ford of the regular army, the officers
were granted q special request for
the assignment of men from Maine
and New Hampshire. SO the enlist
ment at the start came, entirely from
these two states and chiefly from the
former.
So fortunate was the outfit that it
was able to keep most of the men
so that. when they We're mustered
out in May, 1919, the regiment was
composed almost entirely of Maine
men and the colors went to the
State of Maine. 1t was very nearly
the only regiment. outside of the
National Guard that could be called
Maine regiment. The men were
trained at Camp Devens during the
winter of 1917 and went overseas in
July 1918. In France they were de-
tached from the 10Th Division and
received training as Corps Artillery
, being armed with the famous 155 m.
m. G. P. F. gun. tractor drawn. A
short time before the Armistice the
regiment got into action on the
Woevre front with the second army.
They served with the French Corps,
though \the battalion with which
Major Gardiner was connected
served with the Fourth American
Corps. They returned to the states
in April. 1919 and were mustered out
at Camp Devens, May 1, 1919.
The commanding officer of the
regiment was Col. Arthur S. Conklin
of the regular army. Among the
other officers were Col. F. w. Stop
ford, Col. Charles d. Winn. Col.
George L. Wertenbaker.
Major Robert Hallowell Gardiner,
Jr., the host on the occasion of the
first reunion. is the fifth in line of
descent from DR.. Sylvester Gardiner,
one Of the original proprietors of the
Kennebec Purchase and the founder
of the famous Gardiner family in
Maine The majors great grand
father was a Wing and the first
mayor of Gardiner when it became
city in 1850.
Major Gardiner was born. Nov 3,
1882 in Newton, Mass. After at
tending the public schools he en-
tered the Roxbury Latin school from
which he graduated in 1900. He
graduated from Harvard in 1904
with the degrees of A. B. and. A. NJ.
He then entered the Harvard Law
school, graduating with the degree
| of LID. He married Miss Elizabeth
! Denney of Brookline, Mass. who was
| the daughter of Arthur B. Denney, a
grandson of the late DIR. Briggs of
Augusta. Major Gardiner is en-
| gagged in the practice of law with his
| father in Boston. He is a member
of the Maine Commandery of the
l Jo