The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-17

S ~NANAs AVg VI 4OS 4AA44oA0C avenue, Daniel F. A. Spallone, 21, of 419 Washington avenue, and Robert P. Wilson, g, of 153 DeForest street, Watertown, are with the American Field Service. a combat zone volun- teer ambulance unit attached to the British forces, which are moving to the Burma Assam front in prepara- tion for the time when Lord Louis Mountbatten's new Southeast Asia Command will begin its campaign to drive the JapS from Burma.
 According to the United Press, this field service, Americas only front line ambulance unit composed en- tirely of volunteers, came to India at the request of Field Marshal Sir Archibald P. Wavell, now India's viceroy, under whom large unit of the organization served in the Middle East during the early days of the desert campaign.
 Approximately 30 per cent of the members are classified in 4-F, are more than 3S years old or are dis qualified from selective service for other reasons. Fifteen per cent of the personnel are veterans of the service in the Middle East.
 Volunteer James B. Vaughan, 20 (3070 Perry Ave.), Bronx, N. r., is staff driver although he wears an artificial leg. He has broken" his leg three times in the past month but hasn't lost a day of duty. He is probably the only man with British combat forces in India carrying an extra leg as part of his regular equipment.
 Although the 4-F percentage is high in the service, the physical disabilities are of a minor nature not serious enough to prevent the men from driving and maintain ing ambulances and serving as stretcher bearers. Four of the men, for example, are blind in one eye. Eleven per cent have physical dis charges from the American armed forces.
 The service is a non-sectarian organization supported by public donations. It was organized during the World War by Americans liv- ing in Paris and was revived with the invasion of France in 1889. The men, who are promised inn mediate overseas assignment, are paid $20 month.
 Maj. Chauncey B. Ives, 36 l28 E. 20th St),. New York, is com manding officer in India. He is a veteran of the ATS in the Middle East and served with a volunteer ambulance group in Norway and Denmark in 1889.
 Headquarters and training cen- ter has been at Poona, within a mile and one-hah of the Agha Khan's palace where Mahatma Gandhi is imprisoned. During the recent racing season at Poona many of the men used their free Saturday afternoons trying their hand at Indian pari-mutuel ma chimes. At the races they met Indian princes, including the Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior and Maharajas Gaekwar of Baroda, oweners of two of India's foinest stables.
 The ATS is issued rations, uni- forms and equipment of British enlisted men. With two members of the organization helping in the kit- chen they soon had the Indian cookhouse personnel turning out peach pie, hamburgers, corned beef hash, and other American dishes. There was nothing they could do to disguise tea, which is served four times daily, but most of the men have developed a taste for 1t.
 A distinguishing feature of the ATS uniform is the Australian type felt hat. The ATS added an Amer ican touch by equipping the hats with leather chin strings after the fashion of Mexican border cowboys.
 After a four-week course in me- chanics the men are trained to make all but the heavier repairs on their vehicles. Men who were college students, photographers,