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Image provided by: New York State Military History Museum
10 THE WADSWORTH GAS ATTACK a n d RIO GRANDE RATTLER 104TH MACHINE GUN BATTALION. On the evening of November 23rd, a ban quet and vaudeville entertainment was ten dered Major General Bailey, of Camp Jack son, at the Cleveland Hotel. General Bailey had heard of the now famous entertainment of this division, and wished to convince himself that all he had heard was true. An excellent program was arranged by Sergeant Carpenter of Co. D. 104th M. G. Batt. Prom inent among the actors who took part were Fallon & Brown, of Co. A. 104th M. G. Batt., who were recrutied from the ranks of vaude ville into the ranks of the army. These two chaps are the essence of variety, one week doing blackface, and the next week portray ing Italian characters. Harry Sharpe, of the same organization, lent his Caruso-like tenor to the occasion, and Stanley Hughes, brother of J. J. H ughes of the famous team of Adelaide and Hughes, danced his way to high favor. Fred Schmidt and Bert Hamil ton of the 106th M. G. Batt. also handed the General a laugh w ith their comedy turn. After it was all over, Gen. Bailey declared it one of the finest shows he had ever wit nessed. Sergeant Tommie Coppinger, of the 104th M. G. Batt., is happy. We asked him the reason for the continuous smile which he wears, and he confidentially whispered that the lady of his heart was nearby, and the moving picture places were more pleasant than heretofore. Private Tom McVeigh received a chicken from Brooklyn recently—one of those chick ens you eat, not treat, and he invited a bunch of M. Troop boys to get right to it. Tom turned his head a minute, and all he had himself was a feather. He said he was tickled to get that. Lieut. Andrews is a great believer in a th letics and always breaks the monotony of the morning drill • by a basket-ball game. The 3rd Platoon have returned champions every m orning. These boys are all fast men and it will take better men than the 2nd Platoon have now to trim ’em. Private Percy Van Holland, the champion waltzer of Flatbush, was told by Lt. An drews the other day to find the range for him. Perce beat it away and came back in about 15 minutes with a Sibley stove. Private Dinny Moore was in the medical shack the other day with a stomach ache. Doc Powers asked him how much coffee he drank. Dinny said, “About 12 saucerfuls a day.” —H. R. TWELFTH REGIMENT NOTES. Depleted in numbers but with its martial spirit undimmed the Twelfth is training with all the intensity of a full strength regiment and its non-commissioned \'officers and the few privates left are rapidly becoming ex pert in the use of the bayonet and in trench warfare. Under Captain Morris Pike the men are attending drill and school daily. Special classes in trench warfare, signall ing, map making and reading are conducted and frequent efficiency tests are made. Major H enry Quackenbos is supervising the work of the schools. The officers of the regiment have opened a club house in a section of the mess hall which has been enclosed and after the evening classes the club is the favorite gathering place for a discussion of events of the day. The club has been comfortably furnished and real rocking chairs about a warm stove make an inviting corner. Brigadier General Lester and Major W right were the guests at a dinner on the opening night and a reception followed. TO WEED OUT THE UNFIT. Capt. Henry A. Riley, 105th Machine Gun Battalion, First Lieut. George A. Powers, 104th Machine Gun Battalion, and First Lieut. Harry Tebbutt, 106th Machine Gun Battalion, have been selected to enquire in to the physical condition of the three b at talions to determine if any are unfit for ac tive service. As recently announced, the first line regiments making up the Twenty- Seventh Division will consist of only those men absolutely perfect in every respect. WHITNEY ENTERTAINS ENGINEERS. Company B, 102th Engineers, have return ed to Camp after an interesting two week’s training in Pontoon, bridge building at W hitney Lake. They were royally received by the town folks at Whitney, and after drilling hours, were kept busy being enter tained. The entertainments for the men were given by the town people and all the leading citizens attended. Hartley Schwartzbaum, the Company co median, did much to make labor light, and gave the men a good many laughs with his good-natured antics. The most entertaining feature of the trip was the singing of P ri vate Valentine, who started singing on a bet, but he was kept going by coaxing, even though in danger of losing his voice. The drill and bridge building under Lieut. Max well PI. Gray, did much to prove the effi ciency of the man and some good records were made in throwing bridges across the little lake. A. Company, under Capt. Ross, will go to Whitney to take a similar course. NOISELESS NIGHT DRILLING. The Whistle and Flashlights Aid In Training For Fighting In Dark. Drilling at night by flashlights is another interesting feature introduced into the mili tary life of the camp. The men take to it, and always heartily welcome this unique way of spending an evening. The company commander, with flashlight in hand, and a whistle in his mouth, directs the various movements of the troops. The whistle is blown, the light is waved to indicate the desired movement—and the men do the rest. There is seldom a word heard during the drills—a practice which will be bene ficial when these loyal nephews of Uncle Sam are “Over T here.” After the drill the canteens are usually busy warding off a “night attack,” as this form of pleasure is conducive to a sharp appetite. 102ND FIELD SIGNAL BATTALION. The Battalion, of 15 officers and 241 en listed men, lacking but 4 men of full strength, left New York on September 11th, arriving at Camp Wadsworth on September 14th, in its alloted space, 215 by 1480 feet, north of Division Headquarters. On October 2nd, word was received from the Chief Signal Officer of the Army of the authorization on September 25th by the Secretary of W ar of an increase in the Out post Company (C) from 75 to 280 enlisted men, and other changes in H eadquarters and Sanitary Detachments, to make the total strength of the B attalion 15 officers and 269 men. On October 1st, by G. O. No. 9, or ganizing the 27th Division, the Battalion’s designation was changed from 1st Brigade N. Y, Signal Corps to 102nd Field Signal Brigade, w ithout change of personnel. The new strength for Company C was built up gradually by transfer of technical and other selected men from other organi zations at Camp, assisted by Div. S. O. No. 88, on October 30th, requiring the Chief Offi cers of 8 units of the Division submit the names of 25 telephone and electrical men each for transfer to the Signal Corps, and the skeletonized units, the names of all such technical men they had. W ith Sergt. Grand of the same Regiment, Service Telegraphique, has been assigned: to the Brigade as instructor and advisor. He has been lecturing also in the Division School of the Line, which is conducted by the Brigade at its Headquarters, w ith Major Wm. L. Hallahan as Director, under Div. G. O. No. 11, of October 15th. The class of 36 student officers has been studying Gen eral Service and semaphore flag codes; ele mentary electricity in application to tele phones, telegraphy and wireless; ciphers; and trench and attack liaison. A Brigade canteen was opened on No- vembre 14th, and has already difficulty in keeping any stock. Co. B gave a vaudeville entertainment at the Harris Theatre in Spartanburg on October 20th, to a crowded house, and more shows are planned for the future. —G. L FIELD HOSPITAL COMPANY NO. 107. Sid Berger, on kitchen police, discover ed that a pitcher of milk had been over looked in the general onslaught of noon mess. Having never seen anything left over before, Berger became panic stricken. He solved the problem by hanging the pitcher of milk on a hook in the ice box. Sergeant Williams was directing litter drill. Hawthorne was the “patient.” “This man has been severely injured in a football game,” roared Williams. “You will notice a hemorrhage from a wound in his thigh—where the ball w ent through.”
