rriving at the station, they entered day coaches and were rapidly
hauled across England to Southampton, reaching there about one o'clock
the next morning, June 16th. From the station they hiked out to a rest
camp on the outskirts of the city and were assigned long, bare wooden
barracks and inside of a few minutes the tired men were wrapped up in
their blankets and snoring in peace on the hard floor.
On the morning of the 17th they again rolled their packs and marched
down to the docks where they were loaded into a small side wheeled boat
and by dark were being rapidly carried across the English Channel,
taking the same zig-zag course as they did coming to England, to avoid
the enemy submarines. On the morning of the 18th the ship docked at Le
Havre, France, and the men were soon unloaded and ready for another
hike, this time to a second rest camp situated on the top of a large
hill on the outskirts of the city. After staying three days in this
so-called rest camp, where twelve men slept in tents that were made to
accommodate only six, they marched back down to the railway station and
were loaded onto "side door pullmans" and third class coaches.
Twenty-four hours later they arrived at Blois and were at once taken to
the large replacement camp there.
Here they were again inspected and re-classified and placed in different
casual companies. All their extra equipment and barrack bags were taken
away from them and they were left with only their field equipment, all
ready for active service. Three days later the following thirty-six men,
representing the first replacements of the company, reported to Train
Hqs. for duty:
Frank M. Allen
Wm. J. Armbrustmacher
Allen L. Barris
Frank E. Bellows
Chas. F. Blaker
Joseph J. Blandford
John R. Fulmer
Michael Harriston
Ernest P. Heidel
John E. Lancaster
Walter Lebeck
Stephen McCormick
Lester A. Brogan
Francis P. Cannon
James W. Coleman
John P. Feeney
Abraham H. Feinberg
John J. Fisher
Garland Freeman
George G. Crowley
Angelo Castaldi
Clarke Ellis
James R. McDonald
John Troode
Verne F. Crawford
Harry T. Douglas
Jesse M. Casteel
Vaughn James
James E. Johnston
August Lottner
Dewey T. Barbour
Fay A. Downing
Arthur E. Jones
Parker E. Saul
The second and last replacements to this company arrived in three
sections. The first sect
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