id its hand heavily on the men of the battery at
Benoite Vaux also affected the horses. The rain that fell almost
daily, kept the mud knee-deep and the roads slushy. The well members
of the battery toiled hard to complete the stables and save the horses
from cruel exposure to the weather. The stables were completed in
February and were in use long enough for an order to be issued to
clean them out by way of demonstration, then the battery was ordered
to proceed to another billeting district. It was announced about this
time that the 311th regiment was to sail for home in June.

The siege of sickness claimed in death two of Battery D's men, who had
been admitted to the base hospital at Commercy.

Private Patrick J. Dooling, of Metuchen, N. J., died on March 6, 1919,
with Broncho-pneumonia. He was buried in the Post Cemetery at
Commercy.

Corporal Guy W. Mortimer, of Pottsville, Penna., died on March 8th and
was buried in the same cemetery as Private Dooling.

In March regimental post schools were opened near Souilly. A number of
Battery D men were admitted to the various courses. The boys had been
at school for only one week when they were ordered back to the outfit,
which was then moving towards Commercy.

[Illustration: SERVING MESS TO BATTERY D ALONG THE ROAD
Serving Mess Along the Road While on a Move from Benoite Vaux to
Lerouville, France. Reproduced from Official Photo of the Signal
Corps. U. S. A.]

[Illustration: BATTERY D ON THE ROAD IN FRANCE
Showing Battery D Near Courouve, France. Reproduced from
Official Photo of the Signal Corps. U. S. A.]

CHAPTER XXII.

HOMEWARD BOUND.

When the battery left Benoite Vaux the soldiers knew they had started
on the first lap of their "homeward bound" trip. Weeks of hard work
were yet before the battery, but the thought of getting home in June,
or possibly earlier, as rumor had it that the A. E. F. sailing
schedules were operating several weeks ahead of time, kept up the
spirit of the artillerymen.

The trip from Blancheville was made by road. A short journey on March
19th found Battery D in Boncourt, a small town near Commercy. The
other batteries of the regiment moved to nearby towns. On March 31st,
Lerouville, Pont sur Meuse and Boncourt held the regiment between
them.

On April 1st Battery D was ordered to make another trip overland. The
trip required three days. The first night's stop was made at Ligny en
Barcis, a large town where the entire reg