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Laurels for 325th S Field Signal BattalionOnly Colored Si nal Unit in \merkan i,leal of the signal corps man -getArmy Shows Hare Courage and skill Under Fire — Maintaining (.'ounce I ion hy Telegraph and Telephone as Dangerous as Work of Combatant Itegi-mnt»—Croix de Guerre for Kh Illinois.cost,By Ralph W. Tyler Accredited Keprraeiilalivo of the Commiltrv on I'ublir InfarmutionARTICLE X.With the American Army in France. I.e Mans, December 20.—One of the units of the American Army to arrive here en route foj^ embarkation t*America that has matte good, without having the glamour and spectacular settings of combat, is the 825th Fieldcommunication through nt any but get it thiougii.On the morning of November 10, when the Second Army launched its attack on the famous Hindenberg line In f we Metz, the 92d Division, with which I was during this big attach, wus holding the line of Van'iiere -St. Micliel-von-Noiiy. During the entire engugi nu nl. wh.ch lasted f om ■-■veil o'clock llie morning ■ f the 10th to eleven a.m. of the 11th., the entire ignal corps functioned splendidly, and man, keeping up communications, installing those shelled out.In writing the “finis to this mention of this important arm; made up of young colored men fitting that 1 tell of I he pint work done by the boys of the 1st Signal Battalion of the 92d Army Dir -on on the fi»,t day of the M. 1 vision, the only colored signal unit In I lie. Shortly after the buira-i the American Army. While this bat-1 lifted, the big gun. of the . taiion hus not hud to occupy front-1 '“U shelling I'unl-a M.ms-on. line trendies, make raids for prison- 'irst shells, us I vividly icc.itl. era, or march in battle formation into ‘he edge of the city, and then big engagements, it must not he sup- (unlly Uiey began peppering t! posed that it did not have a danger '............... .....•panous, and a very dangerous, duty to perform. The boys of this battalion had to siring the wires for telegraphic and telephonic connections at times when the enemy guns were trained upon them; so, in many respects, their duty took them into situations fully as dangerous as combatant units. This battalion is composed of all young colored men, save the lieutenant colonel, major, and two or three white line officers. They are all, with few exceptions, college or liigh-school boys, not a few of them experts in radio and electric engineering, and those who were not experts in the work when the battalion wns formed, are now most proficient men. Major Spencer, now lieuteuant-colonel, who was responsible for the formation of this unit, was firm in the belief that colored boys could make good, and he has remained with it long enough to experience his belief becoming a realization. After arriving at Brest, June 19, the liattalion proceeded to Vitrey, and from lhat town began u four-day hike to Bourbonne-les Bains, a distance of more than twenty miles. From this point it proceeded, after a few days, to Votsey, and at Voisey the boys got their first taste of what was to Ire, Inter, their daily duties. Here the radio company received its quota of the lutest type or French instruments, a battery plant was established, and a full sdpply of telephones and wire was issued to companies B and C. Here, too, the infantry signal platoons of the hattulion joined the outfit and shared in the training.The first test of real courage given the men, and their first introduction into real fighting, in addition to stringing wires, and sending and receiving radio messages, came on the afternoon of September 27, when a party of laiason men, including the colonel and lieutenant Herbert, latter being colored, advanced beyond the battalion P. C„ and at the suggestion of a French soldier turned to the left. They soon found themselves beyond their lines, and directly in front of a Qerman machine-gun nest. The colonel divided his men into small groups and advanced on the enemy's position. This sortie resulted in the signal boys capturing eight German prisoners and two machine guns, but the attack caused the loss of Corpora! Charles E. Boykin, who did not return. Two days later, during general advance, Sergeant Henry E. Moody, of the battalion, was mortally wounded while at his post- Boykin was killed outright, while Sergeant Moody died in the hospital from wounds received, these1 being the first two of the signal battalion to make the supreme sacrifice.On the 10th of October, the 92d Division took over the Mnrbache sector, relieving the 187th French Division. and here, also, the 325tb Field Signal Battalion took over nil existing lines of communications, and in the days following installed new lines, and maintained connections between the various units of the 92d Division. This was no small duty, when it is remembered that an army “sector extends over u wide area of many square miles, including in it from fifty to one hundred cities and towns. The Marboche sectpr was qp qcilvu i:r**!lh and time and time nmiin did the.battalion's station. Sergeant Rufus 1!. Atwood, of the 1st Platoon, was seated in the cellar near the switch board; Private Edgar White was operating the switchboard, and Private Clark the buzzerphone. Several officers and men were standing in the “dug-out cellar. Suddenly a German shell struck the top. passed through the ceiling and wall and exploded, making havoc of the cellar. Lieutenant Walker, colored, who arrived just at the time, displayed admirable courage. lie took immediate charge, und directed things. Sergeant Atwood tried out the switchboard, and found .ill lines broken. He found, on trying it, the buzzerphone out. Private White thon received orders to stay on the switchboard, and Corporal Adolphus Johnson on the buzzerphone. the twelve-drop monocord board was nailed up by White, and then began the connecting up of the lines from the outside to the nionoeord board. All this time, the shelling around this point by the Germans was fiorea and deadly—shell' hitting all around the boys; struck a nearby ammunition dump causing the explosion of thousands of rounds of ammunition, which caused a terrific shork and all lights ts be extinguished. But still these men worked on, nod would not leave this dangerous post, n veritable target for the enemy's big guns, until the lieutenant of the military police arrived und ordered them out.What these boys of the 825th Signal Battalion have not learned re spect-ing radio, telephonic, and telegraphic work is of little advantage to any one. What they have learned about it will be of great advantage to them when they return in making a living. The 325 Field Signal Battnlign whose rank and file is mnde up of colored men, has been u marvelous success.Croix de Guerre for linllunt Men of Old 8th IllinoisColonel Roberts has requested that the following officers and enlisted men of the old 8th Illinois Regiment, which has been brigaded with tho French since being in France, be decorated with the Croix de Guerre for distinguished service. The request was made to the commanding general of the 59th Division, French Army. Lieutenant Colonel Otis B. Duncan, Major James R. White, Captains John II. Patton, John T. Prout, Samuel R. Gwynne, Devon J. Warner, George M. Allen, James II. Hal), Stuart Alexander, Mathew Jackson, First Lieutenants Park Tancilfl Osceola A. Browning, George Lacey, Frank Robinson, Claudis Ballard, Charles C. Jackson, William Warfield, Samuel S. Gordon, Robert L. Hurd, Harry W. Shelton, Second Lieutenants Henry P. Chentham, Stanley B. Norvoll, Roy Tisdell, Thomas A. Painter, Lawson Price, Lincoln D. Reid, Elmer J. Meyers; Sergeants Norman Henry and Clarence B. Gibson; Corporals James R. Brown, I.ewis Warner, Joseph Henderson, Maceo A. Tervalon, William Stevenson and Elmer Laurent; Privates Nathaniel White, Robert Pride, George B. White, Howard Sheffield, Ulysis Sayles, Cornelius Robinson. William Cuff, Hugh Givens, Arthqr Johnson, Charles T. M|onroe, Ruifus Pitts, Decry Brown, Albert Dersr-y. William lliudle. Beg M-Kis ie, 4 upas Paxton Harry Pearson, Paul Turling-boys go ahead repairing lines, est ib-! ion. Reed J. Brown, Paul Johnson, Jishing new communications under j Reedy Jones, Aionza Keller, I.eroy shell fire, with no thought of pv-, Lindsay, Isivem Massey, Josiaii Ne-iauial danger, inspired ouly by that veea, Ira Taylor, and Jesse Ferguson.tri|yoioff
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The Dayton Forum
Dayton, Ohio, US
Fri, Jan 31, 1919
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Gina S.
USA 17 Jan 2025
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