The Delta of the Triple Elevens Part 22

Joseph Yeselski, Hazleton, Pa.

CHANGES AT BENOITE VAUX.

A number of changes in the battery roster were necessitated at Benoite Vaux, France, due to men being sent to hospitals for sickness. Some left to attend schools, while Philip J. Cusick, of Parsons, Pa., received word through the Red Cross of his early discharge due to the death of his father.

The transfers at Benoite Vaux included the following:

Howard A. Bain, Kansas City, Mo.

Thomas A. Davis, Scranton, Pa.

Philip J. Cusick, Parsons, Pa.

Stuart E. Prutzman, Palmerton, Pa.

Joseph Silock, Hazleton, Pa.

Harry Dauberman, Lawrence, Kansas.

Michael V. McHugh, Hazleton, Pa.

Anthony Esposito, Hackensack, N. J.

Reed F. Hulling, Charlestown, W. Va.

Clarence V. Smith, Hazleton, Pa.

Arthur A. Jones, Boundbrook, N. J.

Charles E. King, Pottsville, Pa.

John Verchmock, Hazleton, Pa.

Charles Nace, Philadelphia, Pa.

Arthur Van Valen, Englewood, N. J.

James F. Burns, Pottsville, Pa.

OTHER TRANSFERS

Joseph Delosaro and John Sharawarki, both of Hazleton, Pa., were discharged from Battery D February 5th and 14th respectively, for physical disabilities.

Carl G. Brattlof, of Newark. N. J., was a.s.signed to the 154th Brigade Headquarters, Dec. 1918.

James J. Gillespie, of Hazleton, Pa., Feb. 11th, 1918, was transferred to the Railway Transportation Corps.

George F. Haniseck, James F. McKelvey and Mathew Talkouski, all of Hazleton, Pa., May 31st, 1918, were sent to join the U. S. Guards, Fort Niagara, N. Y.

John F. Kehoe of Hazleton, Pa., Feb. 3, 1918, was transferred to Headquarters Bn. G. H. Q. A. E. F., France. He left Camp Meade February 27th, being the first man from the organization to get overseas.

Otto Kopp, of Hazleton, Pa., transferred June 1, 1918, to Headquarters Co., 311th F. A.

Donald H. Durham, of Newark, N. J., and R. L. Krah, of Lavelle, Pa., were transferred to the regimental Headquarters Co., while in France.

William M. Powell. Jr., of Hazleton, Pa., February 5th, 1918, a.s.signed to the Ordnance Depot Co., No. 101, Camp Meade.

On October 12, 1918, Raymond Stegmaier, of Jamaica, N. Y., was detached from the battery on special duty as orderly to Lieut.-Col.

Palmer.

William Van Campen, of Ridgewood, N. J., was injured by an explosion of a hand-grenade on Nov. 5, 1918. The following day he was sent to Base Hospital No. 24 at Limoge. Nicholas J. Young, of Pottsville, Pa., was transferred to the same hospital, October 16th, following the gun explosion at La Courtine.

David L. Grisby, of Terre Haute, Ind., was transferred to Base Hospital No. 15 to undergo an operation. He left the battery at Ville sous La Ferte on November 22nd.

Charles A. Weand, of Pottsville, Pa., Nov. 30, 1918, was sent to Base Hospital No. 11, A. P. O. 767, France.

Henry J. Buhle, of New Brunswick, N. J., was sick in the hospital at La Courtine when the regiment left the artillery range, in France, November 14, 1918.

Carl J. O'Malia, of Scranton, Pa., and Frederick M. Bowen, of East Rutherford, N. J., were patients at the hospital in Rimaucourt when the outfit left Blancheville, France.

Arthur D. Roderick, of Hazleton, Pa., and William R. Jones, of Bergenfield, N. J., became detached from the battery while on leave.

They were taken ill in Paris and sent to a hospital in the French metropolis.

Edward Campbell, of Hazleton, Pa., one of the battery cooks, remained at the embarkation camp at St. Nazaire, France, to take charge of camp bakery. Cook Campbell returned to the States the latter part of July.

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

PERSONALITIES.

September 20, 1918. Adam O. d.y.k.er was re-christened "Honey-Bee" d.y.k.er.

The event took place in a rather stinging manner at Camp La Courtine, France.

On the night in question Private d.y.k.er was on guard duty at the battery kitchen, which was situated under a canvas roof in a locality that was infested at that particular time with bees and yellow jackets.

While walking his post at the midnight hour d.y.k.er thought of a can of strawberry jam that he knew the cooks had deposited in a certain place. Groping his way through the dark d.y.k.er found the can of preserves, also a spoon, and immediately started to fill a sweet tooth.

In a short time the entire battery guard was aroused by a distressing cry from one of the outposts. At first it was difficult to determine whether the call was from a 311 Regiment post or a 312th Regiment post.

The question was soon settled, however, when d.y.k.er appended to the customary outpost call the designation of both the battery and the regiment, and added these words. "For G.o.d's sake hurry up, I'm all bee'd up."

The jam which he devoured was full of bees and yellow jackets. While the humor of the incident appealed to the boys of the battery, all sympathized with the unfortunate guard, who had an agonizing time of it in the camp hospital for several weeks as a result of eating honey-bees.

Shortly after the armistice was signed John J. Jlosky drank too much cognac and fell out of line at retreat one night. He was ordered to report at the battery office. When asked why he did not stand at attention he replied to Lieut. Bailey: "How do you expect a man to stand at attention with sand-paper underwear on?"

The battery had just been issued woolen underwear that day.

In recalling stable-police duty at Camp Meade, Md., there is one incident that always amused Bill Powell. Here's the story in his own words:

"After the usual morning duties as stable police, 'Mad Anthony'

a.s.signed me to load a wagon of manure. After struggling with it for perhaps an hour I felt extremely proud of the transference of the large amount of material from the ground to the wagon. I was then ordered to go with the driver. I thought this pretty soft. It was a zero day and I soon found that I was mistaken. We were on our way to unload the manure in flat cars.

"When we got to Disney, half frozen, the driver disappeared to a position near a roaring log fire and I commenced to unload. Here's where I realized the advantage of being a driver.

"While resting I noticed another wagon being unloaded nearby with a detail of three negroes doing the heaving. This got my ire, and when I got back I looked up 'Mad Anthony' and related what I had seen.