A REUNION OF "THE DARTMOUTH COMPANY"

Interesting information concerning a group of Dartmouth men during the war has been sent to the MAGAZINE by T. B. R. Bryant '18. It was known popularly as the Dartmouth Company because of the number of men from the College who were in the organization, but it was officially the 301 st Field Signal Battalion. A dinner recently held in Boston revived the memories of the war and we quote from Mr. Bryant's account of the origin of the company:

A certain Captain Russell came to Hanover and recruited in the spring of 1917 the Signal Battalion of the first Student Regiment. After much opposition we escaped the final examinations, enjoyed a lengthy vacation and were at last called to Camp Devens where we were transferred into B Company of the 301 st Field Signal Battalion of the 76th Division.

On July 12, 1918 we embarked on H.M. S. Durham cattled at Montreal for Halifax. Five days later our convoy, escorted by a British cruiser, zig-zagged east. Two days out from England, Yank destroyers met us and almost immediately showed how the submarine was stopped. Three were reported sunk with probably more. At all events it was a beautiful spectacle. On the last day of July we reached Cardiff, Wales. That night we slept at Camp Winnell Downe, Winchester, England, and in three days were in France. By the 6th of August we were in Charenton du Cher where we were conditioned for our training near Langres which we reached by the first of September. On the 24th we were sent to the front in trucks. The morning found us in the dug-out huts of Camp Ravine, St. Jean, Meurthe et Moselle. That night a small detachment of our company was sent out on a wild goose chase to repair telephone lines. It amounted to little, but those who went saw the start of the Argonne. The next day we were scattered over the Marbache and Puvenelle Sectors which were just right off the old St. Mihiel line. Our work consisted of operating telephone exchanges and constructing lines for the 6th Corps, a part of which we had now become. These stations ran from the trenches back to Corps Headquarters. Some of the boys were in where it was a bit warm, but for myself it was most prosaic yet busy. Our real test was interrupted by the Armistice. The Moselle Offense on Metz was only one day old when the end came.

This did not mean the end of our work. For example, my detachment opened a station at Pont-a-Mousson. In fact very few of us were called to headquarters when the battalion was kept busy with wire salvage and manoeuvers.

On Christmas Eve we moved to Lorraine. In a few days we were in Luxenburg and finally Villerupt, Meurthe et Moselle, France, where for the most part we loaded onto trains gas shells to be destroyed. A few continued regular work, extending their activities through Luxenburg as far as Triers. We were part of the troops occupying Luxenburg, but technically not a part of the Army of Occupation, because the Dutchy was supposed to be neutral. The Countess abdicated while we were there but it caused little disturbance.

It was our happiest moment when we left Brest, aboard the Cruiser North Carolina to land in Boston, May 27, 1919. Back at Camp Devens we became ourselves once more during the first days of June.

It is easy to understand how we became known as the "Dartmouth Company," when you learn that our company numbered only 75.

Below is a list of the Dartmouth men who were at one time or another a part of the 301st Field Signal Battalion:

Class of 1913 C. M. Parkhurst Class of 1916 J. D. Little Class of 1917 Arnold E. Anderson F. C. Regan E. F. Hahn C. C. Rodenbach W. S. Knowles C. E. Valentine A. E. Goss J. H. Dodge F. R. Husk L. J. Cone M. E. Maynard Class of 1918 Wendell E.Goodrich C. V. Opper R. E. Clark I. Prowattam G. R. Hull J. E. Rosnell W. F. Kurtz W. S. Ross R. C. Syvertsen G. M. Savage C. N. Angell W. E. Shellman W. F. Fuller L F. Emerson G. R. Kapff L. M. Brown F. W. Morse T. B. R. Bryant Class of 1919 R. B. French B. B. Powell L. D. Milligan A. D. Powers W. V. Goldberg E. F. Stoughton H. E. Johnson G. Meader W. B. Johnson Class of 1920 Fred C. Hall T. F. Smith W P. Hurley F. S. Andrews C. C. Johnson C. W. Cowles L. E. Maynard J. A. Fraser F. Sabourin