The Battle of Pougues-les-Eaux — A History of U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 44 — - - - - -

As You Were !

A period of beaucoup celebrations characterized the cessation of hostilities. The townspeople celebrated in their usual way of promiscuous hugging and kissing, the feminine portion of the community being encouraged in these expressions of joy by the soldiery; the patients celebrated in true American fashion by noise-making in endless variety, the officer patients going "over the top" of Cognac Ridge en masse; and the detachment men and officers of Forty-Four took cognizance of the great event in a manner which caused the natives to "sit up and take notice." The tension under which the men had been working suddenly relaxed. Discipline was slackened, and free expression was given to the relief and joy which all experienced by the realization that, "Fini la Guerre."

The officers developed another reason for jollification at this period. On the tenth of November the first of a series of proposed birthday celebrations was held. The mess hall was profusely decorated, the tables were set in civilized fashion, and there was an excellent "feed"; even menus and a très joli birthday cake were provided, and the occasion was pronounced a great success, including an "after meeting" held at the Janicot. Notwithstanding the fact that three more birthdays occurred in November, and that others came in convenient sequence, the series came to an abrupt end with the famous celebration of Captain Gilbert's natal day on the eighteenth. The preprandial exercises, the stately parades, the oratorial efforts, the touching references to Harvard Square, and the terribly tragic termination of the affair at its most virile period beggar description. Requiescat in pace.

The stream of cases entering the hospital quickly ceased to flow, and the work rapidly decreased in amount; the daily census showed a steady decline in the number of patients, and it became evident that the Battle of Pougues was entering its final stages. Immediately the questions, "What next?" and, "When do we go home?" agitated the members of the personnels, and the rumor-developers began active operations.

During this period most of the officers were granted five-day passes to visu Paris, and a little later many of the enlisted men and nurses received passes to the gay metropolis. Opportunities were given to visu other places of interest, and there was a general atmosphere of relaxation and enjoyment. A special dinner given at this time to the members of the detachment was a "howling success." The "eats" were varied and luscious, there was an atmosphere of good-fellowship, and the entertainment by home talent, consisting of music and speeches was a work of art.

Charge !

Preliminary arrangements having been completed and plans of action thoroughly discussed, active skirmishing in the awful Battle of Pougues began on the tenth of August when one hundred and fifty-nine patients, convalescent from injuries and sickness, arrived in trucks from Mesves. They were quartered in the Grand, and St. Leger, and were followed by other contingents of varying sizes at frequent intervals. These men were practically all ambulatory, and their chief cry was, "When do we eat?" With the arrival of several officer patients, the first cases of serious injuries and sickness were received. They were at first placed in the du Chalet but were subsequently moved to the Splendid. The first operation was performed on the twenty-third of August. The Mt. Guivre was opened on the twenty-sixth, and the other buildings were occupied in rapid succession as the number of patients increased.

During the early days there was much uncertainty as to the character of the cases which were to be assigned to Forty-Four. According to official and semiofficial reports, the hospital was to be devoted exclusively to surgical patients, to medical patients, to all kinds of patients, to convalescent patients, to neurological patients, to orthopaedic patients, or to heart and lungs patients. As finally determined, the cases turned over to the Unit were largely officers and convalescent enlisted men, the major portion of them being sent by train or truck from the Mesves centre.

The plan which was early developed, was to segregate the surgical cases in the Splendid and Casino, and the acute medical cases in the du Parc, the other buildings to be occupied by convalescent patients. The Mt. Guivre was reserved for recovered cases, and at first the men were here "hardened up" and prepared for the hike to the Convalescent Camp at Bulcy. The orthopaedic cases were largely cared for at the du Chalet. The Grand was used as a clearing house, quite a proportion of the patients arriving being received at this building; and the mess for the patients in several buildings and for the members of the detachment was handled here. This original plan was substantially followed during the period of activity of the hospital, although subsequently the Casino, Aviat and the du Parc were reserved exclusively for officer patients. The administrative offices were located in the Splendid and the Janicot was occupied as quarters for some of the officers of Forty-Four.

Two surgical teams were sent to Mesves for temporary duty on the fifteenth of August, the members being Major Chandler, Captains Wiggin and Thomas, and Lieutenants Skirball, Green and Rowell. Major Chandler, Captain Thomas and Lieutenant Green returned on the thirty-first. On the third of September two teams, composed of Majors Wesselhoeft and Chandler, Captain Thomas and Lieutenant Green, with six nurses and four enlisted men went to the advanced zone for duty in evacuation hospitals, remaining for about six weeks. Several other officers and a number of the enlisted men and nurses were transferred to Mesves or elsewhere for special duty or instruction, most of them eventually returning to the Unit.

The engagements which occurred in this early stage of the famous battle were to quite an extent of a social nature. The leading citizens entertained, the officers entertained, the nurses entertained, the Red Cross entertained; in short, this was an entertaining period in the history of Forty-Four. The patients were well cared for, but as their chief need was entertainment, the efforts of the members of the personnels to make them happy were considered "in line of duty." The detachment men developed an excellent quartet and orchestra which materially assisted in the solution of the amusement problem. Even the proletariat caught the infection, for the calling out of the Class of 1920 on the nineteenth of September, was celebrated in a manner which exhausted the supply of liquid refreshments in the town early in the afternoon, and rendered the entire populace "mellow."

Meanwhile endless supplies of equipment were arriving, and the feeble transportation facilities assigned to the hospital were being taxed to their utmost capacity to keep the procession moving. The men worked night and day loading and unloading, and the S.O.S. of the organization was constantly "on the job."

Army Scenes - U.S. Field Hospital Equipement.

Early in September the second phase in the great struggle was begun, with the arrival of orders to enlarge the capacity of the hospital from twelve hundred to seventeen hundred and fifty, tout de suite. Cots were set up in attics, hallways, and sheds; beds were crowded into wards already normally full ; mattresses were laid on unoccupied floor spaces; and the detachment men were squeezed into attics and dugouts.

On the fourteenth of September the first sharp encounter occurred, when ten truck loads of convalescent patients arrived from Mesves in the evening, with orders to return with three hundred other convalescent cases, making a shift of about six hundred men. The commanding officer of the Centre headed the onslaught in person. A description of the engagement had best be omitted, but it may be stated that the display of vocal pyrotechnics was of a startling and picturesque character, and that the casualties on the side of Forty-Four were rather heavy. The offensive temporarily lost one truck by ditching.

The crucial period in the Battle of Pougues began on the second of October when a hospital train direct from the front arrived, containing four hundred and fifty-three patients. A very moving period preceded the encounter, the patients already in the hospital being so generally moved about that many of them were not located for days. Elaborate preparations were made for receiving the newcomers, and men, ambulances, trucks, stretchers and blankets were placed in position at the station. After many alarms and a protracted period of waiting, the long hospital train rolled in and the fray began. The three hundred and fifty "sitters" were "toted" or walked to their quarters, and the task of getting out the "Bers" on stretchers was rushed. For two hours the awful action progressed, while rail transportation was blocked and the train officials "threw fits." Carefully the poor travelworn fellows suffering with wounds and sickness of varying degrees were taken from their bunks and transported to the hospital, where doctors, nurses, and orderlies were waiting to do everything possible to help them.

Another hospital train arriving at one o'clock in the morning of the fourth of October delivered forty-eight officers, several of whom were in a desperate condition; and a large aggregation of convalescent patients arrived by train on the fifth.

The hospital was full to overflowing, the daily census showing well over seventeen hundred patients. Many of the men were dangerously sick as a result of wounds or diseases, and a number of deaths occurred. Every member of the Unit was working overtime. To add to the difficulties of the situation a flank attack was launched by an army of deadly influenza germs, and within a few days about a third of the officers, nurses, and detachment men were hors de combat, several of them being desperately ill. Those were trying times and tested the strength and courage of the members of the Forty-Four to the utmost.

Claude I. Parrott

It is with profound regret and sorrow that the loss of one of our detachment men at this time is recorded. On the thirteenth of October, Claude I. Parrott, one of the original members of the Unit and a fine young man of great popularity and promise, passed away ; and on the fifteenth he was laid to rest in the French cemetery at Nevers. Two men temporarily attached to Forty-Four for duty, George W. Bowker and Henry F. Tattersoll, also died during this epidemic.

With the recovery of the sick members of the personnels and the systematizing of the work of the hospital, a definite routine was gradually established. Patients were rapidly classified by the Disability Board and passed on as ready for duty, for return to the States, or for special treatment; new cases were received, practically all of the convalescent type ; and the social activities, which had been for a time neglected, again flourished. The machinery of the organization was running smoothly, and everybody had settled down for a "long pull," when, on the eleventh of November, the ringing of bells, the shrieking of whistles, the displaying of flags, and the shouts of the people proclaimed the signing of the armistice.

It was the announcement of the beginning of the end for the Battle of Pougues.

Count Off !

The long deferred and anxiously awaited action of the War Department came, when, on the twentieth of February, 1918, Special Order No. 52 was issued, directing Captain Lee "to proceed from Camp Greenleaf to Boston for the purpose of mobilizing the enlisted personnel of Base Hospital 44," and specifying that "upon completion of the mobilization, he should proceed, together with the enlisted personnel, to Camp Dix, Wrightstown, N. J., for temporary duty at the Base Hospital." The requirements of the order were carried out, and on Sunday, March 10, at one o'clock, at the Out-Patient Department of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital, the first roll call of the organization was held. Of the one hundred and fifty-three enlisted men included in the order, one hundred and forty-seven responded; two men failed to appear, one man was sick in the hospital, and the others were awaiting official transfer from another branch of the service. Chaplain Wylie also reported for the purpose of accompanying the Unit. Lunch was served, and an inspiring address was delivered by Director, Major Wesselhoeft. Mr. Baker, President of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital, extended his felicitations and good wishes in behalf of the institution.

General Headquarters. — Camp Dix

In a heavy snow storm the Command proceeded by special trolley cars to the armory in Charlestown, which was reached at three o'clock; and the task of outfitting was at once begun. The garments of civilian life were discarded, and from their skins out these men became soldiers. Fortune favored those whose names began with the early letters of the alphabet, and many were the misfits which developed as the length of the waiting line decreased. The scene became almost pathetic as the last men displayed their newly acquired belongings, and endeavored to enclose number nine feet in size seven shoes, or to take up the slack in a pair of trousers at least eight sizes too large. Exchanges were in order, and the evening was occupied in friendly "swaps" and in preparations for the night. When "taps" was sounded the tired boys lay down upon their army cots under the arching roof of a military shelter, and slept-or thought. The activities and interests of civilian life had suddenly been temporarily, perhaps forever, terminated; they were leaving all that was dear and familiar to them, and were entering upon a new and tremendous adventure. They had ceased to be free moral agents, and were now units in a vast military organization, with no will but to obey, and no definite knowledge of what was before them.

Monday was spent in adjustments of seemingly impossible combinations and conditions of equipment; and the officers and soldiers at the armory were most kind and helpful, doing everything possible to facilitate matters. At six o'clock the Command left the building, proceeding to South Station by trolley, and occupying three special cars attached to the Federal express which left Boston at 7:30. As strict orders had been given that the time and place of leaving should not be announced, the departure was entirely lacking in the emotionalism and enthusiasm usually characterizing such occasions.

New Hospital Buildings, — Temporary Barracks for enlisted Men of Base — Hospital No. 44 - Camp Dix

The Detachment was supposed to reach Camp Dix in the early morning of March twelfth, but owing to a long delay in New York, did not arrive until after nine o'clock. Undaunted by the fact that the reception committee and the band had failed to materialize to bid them welcome, the sturdy soldiers marched to the Base Hospital, where they were informed that arrangements had been made to have them temporarily cared for at the 303rd. Sanitary Train. A half hour's hike brought them to their destination, and having partaken of a special mess, the task of getting placed and adjusted was begun. Acting on the principle that "an army moves on its stomach," mess kits were at once issued. Cots were then assigned in the barracks of Field Hospitals 311 and 312, and Ambulance Companies 309, 311 and 312, sections of the Sanitary Train.

A volume might be written about the experiences of the three weeks spent at this first station. The commanding officer of the Sanitary Train, Major Webster Calvin, did everything possible to make his temporary guests comfortable, and the officers of the organizations with which the men were quartered, were uniformly considerate and helpful. Lieutenant S. A. Vanderwater devoted a large part of his time to drilling and instructing the men, and his kindness and valuable assistance will never be forgotten. Headquarters were established, and Sergeant Perkins, the only noncommissioned officer with the outfit, assumed the responsibility for the paper work. A barracks sergeant was chosen for each of the five buildings in which the men were quartered; temporary clerks, noncommissioned officers and squad leaders were appointed; and various working details were arranged. Drills and hikes were the chief features of the daily schedule, and competitive weekly drills were held; a course of lectures was given by officers of the camp; a series of French lessons was begun; inoculations and vaccinations were completed; allotments and insurances were written; sports were arranged, and exciting baseball games were played and won; religious services were held; ordnance and equipment were issued; inspections were endured; and a vast amount of routine work was accomplished under difficult conditions. The men all entered the new life with a determination to "make good," and their development as soldiers was rapid and inspiring. There were no occasions for punishment; very few cases of illness developed; the morale of the men was at the maximum; and the officers of the Sanitary Train were enthusiastic in their praises of the men and their work.

Headquarters and Barracks of Base Hospital No. 44 — Camp Dix

On the first day of April an order came for the Unit to leave its temporary abode, and to transfer to the Camp Dix Base Hospital. With many regrets the men packed their belongings into their barracks bags and left the good friends and pleasant associations connected with the Sanitary Train. With all their possessions on or attached to them, they toiled perspiringly across the fields under a scorching midday sun, and arrived at their destination tired but "game." Quarters were assigned and the next phase of their army life was begun; but the members of the Unit who passed through the vicissitudes of the life at the 303rd. Sanitary Train, look back upon the three weeks spent there as among the best and happiest in their military experiences.

Meanwhile Capt. Wiggin had been called to active duty for the purpose of mobilizing the forty-seven men needed to complete the two hundred comprising the enlisted personnel. On the second of April he and forty-four men arrived at the Base Hospital, after having passed through a preliminary process similar to that experienced by the original contingent.

Orders for the mobilization of the commissioned personnel were received early in April and within a few days the medical officers had nearly all reported for duty. The Nurse Corps was mobilized on the first of April, and the nurses were divided into detachments and stationed in fourteen cantonments for duty. By the middle of April the mobilization of the Unit was practically completed.

Camp Dix — Right Dress !

The training of the members of the organization for their overseas duties was at once begun at Camp Dix. The officers were assigned to various stations in the hospital for the purpose of observing and assisting, thus familiarizing themselves with the methods of an army institution. The enlisted men were detailed to different departments for work, each man being given experience in the duties which he would be expected to perform in his own organization. Drills were held daily; but the military aspect of the routine was subsidiary to the task of training the men in hospital technique and army methods.

The experiences gained in the weeks spent at the Base Hospital were valuable, and were conducive to the success of the work done when the Unit was "placed upon its own." Incidentally the presence of our men was of distinct advantage to the hospital, and for a considerable period of time the members of Forty-Four were, to a large extent, carrying on the routine work of the institution. It is unnecessary to record that their work was of the highest grade and that it was appreciated by those in authority.

Liberty Theatre — Camp Dix

During this developmental period many interesting and exciting events transpired. The arrival of Major Wilds on the sixteenth of April ended the numerous speculations as to who the commanding officer was to be. Various "moving days" developed; the officers left their comfortable and congenial location in Ward 33, and were distributed as more or less unwelcome guests among the officers of the Base Hospital in the officers quarters; while the enlisted men were shifted from ward to barracks, from laundry to barracks to laundry (all in the same afternoon), from chapel to barracks, and from barracks to other barracks in a dizzy manner. A mild and quickly controlled epidemic of scarlet fever developed early in April, and another of German measles shortly after ; but only eleven of the enlisted men were sick and all made a complete and uninterrupted recovery. The first pay day for the men occurred on the twelfth of April and was a time of considerable interest and importance. Wrightstown, a flourishing metropolis consisting of a few permanent inhabitants, and a considerable wartime population with commercial aspirations situated within easy access of the hospital, gave opportunity for shopping, amusement, and refreshment, of which the men freely availed themselves. The palatial establishment known as the "Bucket of Blood" was somewhat popular. St. George's, the Liberty Theatre, the "Big Y" and the Hostess House, all situated in or near the camp, offered many attractions which helped to keep the men happy.

The members of the Unit rapidly became adjusted to the conditions of their new life and work, and were generally well satisfied. Naturally the question, "when do we sail?" was uppermost in the minds of all, and there were many wise ones who could read the future or who had "inside dope" which enabled them to answer the query satisfactorily to themselves.

Mark Time !

On the nineteenth of April, an official message was received which stated that the Unit would leave for overseas duty on or before the first of May, and a period of intense activity was at once inaugurated. The commanding officer made a hasty trip to Washington; messengers hurried hither and yon; frantic efforts were made to complete the equipment of the men; baggage was weighed and marked; daily physical inspections were held; goodby letters and messages were sent; the office force worked night and day preparing passenger lists, qualification cards, and endless collections of data; all leaves of absence and passes were refused; each man was "on his toes." The official photograph of the organization was taken on the twenty-fourth, and the final inspection of the equipment was made by a headquarters officer on the twenty-sixth. The Unit was reported to be ready to move.

Sunday, the twenty-eighth, was a memorable day. The fond parents, distressed wives, tearful sweethearts and admiring relatives and friends of the brave soldier boys flocked into camp by train and automobile, and the adieus were said and done. The parting of the ways had apparently been reached, and the Unit awaited the command, "Forward, March!"

Camp Dix — At Ease !

The fateful day arrived-and nothing happened. Other days came and went and still no orders were forthcoming. Rumors there were aplenty, but the "powers that be" preserved a sphinx-like silence. Gradually the tension relaxed; daily inspections were discontinued; work details were resumed in a half hearted manner ; everybody was disappointed and many were discouraged. As orders for the Unit to move were expected at any time, it was not considered safe to issue passes covering periods of more than a few hours, and thus the men were virtually confined to the vicinity of the cantonment. Some of the men had their wives boarded near the camp, but most of them lived in the expectation that three day passes would be granted, enabling them to visit their homes. On two occasions such passes were forthcoming for a portion of the Command and there were wild scrambles for the coveted slips of paper.

Several false alarms developed, one of which having such a close resemblance to the "real article," that another final physical and equipment inspection was held on the thirty-first of May. Naturally this state of uncertainty and the frequent sudden calling of the men from their duties in the hospital, seriously interfered with their work, and materially affected the morale of the members of the Unit unfavorably. Many were willing to "put up good money" that Base Hospital Forty-Four would never go overseas, and were anxious to transfer to some other unit which they felt sure would be called for foreign service. Officers and enlisted men alike felt the depression of this trying period and found it difficult to keep up courage.

To add to the difficulties of the situation, Wrightstown went bad from a sanitary standpoint, and entrance to this panacea for the blues was absolutely prohibited. And as though this disaster was not sufficient to make life miserable, the camp was closed to visitors over three week ends owing to the movement of troops, and nobody was allowed to leave the cantonment during the same periods.

Among the many interesting occurrences during this interim a few stand out prominently. On April nineteenth the first announcement of ratings of enlisted men was made, and resulted in both pleasure and dissatisfaction. The work done by the men had been so uniformly good, and so many had attained equally high standing, that it was extremely difficult to determine to whom the limited number of advancements allowed should go, and many who were not favored were naturally disappointed. The officers will never forget the "continuous performance" at Cafeteria No. 1 during the latter part of May, when they examined sixteen thousand drafted men arriving at the camp, working night and day until the task was completed. On the twenty-third of June Lieut. Fellows was married in one of the mess rooms, with a few of the officers and enlisted men of Forty-Four as witnesses.

Miss Evelyn V. Petrie

The first death to be recorded in the Unit occurred in May, when Miss Evelyn Petrie, a member of the Nurse Corps, died at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, as a result of being thrown by a frightened horse, while riding. She was a graduate from the Training School of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital, and resided in Boston. The tragic circumstances associated with her death rendered the affair especially sad.

Double Time !

Pougues-les-Eaux is a typically French town of about eighteen hundred inhabitants situated near the geographical centre of France. It is about two miles from the Loire River and is surrounded by a charmingly picturesque rolling country chiefly occupied by farms and vineyards. Nevers, where the headquarters of the Intermediate Section were located, is about five miles distant, and the great hospital centre at Mesves, of which the Pougues hospital was to be a unit, was about twelve miles in the opposite direction. Pougues is famous for its mineral springs, of which the St. Leger is the most renowned, and during the summer season has been for many years a popular resort for people desiring to "take the cure." There are a number of fine residences in and near the town occupied during the warm weather by well-to-do Parisians; and several hotels catering to the summer trade, of varying sizes and grades, constitute the chief industry of this peaceful village. The Rue Nationale forms the main street, and a quaint old church occupies a central location. There are numerous small shops and wine stores, and several winding lanes with characteristic houses and gardens.

The outbreak of the war put an end to the summer resort business, and some of the hotels had been used by the French for hospital purposes. With the advent of the United States into the war, arrangements were made for the leasing of about twenty buildings to the Government to use as a hospital for the care of American soldiers. The Hotel Splendid with its fine grounds, chalet, casino, tennis courts, gymnasium, and baths, constituted the centre of the plant; and the Hotels du Parc, Grand, and St. Leger, and the Villas du Chalet, Bert, de France, Caston, Mt. Guivre, and Bellevue, together with the New Marie, the Maison Clement, and two private residences completed the property to be occupied. The buildings varied in size from capacities of thirty-five to three hundred, with two or three not suitable for patients; in age from a comparatively recent time to an ancient period; and in condition, from a fairly well built and well preserved building to a time worn and neglected structure. Temporarily the officers were quartered in the chalet on the grounds of the Hotel Splendid, and the detachment men in the Mairie, Villa de France and Villa Bert.

The gigantic task of cleaning, altering and equipping these buildings for hospital purposes was presented to Forty-Four; but as there was to be a period of waiting for supplies to arrive, it was determined that all men not needed for the preliminary work, should be sent to Mesves to assist in the development of the hospital property in process of construction there. On the day following the arrival of the Unit in Pougues, twenty-nine officers and one hundred and fifty enlisted men packed their belongings and marched over the road to Mesves. Mon Dieu; what a day of gloom ! It had been announced that the organization would probably be broken up, and many of the men felt that this was the beginning of the end; so with sinking hearts and dismal forebodings they toilsomely traversed the twenty kilometers, with the heavens sympathetically pouring out a profusion of tears. Their fears proved groundless, however, for after four days of road-building and discomforts, all but ten of the number returned to Pougues on trucks.

Freight began to arrive shortly and a period of intense activity ensued. Beds were set up in all available places; furniture was moved about and rearranged in a weird fashion; carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and painters ripped, tore, scraped, altered, and rebuilt the interiors of buildings, while details of detachment men and civilian employes scrubbed and cleaned; there was an almost constant transportation of supplies from the freight cars to the quartermaster's storehouse and the medical supply depot, and from there to the various buildings of the Unit; preparations were made to successfully accomplish the tremendous task of feeding the multitudes; and elaborate plans for the medical and surgical administration of the hospital were developed. The laboratory, dental, eye, ear, nose and throat, and the X-ray departments were organized and rapidly put in condition for work. Everybody was busy and happy, and except for a few minor ailments, and a bumped head due to a fall from a second story bunk during a troubled sleep, all were in good health.

The French people were very cordial, and many of the members of the Unit soon formed pleasant friendships. Quite a proportion of the men began an intensive study of the language, assisted by volunteer and professional teachers, and aided and abetted by the townspeople. Officers and enlisted men were invited to the homes of the "leading citizens," and the best was none too good for Forty-Four. On August fourth a special patriotic service was held in the local church, and many of the members of the Unit accepted the invitation to attend. Certain local pastimes were indulged in by many, and Mademoiselles Vin Blanc and Vin Rouge became especially popular.

With the exception of a few days, the weather was delightful all through August and September; and the rainy season did not develop in earnest until the latter part of October. The long days of sunshine and the cool nights made a wonderful combination for comfort, and the charming country and quaint villages easily accessible by walking or bicycling, were sources of constant delight. It certainly seemed that Forty-Four had "landed on its feet."

The Red Cross representative, Capt. Vaill, arrived on the twenty-ninth of July and immediately formulated plans for the entertainment and comfort of the men of the Unit and of the prospective patients. Much might be said about the work of the Red Cross in connection with the hospital, and it is needless to state that the development of the canteen and "hut," the long list of band concerts, entertainments, "movies," dances, "teas," and other social events, and the distribution of vast amounts of clothing, toilet articles, sweets, "smokes," reading matter, and writing material went far toward making life worth living for all. Capt. Vaill was ably assisted in his work by Mrs. Glavis and Miss Dougherty.

On the fourth of August the nurses and women secretaries arrived. The Nurse Corps had been mobilized in New York, and on the fourteenth of July, Mrs. Flash, with ninety-eight nurses and six secretaries left for France. After a prolonged and somewhat strenuous trip they arrived in Paris, where twenty-four nurses were detached and detailed for special service. The remainder reached Pougues safely, and after a rest of twenty-four hours the nurses were divided into two groups of thirty-seven each, one detachment going to Mars and the other to Mesves for temporary duty. The latter group returned to Pougues on the seventeenth of August and remained during the period of activity of the hospital.

Fall In ! — Lieutenant Colonel — William F. Wesselhoeft — Director, Base Hospital No. 44

There were approximately twenty-five base hospitals partially or completely organized in this country when the United States Government declared war upon the German Empire on the sixth day of April, 1917, a number manifestly inadequate to meet the needs of such a military establishment as would have to be developed. It was necessary that other large medical institutions than those already included should organize base hospitals under the authorization of the American Red Cross; and the Trustees and Staff of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital were not slow to recognize the opportunity to "do their bit" for the country and for the medical profession. A meeting of the hospital staff was held early in May, and it was unanimously voted to recommend that an offer be made to the American Red Cross to organize a base hospital in connection with this institution. Such an offer was forwarded by the Board of Trustees, and, after some correspondence and explanation, a definite promise was made by the Red Cross that the authorization for the formation of a base hospital would be forthcoming, provided that the sum of $30,000 should be raised for the purchase of its equipment. A plan was immediately developed for securing the required amount of money, and an intensive ten days financial campaign was inaugurated in the latter part of May, which resulted in a large oversubscription of the amount needed. The Red Cross was at once notified that its conditions had been fulfilled, and a little later the funds were transferred to that organization. Early in June authorization by the American Red Cross was received to organize Base Hospital Thirty-Nine in behalf of the War Department of the United States.

Chief Nurse Mrs. Alice H. Flash — Base Hospital No. 44 — Distinguished Service Medal

At a meeting of the executive committee of the hospital Dr. William F. Wesselhoeft was nominated as the Director, and Mrs. Alice H. Flash as the Chief Nurse, and these nominations were subsequently accepted, and the appointments formally made by the authorities at Washington. Mr. Arthur F. Estabrook was named the disbursing agent, and the money which had been raised was transferred to him by the Red Cross. Col. Peabody of the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Red Cross in Boston, was appointed purchasing agent, and he delegated the task of procuring the equipment for the hospital to Dr. H. M. Pollock, Superintendent of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital.

In response to an appeal to the members of the profession associated with the hospital about seventy physicians offered their services, and the task of selecting a personnel was begun. This proved a most difficult undertaking, as it was essential that the work of the parent institution should not be seriously interfered with, while it was of the utmost importance that a congenial aggregation of men should be chosen, with skill and attainments covering a large portion of the requirements of surgical and medical practice. After due consideration, the twenty-two professional men allowed by the table of organization of a five hundred bed hospital were selected, a chaplain was appointed and sixty-five graduate registered nurses were chosen from a much larger number volunteering. To Dr. Allan W. Rowe was delegated the authority to enroll the one hundred and fifty-three men comprising the enlisted personnel, and to tentatively assign them to the departments of the prospective hospital in which they were best fitted to work.

Henry M. Pollock, M.D. — Superintendent — Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital

During the summer the task of organizing and equipping the Unit progressed rapidly. The officers received their commissions; physical examinations, vaccinations and inoculations were done; and the enlisted personnel was chosen from over seventeen hundred applicants. Many of the enlisted men received training in the hospital wards, and the tremendous task of purchasing the vast amount of required supplies was carried forward. Every effort was made to complete the work as quickly as possible, for it was supposed that the Unit would be called into active service early in the fall. A library of medical books was collected through purchase or gifts of members of the profession; a supply of homeopathic medicines was donated by Otis Clapp and Son of Boston; a special gift of money for the purchase of sleeping bags for the nurses was made by Mrs. Pierce of Wakefield, and a beautiful flag was given by Mr. Francis Stearns of Boston.

As the weeks slipped by and nothing more substantial developed than innumerable rumors concerning the future movements of the Unit, some alterations in the plans were made and several changes in the personnels became desirable for special reasons. Owing to a misunderstanding in the original assignment of numbers by the Red Cross, it was necessary to change the number of the Unit, and the organization became Base Hospital Forty-Four.

Ezra H. Baker — President, Board of Trustees — Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital

During this period of waiting, opportunity was given to develop and perfect plans for the future work of the Base Hospital; to select apparatus which would be especially useful in the work of the members of the staff; and for the special training of many of the officers in the military schools, camps and hospitals. Twenty of the nurses volunteered for temporary service, and were assigned for duty in some of the cantonments on the nineteenth of November.

Early in February, 1918, notification was received that the capacity of the Hospital was to be increased from five hundred to one thousand beds, and authorization was shortly obtained to make the necessary additions to the personnels. The commissioned staff was enlarged to thirty-two medical officers; thirty-five nurses were added to the nurse corps, making a total of one hundred, and forty-seven enlisted men were enrolled, bringing the number of the enlisted personnel up to two hundred.

Fall Out ! — Airplane view of Camp Merritt 1919

By ferry and train the Unit proceeded to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, which was reached at about two o'clock, and here the process of delousing, final paper work, and disintegration was instituted. Two officers and eighteen men were transferred on the twenty-second for discharge elsewhere, and on the twenty-sixth the remaining members of the Unit traveled to Camp Devens, Mass. Here the multitudinous details connected with the mustering out process were rapidly attended to. Many of the men received calls from relatives and friends, and some had opportunities to visit their homes. The officers were quickly put through the requirements for severing their connection with the military life and were discharged; and on the second day of May the mustering out of the enlisted men occurred.

Colored Victory Boys, Camp Merritt, NJ

Thus ended the official existence of Base Hospital Forty-Four. Through sunshine and shadow, pleasures and hardships, dangers and discouragements, hopes and fears, the members had lived and worked in the closest intimacy. Enduring friendships had been formed, unchangeable records of good and bad-mostly good had been completed; characters had been moulded; indelible impressions of men and methods had been registered ; five had made the supreme sacrifice. Through all the feelings of joy and thankfulness that the end had come, the anticipations of the future, and the satisfaction of realizing that the duty was well performed, there ran a sensation of regret that these associations were ended, and that there never again would be a complete assemblage of those who had comprised the personnel of United States Army Base Hospital Forty-Four.

WARD 32, USA Base Hospital, Camp Merritt, NJ

Forward !

On the second of July, just as three-day passes were about to be distributed to a large number of the men, the order arrived for the Unit to prepare to proceed overseas. Again the final inspections were made, and the last things were attended to. In the morning of the fifth the Command marched to the station and entrained, and at ten o'clock the long journey was begun. Jersey City was reached at 12:45 o'clock, and Bush Terminal at 2:30. At 4 o'clock the men boarded Transport No. 610, formerly the Ulysses of the Blue Funnel Line. The enlisted men were assigned to quarters as far astern and as near the bottom of the vessel as it was possible to get, and occupied bunks on two decks. During the night, troops continued to embark, and before morning the boat was completely filled with men and freight.

Early in the morning of the sixth the transport dropped down stream and anchored in the midst of other vessels crowded with troops ; and at 10:40 o'clock the entire convoy began its perilous voyage. It was inspiring and interesting to watch the big dirigible floating overhead, the aeroplanes circling in all directions, the little destroyers keeping guard in the distance ; and it gave to all a feeling of security, to realize that the armored cruiser, the Pueblo, was to accompany the fleet.

To the transports leaving New York, others were added on the seventh and eighth, so that the final number of vessels was fifteen, each carrying from two to five thousand troops. A tank steamer and the cruiser completed the convoy.

The voyage was replete with interesting happenings and conditions. Life preservers were distributed, from which the men were not allowed to separate themselves, and during the last three days of the voyage they had to be worn constantly except when the men slept; daily boat drills were held, the men being instructed as to their positions and duties in case of emergency; not a ray of light was permitted to escape from the vessel at night, so that all port holes were kept closed and no smoking on deck was allowed ; target practice by the gunners, the zigzagging evolutions of the vessels, and the signaling were always sources of much interest; submarine scares were daily occurrences and the vessel fairly seethed with rumors; the officers had setting-up exercises on the boat deck at 6:45 A. M. daily; and morning and afternoon physical inspections, music and letter writing helped to pass the time. There were all varieties of weather, but on the whole the atmospheric conditions were favorable and the sea comparatively smooth. Many of the men were more or less afflicted with mal-de-mer and some of them even "cursed the day they were born." The mess might have been improved, but the fact that the worms in the prunes were cooked rendered them innocuous, and the fresh stewed tripe was nourishing though nauseating.

On the afternoon of the fifteenth of July the Pueblo circled the convoy, each vessel displaying its flag, and then disappeared on the horizon. Eight destroyers picked up the convoy during the night, and in the early morning of the seventeenth the rugged coast of "Bonny Scotland" was clearly seen in the distance. Land was visible during the entire day as the fleet proceeded southward, and minesweepers, destroyers, aeroplanes and a dirigible acted as guardians. Late in the afternoon the convoy approached Liverpool, and on a multitude of crafts and all along the shores the crowds cheered and waved; bells rang, whistles blew, and every evidence of a hearty welcome was given. The transport came to anchor at 8:10 o'clock, and the songs and cheers of the troops on board mingled with the acclaims of those on all sides.

The vessel docked at 8:20 o'clock the next morning, and at 9:30 the Command disembarked. The day was spent in the warehouse on the pier, some of the men making brief visits into the city between showers. Late in the afternoon the Unit marched to the station of the London and Northeastern R. R. and entrained. At 7:25 o'clock the next stage of the journey was begun, the train passing through a charming section of England. The fine gardens, green fields, rolling bills, peaceful villages, and. orderly farms looked good to a travel-worn crowd which had been twelve days on the ocean.

At five o'clock in the morning of the nineteenth Southampton was reached and a march of three miles brought the Command to the famous "Rest Camp." Ye Gods! what memories that name calls up ; the enlisted men standing around all day in the rain waiting to be assigned to quarters; the foul smelling blankets, the miserable mess, the almost continuously weeping skies, and,-well, everything. However, there were some compensations during the four days' sojourn at Southampton, because opportunities were given for shopping; for seeing many typically English houses, gardens, shows, and things of historic interest; and for getting a brief glimpse of English life. But it was a joyous moment when the order to proceed was received, and without regrets, the Unit marched to the pier on the afternoon of the twenty-second of July. The channel steamer Viper was boarded, and, in company with other detachments which crowded the craft to its maximum capacity, the men settled down to make themselves as comfortable as their cramped and unclean accommodations would permit.

The boat left Southampton at 7:40 o'clock, taking its position with other vessels in the shelter of the Isle of Wight. At 9:20 the dash for the French coast began. What a night! Nobody will ever forget the furious speed of the steamer and the awful lurches as the course was suddenly changed; the tempest of rain and wind, and the impenetrable darkness; the flashing signals of the destroyers; the groans and agonized exertions of the sick; the decks, stairways, and rooms occupied by soldiers sitting, lying, standing in all possible postures, and slippery with the offerings to Neptune; and the suspense! At 2:45 A. M. land was sighted, and at five o'clock La Havre was reached. At 8:30 the men disembarked and marched through the city and up the long hill to the camp, where tents were assigned and preparations made for a temporary stay. The weeping heavens and the close proximity to a sizeable cemetery were not especially conducive to a cheerful atmosphere, but the men made the best of their cheerless quarters in the bare tents, and each endeavored to be philosophical while occupying the few inches of space allotted to him.

At two o'clock the next morning the Unit was aroused. Mess was eaten by the light of a glorious moon, baggage was packed and transported, and the railroad station was reached after a brisk march in the crisp air and the growing light of a gorgeous sunrise.

At seven fifteen o'clock the final stage of the journey was begun, the men and their belongings being crowded into the dirty cars in a fearsome manner.

The trip from La Havre to Pougues-les-Eaux will always be remembered as one of the "events" in the history of Forty-Four. So cramped was the space in the compartments that in at least two instances the racks over the seats intended for hand baggage were utilized as sleeping quarters, and in several cases men were temporarily lost amidst the pieces of luggage piled promiscuously on the floors of the cars. Rations for forty hours were issued before leaving La Havre, and the efforts of the men to make equable divisions of them with reference to the number of meals and the number of mouths were exciting. From 1:15 A. M. to 4:30 P. M. of the twenty-fifth the train reposed undisturbed in the freight yard at Villeneuve, the monotony of the pause being occasionally relieved by the demands of the men for certain privileges, forcibly expressed individually or in unison.

The train came to a jerky stop at the little station of Pougues-les-Eaux at 3:15 A. M. of Friday, the twenty-sixth of July, and the cars containing the members of Base Hospital Fort-Four and their baggage were backed onto a siding and left. In the morning the men finished their forty-hour rations, and marched to their quarters. The long journey was ended. Through the dangers and discomforts on land and sea the Unit had come unharmed. Six men had been left on the way as a result of sickness, quarantine, or failure to make connections, but the remainder had arrived full of "pep."

The protracted period of preparation and transportation was terminated, and Forty-Four was about to "do its bit."

Route Step !

Forty-Four was doomed to another heart-breaking period in its history. Day after day passed and no word arrived from the "Great Unknown." Rumors began to circulate that the Unit had been dropped from the sailing list, and unexpected difficulties with the property accounts developed. On the fourth of February Lt. Col. Wilds was transferred to Brest, Lt. Col. Wesselhoeft becoming the commanding officer of the Unit, and thus was inaugurated a series of transfers of officers and detachment men to all sections of the A. E. F. for duty. Dire disaster seemed to threaten, and it looked as though the organization was to be completely broken up and the members retained indefinitely in France. The only hope was that orders to go home might be received, thus checking the process of dissolution.

American Cemetery, Mesves Hospital Center

Deep, dense, dreadful gloom prevailed as the officers and men were gradually taken away, and an apparent impasse in the medical property situation developed; and distress turned to despair when Evacuation Hospital Twenty-Nine, which had taken over the work of Forty-Four so that it could depart for America left for Germany on the twenty-second of February. The morale of the Unit utterly succumbed and was formally buried by the detachment men with appropriate ceremonies consisting of sad music, a solemn funeral procession and impressive committal services. The only redeeming feature of this period of profound depression was that opportunities were given to most of the officers and men to visit Paris, the battlegrounds, and the leave areas in eastern and southern France.

Elmer R. Bolinder

On the seventeenth of February, the death of Elmer R. Bolinder, the second member of the enlisted personnel to pass away, occurred. Sergeant Bolinder had been transferred from Fourty-Four a few days prior to his illness, but had not changed his quarters and was still counted a member of the Unit. He was a graduate of the Harvard Dental School and had done exceptionally fine work in the dental department of the hospital. Immediately following his return from a delightful period spent at the Nice leave area he developed meningitis and died within three days. Notification that his commission as First Lieutenant had been granted as a result of examinations successfully passed, was received on the day before his death. He was buried in the American cemetery at Mesves on the eighteenth, the entire membership of the Unit marching to the grave behind the flag-draped casket and witnessing the military burial. A memorial service was held on the twenty-third at the Red Cross hut. Sergt. Bolinder will always be remembered as one of the most faithful, popular, and successful members of the organization.

Marion H. Peck

Another especially sad occurrence at this period was the death of Miss Marion H. Peck on the seventeenth of February. Miss Peck was a member of the non-enlisted personnel of Forty-Four and served as dietitian during the period of activity of the hospital. She had been granted a discharge from the service to resume her civilian work, and was on her way home when she was stricken with pneumonia, in Paris, and passed away after a brief illness.

The first anniversary of the mobilization of the enlisted personnel of Base Hospital Forty-Four was celebrated on the tenth of March. The Red Cross hut was beautifully decorated and the mess department served a banquet which was the "last word" in the culinary art. Speechmaking, music, and original "stunts" by members of the Unit contributed to render the occasion an unqualified success.

The paper work and property accounts of the organization were finally completed, the proper releases obtained, and everything was in readiness for the final move. On the seventeenth of March orders for the Unit to proceed to Brest arrived. There was an instantaneous resurrection of the erstwhile defunct morale of the outfit, and everybody worked willingly and industriously at policing, packing, paper work, and property adjustments. The Unit had at last reached the end of the long and trying waiting period, and everybody smiled.

Harold R. Blake

Only one thing occurred to modify the happiness of the men at this time, the sudden illness and death of Harold R. Blake, the third of the enlisted men to make the supreme sacrifice. Corporal Blake died on the nineteenth of March after a few days illness with meningitis, and was buried on the twentieth in the American cemetery at Mesves. He had been a most conscientious, faithful and valuable worker in the Registrar's department of the hospital and was beloved and respected by every member of the Unit.

At three o'clock in the morning of March twentieth a hasty mess was consumed and the "last things" were done. In company with two other units, Base Hospital Fifty and Base Hospital Seventy-Two, the Command marched to the Mesves station and entrained, and at seven thirty o'clock the journey to America was begun. Cars containing two other hospital units were attached to the train at Bourges, making a train of thirty-eight coaches.

Much might be said about the discomfort and annoyances of the trip to Brest ; the long delays ; the filthy cars ; the messing difficulties ; the penetrating cold ; and the crowded conditions. But ca ne fait rien now, and everybody could be cheerful; the men were HOMEWARD BOUND!

Brest was reached at noon on the twenty-second, and the beckoning Atlantic with the waiting vessels in the harbor looked good to the travel worn veterans of Forty-Four. The march of three and a half miles to Camp Pontanezen was accomplished after a standup mess on the pier, and the Unit was billeted in Section Five.

The two weeks spent in this demobilization camp were interesting in many ways. Every fifth day the men were "deloused"; work details were furnished to all parts of the camp for various duties; entertainment was provided in numerous huts; and everything was done in a surprisingly systematic manner. The method of espionage carried out in the camp and the reputed practice of detaining organizations and individuals not conforming to certain military standards, kept the members of the Unit up to the highest degree of efficiency; for the predominant desire in the mind of each was to get home quickly. Of the thirty-five fair days said to be due in this section annually, five were enjoyed during the sojourn of Forty-Four, the remainder of the period being devoted to a succession of clouds, fogs, mists, and torrential rains.

The Stairs and Roadstead, Brest

The order to bid good-by to "Sunny France" was forthcoming on the sixth of April, and on the seventh, nine officers and one hundred and fifty-three men, comprising the remains of Base Hospital Forty-Four, marched to Pier Five and were lightened out to the Graf Waldersee, which was boarded at 2:30 o'clock. At 6:30 o'clock the vessel began to move, and as the men watched the receding French shore, their minds were full of thankfulness that their period of enforced tenancy of this war-worn section of the earth had ended, and that they were on the last lap of the long journey to their own country-"God's country."

Graf Waldersee

The voyage was not one continual round of pleasure. The Graf Waldersee was undertaking her first trip to America since the armistice, and was not in the condition usually expected of a palatial transatlantic liner. She "made haste slowly" ; she had been stripped of most of her decorations and movable equipment before being leased to the United States government; she was dirty and out of repair; and her facilities for preparing food were entirely inadequate. But all the discomforts of the voyage were endured with a commendable degree of fortitude, and the weather conditions were fortunately generally propitious. Things might have been worse.

At five o'clock in the morning of April twentieth, Easter Sunday, a pilot boat came alongside the vessel and a pilot climbed aboard; and a little later the Statue of Liberty loomed out of the morning mists. Cheer upon cheer rose from the soldiers on the ship, and these were answered by the welcoming shouts of those who had come down the harbor to greet the returning troops. Bands played stirring airs, and eager relatives on the harbor crafts recognized their loved ones among the soldiers on board and gave vent to their emotions by wild gesticulations, tears, and a bombardment of their heroes with fruit and candy.

The Chateau, Brest

The Graf Waldersee docked at 10:30 o'clock, and by a strange coincidence, forty-three of the original Forty-Four nurses, in charge of Capt. Belding, arrived on the Zeppelin and landed at the same pier at about the same time. A real American mess was served, the chief features of which were "bot-dogs," pie and apples; and the men did justice to these long absent delicacies by consuming "seconds" liberally.

More than nine months had elapsed since the Unit left New York-months crowded with varied experiences ; but as the men stepped again upon American soil and looked about at the familiar sights, everything was forgotten in the supreme joy of realizing that they were "back home."

To The Rear !

The first step in the backward movement of the forces of Quarante-quatre from the famous battleground at Pougues was taken in response to an order received from G. H. Q. directing that the property should be vacated as quickly as possible, and the Unit transferred to Mesves. On the twenty-ninth of November Captain Wiggin and Lieutenant Wood, with fifty enlisted men, retired to the new location and entrenched themselves in Unit Eleven. The new position was the most recent of the units developed at this great hospital centre and consisted of partially constructed buildings of the roughest character located in a vast expanse of mud varying from two inches to two feet in depth. The task of rendering the buildings habitable, constructing walks, and preparing the barracks and wards for personnels and patients was at once undertaken, and the transportation of the vast quantities of supplies was begun. The patients were rapidly evacuated from Pougues and early in December the last of them departed for Mesves.

On the fifteenth of December ten officers and a company of enlisted men took formal possession of Unit Eleven. On the following day four hundred and fifty patients were admitted to the new hospital, all of them having recovered entirely from wounds or illnesses, and awaiting orders to proceed to their commands ; and others of the same character arrived subsequently. The nurses moved from Pougues on the twentieth.

Two members of the Unit received special appointments at this time. Mrs. Flash became Chief Nurse of the Centre on the nineteenth of December, and on the twenty-second Captain Catheron assumed the duties of Local Dental Supervisor.

Road Building, Mesves Hospital Center

Officers and enlisted men continued to arrive from Pougues as the work of preparing the property at that place for the return to its owners progressed. Leaves of absence were granted to many members of the personnels, and opportunity was thus given for visits to southern and eastern France. It was generally felt that the Unit was spending a brief period at this first way-station on its journey to America, and everybody was full of courage in spite of the discomforts and annoyances of the situation. The rain descended profusely and persistently; roofs leaked; the awful mud necessitated the constant wearing of hip boots; drinking water was scarce and poor; there was no electricity; there was a penetrating chill in the air; and the bully beef, corned Willie, gold fish and other delicacies seemed to have lost their charm.

The holiday season was somewhat dismal in certain respects. Despite the fact that a tremendous States' mail brought many letters and Christmas packages from the folks at home, and that the outlook for a speedy return to America seemed bright, there was a skeleton in the closet-or rather, in the cellar-which materially interfered with the hilarity and joyousness which would supposedly have been in evidence. The suggestion of the name Du Parc, seemed to produce a marked sensation, and certain brands of liquid refreshment were evidently unpopular. The enfeebled state of health of the mess fund rendered it inadvisable to have a special Christmas dinner, and had it not been for the generosity of the Red Cross, the gloom would have been impenetrable. It was a dry season in more than one respect, and will long be remembered for what didn't happen.

Commissioned Personnel, Base Hospital No. 44 at Mesves.

The truth of the persistent rumor that Forty-Four would be one of the first organizations returned to the United States seemed to be confirmed when Evacuation Hospital Twenty-Nine arrived and formally took over the work in Unit Eleven on the eighteenth of January. Drills, hikes, and inspections were at once begun with the purpose of rendering the men fit for the hardships and requirements of a long trip. The completion of the apparently hopeless task of straightening out the property accounts was hastened, and the mess account closed. Base Hospital Forty-Four ceased to functionate as a hospital, and was temporarily attached to Twenty-Nine for quarters and rations.

On the seventeenth of January an order was issued authorizing the men who had served for six months in the A. E. F. to wear service stripes, and the coveted gold ornaments rapidly appeared upon the left coat sleeves of the members of the Unit. On the twenty-sixth of January twenty-seven nurses who had signed up for continued service abroad left for Toul, and two days later the remaining nurses were transferred. Thus ended the official existence of the Nurse Corps of Base Hospital Forty-Four.

Wards with Canvas Extensions, Mesves Hospital Center

Everything seemed to be in readiness for the word which would start the Unit homeward, and orders were expected daily. Instructions were issued to notify the home folks to cease writing, and there was a general atmosphere of expectancy and optimism. To assist in occupying the time a company of the detachment men developed and produced an excellent farce-comedy entitled "Madam S. O. L." which was played in the several Red Cross huts in the Centre and was pronounced a great success by all. Efforts by the entertainment authorities were made to induce the men to go on the circuit of the A. E. F. camps, but the desire to get home was stronger than the wish to remain indefinitely in France, and the offer was declined. "Julius Caesar" was staged a little later, and was a fun-maker for the entire Centre. Basketball, boxing, baseball, and other sports helped to pass many hours pleasantly, and some of the men took advantage of the educational courses which were conducted. These various activities, in addition to the numerous details required to carry on the work of the Unit, and to comply with the demands of the camp headquarters, kept all the men actively employed.

Enlisted Personnel, Base Hospital No. 44 at Mesves.