BERT HIRAM LIDSTROM’S WORLD WAR I SERVICE*
319th Engineers
World War I
World War I began on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. The
United States entered the war on April 6, 1917, when it declared war on Germany. Two
months later on June 5, all men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty were required to
register for the draft in their local counties. The local draft boards assigned a serial number to
each registration card; and a draft lottery was conducted on July 20, 1917, by the War
Department with serial numbers being drawn in order from 1 to 10,500.
Bert Lindstrom’s Induction into the Army
On June 5, 1917, Bert H. Lindstrom, age twenty-two, was
employed as a miner for the White Caps Mining Company in
Manhattan, Nevada. On that date he registered for the draft in
Tonopah, Nevada, the county seat of Nye County. He was
probably told that he needed to register in his home county,
because two days later, on June 7, he registered in Utah
County, Utah.
When he registered in Nevada, he claimed exemption from the
draft on the basis of “weak eyes.” In Utah, he did not mention
weak eyes, but claimed exemption based on the fact that he
was supporting his parents. The draft was not popular, and it
was not unusual for men to claim exempting conditions.
Draft rules for people living outside their home counties changed in November 1917, and the
Nye County draft board apparently was designated as Bert’s office of jurisdiction rather than
the Utah County draft board.
Apparently having a relatively low draft lottery number, Bert was ordered to appear before the
Nye County draft board on February 13, 1918, for an induction physical. Despite claiming
weak eyes, the draft board found him fit for service; and he was inducted into military service
on March 9. He reported for duty at Camp Fremont, California, on March 10 as a Private
First Class in Company D of the 319th Engineers.
At the time of his induction, Bert was twenty-three years old, weighed 180 lbs., and was 5’101/2” tall. The induction examination reported that he had an internal squint on his left eye
(cross eye).
*Bert was typically known as Bert Hyrum, but he was inducted into the military as Bert Hiram.
Organization of the 319th Engineers
An Act of Congress dated May 18, 1917, gave authority for organization
of the 319th Engineers, which was part of the 8th Division of the U.S.
Army. The commanding officer was Colonel Curtis W. Otwell.
Engineering regiments provided the logistical support necessary for
nearly two million American troops. Their most visible contributions
Patch of the 8th
were made behind the front lines. Army engineers built port facilities,
Division
roads, bridges, and railroads essential to moving war materiel to the
battlefront. They also built barracks and hospital facilities, and harvested timber for military
construction.
The 319th Engineers Regiment was particularly fortunate in that all of the officers were in the
Corps of Engineers and West Point graduates. Colonel Otwell accepted nothing less than the
correct military procedure on the part of all the officers and men; and the result was that very
early in its history, the 319th Engineers began to accumulate a reputation for smartness and
soldierly qualities.
The nucleus of the regiment was formed when four
officers of the Corps of Engineers and eighty-five enlisted
men were transferred from the 3rd Engineers, Hawaiian
Department. This detachment sailed from Honolulu on
December 29, 1917, and arrived at Camp Fremont,
California, on January 4, 1918.
Background of Camp Fremont
At the outbreak of World War I, the U.S. Government
determined that Menlo Park, near Palo Alto, California,
was a suitable site for a large army training camp.
Camp Fremont at Menlo Park,
Construction of the new camp, named after explorer John
California
C. Fremont, began on July 24, 1917, and continued through
1918. It originally served as a training camp for the 41st Division of the National Guard, but
when that division was transferred to North Carolina, the 8th Division was assigned there.
Camp Fremont was a tent camp, supplemented by 1,124 temporary buildings, with a troop
capacity of 30,000. The camp itself contained 1,203 acres and the entire tract contained 7,203
acres.
Camp Fremont had a short life.
abandoned in September 1919.
It was ordered salvaged in December 1918, and was
2
Camp Fremont, California
Military and Engineer Training
Through recruiting and the draft, the strength of the 319th
Engineers stood at about 2,400 when Bert reported for duty.
Upon arrival of recruits into the regiment, the selected Articles
of War were read and explained to every soldier; and frequent
lectures were delivered by the officers on military courtesy;
duties, responsibilities and privileges of a soldier; and custom
of the service.
Each man received training in the following subjects:
Discipline, care of clothing and equipment, School of the
Soldier, School of the Squad, School of the Company, guard
duty, first aid and personal hygiene, general engineering duties,
general duties, small arms fire, and physical tests. Each man
after receiving instruction and training in the above subjects
was qualified first by his squad leader; second by his platoon
leader; third by the company commander; and fourth by the
regimental commander.
Each man had to take a turn at guard duty. On April 11, 1918,
Bert wrote to his brother, Ivan: “I am a little sleepy and tired –
I was on guard last night. This makes the second time I have
been on guard. We go on one day at noon and come off the
3
Bert Lindstrom
next day at noon, we walk fast two hours and off four but we aren’t allowed to take off any of
our clothes or leave the guardhouse.”
Much time was devoted to close order drill. Close order drill consisted of practice in
formation marching, in the carrying of arms during formal marching, and in the formal
handling of arms for ceremonies and guard duty. The object of close order drill was to train
the minds and bodies of the newly inducted men to give unhesitating obedience to the will of
the leader.
Calisthenics were used to a considerable extent in the early part of the training and great
improvement was noted in general bodily vigor, smartness, activity, and precision of the men.
General engineer training consisted principally of the care and use of engineering equipment,
knots and lashings, block and tack, rope, gin poles (poles used to assist in raising towers), and
the handling of weights. Throughout the training period, much attention was devoted to
teaching the terminology of military engineering.
Moving pictures were shown at the YMCA building several times a month, commencing with
the School of the Soldier and covering various military subjects step by step. One important
moving picture and lecture was that on venereal diseases. The official moving pictures were
attended in formation by the officers and men of the regiment and were a valuable feature in
the training system.
For those who wished to attend, evening classes were given in algebra, geometry, and French.
The classes were held either within the companies or at the YMCA building located within
the regimental limits.
Trench Work and Dugout Training
In the early part of April 1918, work was commenced at the divisional trench area located
about four miles from the regimental camp, and was carried on more or less continuously
until the end of August. The first practical work in this training was the laying out and
construction of an entrenched zone of approximately 160 acres, consisting of a front line or
firing trench, lines of support, and reserve trenches connected up with communication
trenches. Various trenches such as traverse, zigzag, wavy, and echelon were constructed in
order for the soldiers to become familiar with the several standard types adopted by the
American Expeditionary Forces.
Dugouts were constructed by each of the lettered companies. Four types of timbering were
used in the construction of the dugouts. The overhead covering for all of the dugouts was 24
feet or more of undisturbed soil. There were at least two exits from each dugout and in some
cases three where a dugout was connected up by a tunnel with an adjoining dugout or trench.
The interiors of the dugouts were fitted up with bunks and electric lights.
4
Wire Entanglement and Obstacle Training
Construction of wire entanglements and other obstacles was commenced in April 1918 and
continued until the middle part of August. Emphasis was placed on a thorough understanding
and proficiency in construction both in daylight and at night of the four standard types of wire
entanglements.
In July competitive wire drills were held at night. One platoon from each company competed
for one week; and each party constructed a belt of 50 yards of wire entanglement. The wiring
parties were composed of different men from the platoon each night, and they constructed the
four standard types of wire.
The drill commenced about 9:00 p.m. when it was dark, and was conducted under established
rules and the supervision of an officer assigned to that training. A referee and timekeeper
kept notes during the drill and made a thorough inspection the following morning. Wiring
parties were graded on time, workmanship, and quietness. The wiring parties at the
commencement of the drill were in the trenches and all of the construction material was in the
trench or in back of the frontline trench. At the signal to commence work, the men left the
trench with their rifles and fixed bayonets, and placed them on the ground back of the line of
entanglement to be constructed. Then they returned to the trench for wire and pickets. No
talking or whispering was permitted and all hammers were muffled. The men were trained to
fall flat on the ground if time permitted or otherwise to remain motionless if rockets or star
shells were sent up, which occurred quite often during the drills.
Gas Training
During the first week of May 1918 the regiment received orders from divisional headquarters
to give every man six hours of training in gas. Classes were formed taking one hundred men
from each company. As soon as these recruits finished the course, other classes were formed
and in this manner--with only enough masks to equip about one-third of the regiment--the
men received their first real training in anti-gas defense.
After the initial training anti-gas training had a regular place on the training schedule. Due to
the lack of masks, this training, under the supervision of the regimental gas officer, was
carried on with classes of fifty men from each company. The classes were usually formed for
two days with four hours of training each day.
During the two-day class, the men were put through various qualifying tests and were also
qualified in the inspection of masks. After completing the tests, each man was allowed to
enter the gashouse.
Military Bridge and Pontoon Training
Bridgework was an important feature in the engineering training of the regiment. Each man
was qualified in the various knots and lashings; and their application was demonstrated by the
5
erection of derricks, gin poles, trestle
bents, and single and double lock
bridges. The handling and splicing of
steel cable was also taken up.
In July 1918, light and heavy pontoon
equipment
was
received
from
Vancouver Barracks, a pontoon being a
floating structure used as one of the
supports for a temporary bridge.
Instruction in packing and unpacking
pontoons and using them was
commenced immediately in the
regimental camp area.
Bridge and pontoon work at Felt Lake
On August 12 the First Battalion marched out to Felt Lake, a distance of five miles, under full
pack and pitched shelter tents. One week was devoted to pontoon drill and bridge
construction. Upon return of the First Battalion to camp, the Second Battalion moved out to
Felt Lake for similar instruction.
Rifle Training
From the early part of April 1918 until the first part of May, training in the proper care and
use of the rifle held a prominent place in the schedule. Using a Springfield model 1903 rifle
and model 1905 bayonet, there were drills on position, sighting, aiming, and loading and bolt
manipulation. There were also lectures on the new U.S. Model 1917 rifle.
On May 13, the regiment marched out to the Alta Mesa Rifle Range for target practice for ten
days. The march was made under full packs, a distance of five miles. Firing was commenced
immediately upon arrival, and was carried on continuously throughout each day while camped
in shelter tents at the range.
There were about twenty new U.S. model 1917 rifles in each company, and all of the men
were able to practice with these. In July all of the Springfield 1903 rifles were replaced by the
model 1917 rifle and bayonet.
U.S. Model 1917 Rifle
6
March and Maneuver Training
The first marching with full packs was on May 13, 1918, when the regiment moved out to the
rifle range, a distance of five miles. At 6:30 a.m. on the morning of the May 23, after ten days
of rifle practice, camp was broken and the regiment moved out towards Woodside for
reconnaissance. Along the way, road maps were verified and corrected. A distance of twelve
miles was covered the first day before going into camp. On the next day, the regiment broke
camp at 6:30 a.m. and marched eighteen miles where maneuvers were engaged in. The
regiment was divided into two parts, one taking a defensive position and the other attacking.
Camp was pitched that night near Redwood City, and the men did individual cooking using
field rations. On May 25 the regiment broke camp at 6:30 a.m. and marched back to Camp
Fremont, a distance of six miles, arriving at 9:30 a.m. Regimental inspection was held upon
arrival at camp. Only twelve men fell out during the three-day march.
Bayonet Training
Bayonet instruction was taken up at the divisional bayonet course for two weeks in June 1918
under the regimental bayonet instructor. The work was very strenuous, but popular with the
men.
Topographic Training
Several courses of instruction were given to the enlisted personnel of the regiment in
surveying, reconnaissance, and the handling of instruments. Each of the courses lasted two
weeks to a month.
Divisional Schools
In addition to the above training, listed below are some of the schools offered by the 8th
Division which were attended by selected officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted
men from the 319th Engineers:
Boxing school
Blacksmith school
Sniper school
Stable sergeant and farrier school
Grenade school (hand and rifle)
Horseshoe and saddler school
Liaison school
Musketry school
Pigeon school
Packer school
Staff and field officers school
7
Transportation
On about February 1, 1918, the regiment
was supplied with two Nash Quad motor
trucks. In the latter part of March, three
Dodge touring cars were received, and later
two Moreland trucks were assigned to the
regiment. Besides the motor transportation, the regiment was supplied with
ninety-three riding horses and fifty draft
horses.
1918 Dodge Touring Car
1919 Moreland Truck
1918 Nash Quad
319th Engineers Band and Chorus
The regimental commander organized a band on April 17, 1918. On that day all band
musicians in the regiment were given a tryout and twenty men were selected. A few of these
men used their own instruments and the remainder were furnished instruments purchased
from salvage. Later a benefactor raised money to purchase first-rate instruments for the band.
The next day, thirty-six hours after its organization, the band played a concert in front of the
commanding officer’s quarters. Between April 18 and 24 the band practiced five hours daily;
and a regular series of Tuesday night concerts was begun on June 25 at the regimental
bandstand at Camp Fremont. These were always well attended and the programs enthusiastically received.
A chorus was also formed, and a 319th Engineers marching song was written by one of the
members of the regiment. The song was sung to the tune of “The Soldiers’ Chorus” from
Charles Gounod’s opera, Faust.
8
“Marching Song of the 319th Engineers”
Onward to fight in a mighty cause,
Stirred by the glory of former wars,
Skilled men who smile at a coward’s fears,
On victory bent one hundred percent, the Engineers;
From the forward line of the raging fight,
‘Mid the deafening whine of the bullets’ flight,
They creep over the top midst the night’s alarm,
And blow and destroy the trenches and wire for comrades in arms.
Onward to fight in a mighty cause,
Stirred by the glory of former wars,
Skilled men who smile at a coward’s fears,
One hundred percent, the Engineers;
Far across the sea we speed to join our country’s great and noble army;
And be it life or death, we’ll prove our deep undying love for liberty;
Our posterity will point with pride to gallant lads who saved our nation;
And many a deed of worth be counted, of Engineers, of Engineers;
Who, ever fighting face the foe,
We’ll do our duty, with banners flying, foe-defying, on!
We’ll conquer every foe of liberty,
Hail, Engineers; Hail Engineers;
Hail, Engineers; Hail, Engineers;
Onward to fight in a mighty cause,
Stirred by the glory of former wars,
Skilled men who smile at a coward’s fears,
One hundred percent, the Engineers.
The supreme victory for the regiment came on June 9 in the marching and singing contest of
the 8th Division, which was held at the Stanford University stadium. In competition with
seven other regiments, the 319th Engineers band and chorus played and sang the “Marching
Song of the 319th Engineers, ” and received the first place trophy.
Moral and Religious Life
While the regiment was in training at Camp Fremont, there was a large YMCA hut that
contributed to the moral and religious, as well as the recreational life of the regiment. Clean,
wholesome amusements and entertaining and instructive lectures were provided during the
week; and on Sundays the hut was turned over to the chaplains of the regiment for religious
services.
9
Athletics
The regiment was made up not only of men capable of doing pioneer engineering, but men
who had formerly starred in athletics on college, high school, and club teams; and who were
still keen sportsmen. The commanding officer recognized the value of athletics in military
training and did everything possible to promote and encourage them. An 8th Division athletic
council was formed with representatives from all units as members. Company teams were
formed, schedules arranged, and interest in sports was manifested all over the division.
Basketball, baseball, boxing, track athletics, and tug of war flourished. The best company
team from each regiment competed in divisional competitions, and the 319th Engineers took
several divisional championships.
Regimental Exchange
The 319th Engineers’ regimental exchange was opened on January 9, 1918. Credit was
extended to enlisted men by issuing exchange coupon books. These books were issued in $1,
$2, $3, and $5 denominations. The company commander determined the amount of credit
that each enlisted man received. The exchange also cashed checks and money orders, and did
a considerable amount of banking daily for officers and enlisted men of the regiment.
The exchange had a barbershop that started as a two-chair shop and gradually enlarged to ten
chairs and two bootblacks. There were also tailor and cobbler shops, along with an ice cream
and soda counter.
When the regiment went onto the rifle range during the last half of May, the exchange went
along and was installed in tents. It proved to be a godsend, as no other stores were within
convenient distance. On the three days of marching and maneuvers following the rifle
practice, the exchange kept with the column and furnished the men with the opportunity to
buy milk, pies, ice cream, candy, tobacco, matches, sox, and other necessities. The
regimental exchange was appreciated more on this trip than was possible to describe.
From a financial standpoint the regimental exchange of the 319th Engineers was most
successful. Dividends to the companies were declared every month starting in March 1918,
and all of the companies had substantial amounts in company funds when the regiment started
overseas.
Regimental Laundry
During January and February 1918, while the 319th Engineers regiment was being organized
at Camp Fremont, firms in Palo Alto and San Francisco did the laundry for the regiment. The
prices were so high that it was a big financial problem for the private to get all of his washing
done. Therefore, a laundry was built at Camp Fremont. Groundbreaking was on Saturday,
March 23, and the laundry was up and running on the following Tuesday and did the wash for
500 men that day. It was managed by the regimental exchange and was operated by enlisted
10
men of the 319th Engineers. There were two eight-hour working shifts per day with eight men
on each shift. The amount of laundry turned out with the limited amount of machinery and
space was marvelous. The enlisted men working in the laundry were given extra
compensation from the laundry funds.
The regimental laundry ensured the clean and sanitary laundering of all the men’s clothing
and did away with the men’s washing of their own clothes in the company bathhouses. The
laundry also removed the temptation for men to let their clothing go without washing longer
than cleanliness dictated.
All profits from the laundry were turned over as dividends to the companies through the
regimental exchange.
Activation of the 319th Engineers
On September 8, 1918, the 319th Engineers regiment received orders to activate. By time of
activation the strength of the regiment had fallen from a high of 2,451 in March to around
1,600 enlisted men and forty-eight officers.
It was originally thought that the regiment would be activated in June 1918; however, active
service in Europe had been indefinitely postponed at that time, which was a blow to the men.
To overcome the disappointment resulting from postponement of duty in Europe, training had
been greatly elaborated during the summer months and athletics had been emphasized.
Three days after the order to activate, the 319th Engineers boarded four trains. After months
of rumors and ever-reviving hopes, enthusiasm was at a high pitch; and the men were ready
for the “Grand Adventure” ahead. Each company was provided with two baggage cars, one
of which was used as a kitchen car with two field ranges installed. All companies had
provided themselves with iceboxes; and subsistence stores, including fresh meat for seven
days, were taken aboard the trains before leaving Camp Fremont. As each company had
exchange dividends of $1,500 to $3,000, the men were supplied with all the delicacies of the
season en route. On the trip across the continent, time was taken for exercise and amusement.
On the morning of September 18, after a seven-day trip across the continent, the regiment
detrained at Jersey City, New Jersey, and was ferried to Long Island City, New York. The
regiment then boarded a train for Camp Upton, Long Island, New York, and arrived there on
the afternoon of September 18.
During training the longest pass issued was for forty-eight hours, so Bert had not been able to
go home during his six months of training. He wrote Ivan from Camp Upton about the cross
country trip: “We land here yesterday after a weeks ride. We had a fine trip and the people
along the road treated us fine. We came throw Chicago and we was in Canada fore a ways.
We stoped at Naigara falls and seen the falls. It is sure a site to see.”
11
Five days were spent at
Camp Upton equipping,
inspecting, and preparing
necessary paperwork. During that time the men
turned in their cotton
clothing and were issued
woolen clothing, overseas
caps, and two additional
blankets per man.
The regiment left Camp
Upton by train on the
morning of September 24
bound for Long Island
Camp Upton, New York
City. From Long Island
City, a ferry took the regiment to New York City where the men immediately boarded the
HMT Briton. The Briton cleared the dock at 9 a.m. the next morning in a convoy of fourteen
transports, a battle cruiser, and a destroyer.
In addition to the 319th Engineers, others on board were a number of casual officers, a Coast
Artillery Corps detachment, some Red Cross canteen workers, and forty-nine Naval Red
Cross nurses. It was not a pleasant voyage. Besides bad weather, the vessel was overcrowded
with troops, and in at least two of the troop compartments there was not sufficient room to
swing the hammocks in which the men were to sleep. Adjustment was made so that each man
was provided with a hammock and a place to swing it, but the crowded condition of the troop
compartments was largely responsible for spread of the epidemic of Spanish Influenza to
which the men had been exposed at Camp Upton. The Spanish Influenza affected about 200
people, or more than 10 percent of the passengers on board.
Immeasurable aid in combating the disease was extended to the regimental medical staff
through the assistance of the Naval Red Cross nurses on board. Stormy weather and heavy
seas made it impossible to use the promenade deck for hospital purposes, and it was necessary
to move the sick into the main saloon and smoking room and into main passageways leading
below. Ultimately six deaths occurred followed by burials at sea.
A gale blew on October 5 and 6, which made it unsafe to traverse the outer decks. The
weather moderated on entering the Irish Sea on the afternoon of October 6. After a narrow
escape from shipwreck off the Irish coast, the Briton entered the harbor at Liverpool early on
the morning of October 7. The regiment debarked in Liverpool and then traveled by train to
the disagreeable American Rest Camp at Knotty Ash, which was in Liverpool. Two days
were spent in questionable rest, and then movement was resumed to the American Rest Camp
at Romsey in the south of England. The regiment arrived in Romsey on the night of October
9 and left by train on the morning of October 11 for Southampton. Late in the afternoon of
October 11, the regiment boarded sailing vessels that left the dock at 11 p.m. headed for
France.
12
Arrival in France
Early on the morning of
October 13, 1918, the
regiment debarked at Le
Havre, France. Led by
the band, the regiment
marched two miles to
Rest Camp No. 2 at Le
Havre.
The general
health and spirits of the
men were good on debarking at Le Havre.
The next day the
regiment left the camp,
marched three miles to
the station, and boarded a
train bound for Brest,
France. The regiment
arrived in Brest at 7 a.m.
on October 16.
The
entire regiment was on
one train, with approximately forty men to a
boxcar. Since it took 371/2 hours to travel from Le Havre to Brest, it was very tiresome for the men.
After detraining at Brest, the men were in good spirits and happy to have finished a
disagreeable trip. They marched three miles to Pontanézen Rest Camp, Base Section No. 5,
and made camp. Companies C and F were in shelter tents, and the balance of the regiment
were in uncompleted corrugated iron huts. Construction of additional barracks was begun
immediately, and Companies C and F moved into barracks three days later.
It took thirty-five days for the regiment to get from Camp Fremont, California, to its duty
station in Brest, France.
Background of Camp Pontanézen
Camp Pontanézen, about three miles outside of Brest, was the reception camp for most
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) troops arriving in France. Brest was the most
important port of debarkation in France since it was the only deep-water port available to the
AEF.
13
Camp Pontanézen, which had formerly been used by Napoleon’s troops, was opened in
January 1918 for the use of U.S. troops. The area was used as a temporary stopping place for
troops arriving from the U.S. Companies stayed at Pontanézen only until their equipment was
sorted out and reloaded, and orders received for their next move.
Conditions at Camp Pontanézen were scandalous during the rainy season. There were not
enough barracks, and the men had to pitch tents in ankle deep mud. Conditions there in the
autumn of 1918 were so bad that an investigation was ordered.
As a result of the investigation, the camp was reconstructed with work beginning on October
24, 1918, eight days after the 319th Engineers arrived. When reconstruction began, there were
eight barracks standing, which were old French buildings with no windows and with some of
the roofs caved in.
Transfer to Le Havre
From the regiment’s arrival on October 16, 1918, until the end of the month, the men were
involved in the reconstruction of Camp Pontanézen. Specifically they built barracks, mess
halls, kitchens, and latrines. They also did electrical installation and highway grading and
construction.
On November 4, 1918, while most of the regiment remained at Pontanézen, Bert Lindstrom’s
company, Company D, was transferred to Base Section No. 4, with headquarters in Le Havre,
France. The company arrived in Le Havre on November 6, and five days later the Armistice
was signed. Bert had been in France for twenty-six days when the war ended.
The men of Company D spent the first three days in Le Havre improving their own quarters.
During the rest of the month, they were busy constructing mess halls, barracks, a warehouse,
tables, and bunks. Other work included digging ditches, installing sidewalks, and completing
electrical wiring for the American Base Hospital at Le Havre. One day was taken off during
November for Thanksgiving.
Bert spent his twenty-fourth birthday in Le Havre, France, on November 28, 1918.
Company D continued to be stationed at Le Havre through December 29, 1918, while the
main body of the regiment was stationed at Camp Pontanézen.
During December the company made repairs to the existing plumbing and electrical systems
and repaired and made additions to barracks. Additionally, the company tore down
emergency structures and did railroad construction.
14
Building of Camp Pontanézen
Back at Pontanézen at the first of the year 1919, Company D continued to help with the reconstruction of the camp.
After the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, Camp Pontanézen was charged with
the repatriation of troops. The construction that was begun in October changed focus and
turned Camp Pontanézen from a “debarkation” or “rest” camp to an “embarkation” camp.
Orders were received to push the work on as fast as possible so that troops could be moved to
the United States immediately. The conversion involved construction of additional facilities,
central feeding stations, barracks, warehouses, delousing plants, and many miles of roads and
walks. This had to be undertaken and completed during the period of rains which converted
campsites into seas of mud, and nearly made the roads impassable over which supplies
reached them. The work had to go on while the camps were in use. The camp was actually
built with an average daily population of 40,000 men all ready to move into buildings the
minute they were completed.
January 1919
Company D laid track for an interior railway; remodeled a troop kitchen and a mess hall; and
constructed a post office building, veterinary hospital, vehicle shed, hay barn, sidewalks, and
a wood box and coal bins for the troop kitchen.
February 1919
During the month of February 1919, Company D constructed four troop kitchens and a
warehouse.
The enlisted strength of the regiment was reduced materially during the month by the transfer
of men to the United States for physical reasons or for the relief of conditions at home. Many
men also took advantage of the course of study which was offered at the French universities.
March 1919
During March 1919, Company D did grading, framing and concreting of troop kitchens,
warehouses, mess halls, lavatories, and bathhouses.
By the end of March 1919, after ceaseless construction, the major structures at Camp
Pontanézen were all built and were in operation. The 319th Engineers had helped bring the
camp to a high place of efficient mechanical and social functioning. The waste of muddy
fields, bad roads, and poor sanitization that existed a few months ago had been transformed
into the semblance of an American municipality.
15
April 1919
Despite the fact that the major structures were completed, work continued during April as
Company D did the excavating, carpentry, and concreting for fifteen bathhouses.
May 1919
Company D spent most of May pouring concrete flooring for troop kitchens, a mess hall, bath
houses, lavatories, and a Red Cross building. Some men were employed on interior
improvements and on landscape gardening in the regimental area. Fewer men were required
for fieldwork, which permitted a larger number to take advantage of leave.
The men of the 319th Engineers watched thousands of men homeward bound and realized that
many more would depart before their turn would come.
June 1919
The month of June marked the completion of the construction work at Camp Pontanézen.
After that time, work consisted of minor improvements on existing structures, maintenance of
roads, operation of sawmills, and maintenance and operation of the camp railway system.
Company D cleared ditches, filled wheel ruts, oiled roads, and policed the main thoroughfare.
The strength of the regiment continued to decrease due to the policy of returning men to the
United States who had family distress or sickness. With the decrease in numbers came a
tendency toward reduced morale. No definite time of return was held out to the men who
remained, and it was disheartening to see comrades departing, along with the thousands who
daily passed out of the camp.
July and August 1919
During the last couple of months in France, the 319th Engineers operated the camp railway
and sawmills, and repaired and constructed roads.
Standard battalion mess hall
16
Standard barracks building
Standard latrines
Recreation
Because much attention was given to the maintenance of
morale in the regiment, permission was granted to use one
of the mess halls for a recreation room and canteen for the
319th Engineers. The recreation room was fitted up and
equipped in such a manner that it became a very attractive
and home-like meeting place for the men; and it did much
to preserve the morale and at the same time safeguard the
moral interests of the men.
The 319th Engineers’ recreation club was the envy of the
entire camp. It was equipped with a modern stage with a
curtain lift; a moving picture booth; a spacious floor which
was used for basketball, tennis, and handball; and as an
auditorium and dance hall. Artists in the organization
decorated the walls with numerous paintings.
There was a library which had more than 400 books that
were in constant demand; and there were writing tables
which were always filled with men writing letters to the
17
Scene in the 319th Engineers’ club
building
“folks back home.”
The 319th Engineers band was also present. It entertained the regiment, the nearby civilian
population, and the sick and wounded in hospitals.
Once the major structures of the camp were built, there was more time available for
recreation; and contests were held in athletics and theatricals in the spring and summer
months. In athletics, the 319th Engineers maintained their former supremacy. The regiment
had excellent basketball, baseball, track, boxing, and tug of war teams.
In theatricals a contest was arranged to produce the best show in the camp. Each show played
in all the other theatres and was judged. The 319th Engineers were victorious and were
presented with the cup offered by the camp commander.
The amusements furnished in the regimental club and by athletics and theatricals served to
lessen the stress and keep the men in a hopeful mood.
Summary of Camp Pontanézen Construction
In spite of disagreeable conditions, the construction of Camp Pontanézen, the 319th Engineers’
principal work in France, was an adventure filled with educating problems. Its construction
was filled with many hardships and much discomfort. Starting from shelter tents in the mud,
the regiment sallied forth to “build itself in” and later to provide shelter for incoming troops.
Nothing of its kind had ever been accomplished and its practicability was questioned many
times. From the start it lacked a definite concrete plan and a workable schedule such as
would be formulated for such an undertaking in civil construction. Policies changed
repeatedly; the number of men to be accommodated and the rate at which they were to be
received was never firmly established until the troops came; and then conditions had to be met
hurriedly, which gave rise to errors of judgment. With more careful preparation and under
less insistent demands for speed, many structures would not have been erected and others
would have been built differently. However, the camp was a success. Camp Pontanézen
outranked all formerly constructed plants in size and efficiency; and it was one of the master
accomplishments of the American Expeditionary Forces.
Camp Pontanézen occupied 1,700 acres; was built in fifteen sections; included 1,100
buildings and 6,000 floored tents; and ultimately housed 80,000 men, which included
permanent and transient troops. Barrack construction was of primary importance and the goal
of ten such structures per day was passed and increased to twenty-five. Troop kitchens, mess
halls, a delousing plant, a salvage plant, recreation buildings, numberless washhouses and
latrines, electric light plants, laundries, and hospitals were planned and built during the winter
months. In addition to the innumerable structures, a water system, sewage disposal system,
60-centimeter railroad, motor reception park, dock facilities in the vicinity of Brest, and miles
of roads, ditches, and sidewalks were built. The 319th Engineers also helped to build Fort
Federes, Fort Bouguen, and Camp President Lincoln, which were in Base Section No. 5.
18
During all that time the rain poured down, mud flowed and oozed, and the unceasing lines of
troops came and went while the permanent troops stayed and endured.
When the actual work of construction started, only fifty motor trucks were available for
transportation. That being totally insufficient, it was often necessary to move much of the
material by hand. After a 60-centimeter railroad was built from the railhead and docks in
Brest to the camp and after receiving 850 additional trucks sent down from the front after the
Armistice, the transportation problem was solved.
After non-stop construction from October 1918 to June 1919, Camp Pontanézen was closed
on January 4, 1920, after the final troops left France.
Operation of Camp Pontanézen
To one million soldiers of the AEF, Camp Pontanézen was the first milepost toward home.
The purpose of the camp was to form a reservoir of homeward bound troops to fill the ships.
After troops came from the interior billeting areas, where living conditions were not all that
could be desired, it was no small job to get every man clean and free from body lice,
commonly known as ”cooties,” and to get him fully equipped with the necessary
quartermaster and ordnance materials so that when he appeared at his home or on parade in
the United States, he would look the soldier he really was, well equipped, clean, strong, and
healthy.
Each unit arriving at Camp Pontanézen was assigned to tents with board floors. Each tent
contained six cots and a stove; and each man was given three heavy blankets.. Once settled in
the tents, a schedule governing the unit’s actions in camp was issued. A certain hour and
minute was designated for arrival at the troop kitchens for each meal. There were sixteen
troop kitchens arranged throughout the camp, and no unit had to march more than a quarter of
a mile to reach one. The kitchens gave the men all they could eat of well-prepared food.
After eating, each man washed his own mess gear.
Shortly after arriving at Camp Pontanézen, each man was carefully looked over, and if found
to be sick or infected with any disease, he was detached from his organization and sent to a
hospital for care and treatment until well and ready to return to the United States. In the same
manner every man passing through Camp Pontanézen was examined for body lice.
About the third day after arrival in camp, each unit moved from the tent area, through the
bathing and delousing plant, to the barrack area, or “clean camp,” as it was commonly called.
Every move through the delousing plant was made in units of thirty, with each man occupying
a seat numbered from one to thirty. Each man noted mentally the number of the seat he
occupied. A rack emerged from the delousing section in the center of the building, running
on a track. This rack, when stopped, bore numbers corresponding to the seat numbers that the
men were occupying. The men undressed, turned their clothes wrong side out (lice have a
habit of laying their eggs in the seams), and utilized the hooks that appeared under their
19
respective numbers. All underwear and socks were placed in large cans and taken to the
laundry that operated in conjunction with the rest of the plant, while the men marched to the
shower room.
Each man stood under a shower head and got first, one-half minute of hot water, then the
water was turned off for one minute during which time the soap troughs were opened and the
men lathered themselves with cleaning and anti-lice soap. Warm water was again turned on
for two minutes, followed by fifteen seconds of cold.
The unit of thirty then proceeded to the clean side of the building, receiving sandals, towels,
and new clean sox and underwear. There each man took the corresponding seat to the one in
which he had undressed. The wall opened and the clothes rack emerged, stopping with each
man’s clothes hanging in front of him. A dry heat of 190 degrees Fahrenheit was used in the
delousing plant, and the clothes remained in there for about fifteen minutes.
From the delouser the organization moved into barracks. No unit was placed in the barracks
until every man was bathed and deloused. It was in this area that all final checks of records
and equipment were made. After passing these inspections, all French money belonging to
the troops was collected and exchanged for American money. A certificate was made by the
unit’s commanding officer that every man had been paid up to and including the last regular
pay day.
After the final inspections, the troop movement to the United Sates was entirely dependent on
available ships. Once a ship was available, the organization received orders to march to the
docks at a certain time while trucks transported the troop property and baggage. On arrival at
the dock each individual was checked on board the ship from the passenger list.
While the transient troops were stationed at Camp
Pontanézen, entertainment was provided through the
combined efforts of the U.S. Government, YMCA,
Knights of Columbus, Red Cross, Salvation Army, and
the American Library Association. Boxing matches,
moving-picture shows, and band concerts provided
entertainment, and classes were offered in agriculture,
languages, and business. There were large reading and
writing rooms and canteens and commissaries in which to
purchase items. The camp newspaper, the Pontanézen
Duckboard, provided entertaining reading.
Camp Pontanézen required 15,000 troops as permanent
personnel to handle the incoming and outgoing march of
repatriation. The permanent personnel handled among
other things cooking, delousing, medical inspections,
completion of records, and preparation of rosters,
payrolls, and passenger lists.
Bert Lindstrom
20
Demobilization of the 319th Engineers
The 319th Engineers sailed from Brest, France, on August 15, 1919, and arrived on August 27
at Hoboken, New Jersey. Bert probably spent a day or two at Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and
then rode the train to Fort D. A. Russell near Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he was discharged
as a Private First Class on September 5, 1919. He was twenty-four years old.
Bert served a total of eighteen months in the Army. About six months were spent in training,
eleven months were spent in France, and the rest of the time was spent in traveling. The war
ended about three weeks after his arrival in France, so he was never exposed to combat.
Instead his regiment played a major part in the repatriation of troops to the United States.
21
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary information was obtained from the following source:
World War I Unit Histories, Record Group 120, National Archives and Records
Administration, College Park, Maryland.
Background information was obtained from the following sources:
Bailey, L. B., “General Duckboards of Brest,” ew York Times, March 30, 1919.
Harbord, James G., The American Army in France (Boston: Little, Brown, 1936), 551-54.
Hendricks, Charles, Combat and Construction: U.S. Army Engineers in World War I (Office
of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 1993).
Lindstrom, Bert H., letters to Ivan Lindstrom.
Newman, John J., Uncle, We Are Ready: Registering America’s Men, 1917-1918 (North Salt
Lake: Heritage Quest, 2001).
Paysonian, November 1917-March 1918.
Pottle, Frederick A., “Stretchers: The Story of a Hospital Unit on the Western Front,” The
World War I Document Archive,
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/Stretchers/Pottle2.htm
(accessed November 30, 2005).
Salt Lake Tribune, May-June 1917.
U. S. Army, Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War (1917-19):
Zone of the Interior (GPO: Washington, D.C., 1949), 64-69, 106-111, 943-44, 962, 1346.
World War I Selective Service Records, Record Group 163, National Archives and Records
Administration, Pacific Region.
22