Very truly the Thirtieth division was an American division and could as easily have possessed the name “All-American” as the Eighty-second to whom it was finally applied. The Thirtieth personnel was more than ninety-five per cent. of American born parents. But the Thirtieth possessed the name and fire of Old Hickory and was satisfied. The record the division eventually made overseas showed that a more appropriate name than the one selected could have hardly been chosen.

Time passed and the training was being gotten down to a system. The fine points of bayonetting Huns, of tossing bombs, of manning machine guns an dthree inch guns were being explained an das readily assimilated. The work was coming splendidly and the division commander was becoming satisfied that his division was about prepared to leave the training area, quit its sham battles and sail to the real seat of activities in France. Toward the middle of April, 19188, a war department inspection was ordered which was very favorable and after that it was but a few brief days before the troops had received their overseas orders.

During the first of May, the removal was made, the necessary overseas supplies procured and upon the eleventh of that same month the division left Hoboken, N. J., and was en route to France. Calais was reached toward the last of the month and the twenty-fourth of May found the Thirtieth division landed and on their way to the Eperlocques training area. Here it was their task to undo quite a bit of what had been learned in America and to prepare in a practical

By July the training was about completed and real work lay ahead, but for a time this was to be behind the lines and to consist of much trench and wire construction work. On the Fourth of July, some one hundred and forty-two years after the signing of the American Declaration of Independence, the Thirtieth division the first division to enter the kingdom of “Fighting Albert,” a hero of freedom, marched into Belgium. Headquarters were taken at Watau in order that close touch might be maintained with the Thirty-third and Forty-ninth British divisions. Here the division was employed in constructin gthe East and West Poperinghe defense systems immediately in the rear of the two British divisions and received much experience in performing this kind of work as well as aiding materialy the British divisions:

While the defense systems were being prepared much trench wire entanglement work was done. The Americans were told they were preparing the defense for occupancy in case of a German attack and forced wtihdrawal of the British division ahead—orders to this effect were issued. Front line training was now given the members of the Thirtieth and the representatives of Old Hickory as individuals and later as platoons and last by battalions were placed in the front line trenches along with the members of the Thirty-third and Forty-ninth divisions. This was the last preparation made for the final flinging in on the front line the whole o fthe Thirtieth division.

By now it was August. The fifteenth had passed, in a day or two was to come the long expected order to the front lines and for themselves. On August 17, the order was in force and b ythe evening of that

This was the beginning and a good one. Various positions were now occupied by the Thirtieth and for a time it was placed in the General headquarters British reserve with headquarters at Rolleecourt, France. On September 22 the division was moed to the British Fourth army with headquarters at Bois de Buire, near Timcourt. Here a front line sector was taken over from the First Australian Division on the night of September 23-24. Then on September 29 with the Twenty-seventh American division on the left and the British Forty-sixth on the right, the Division began the famous assault which has made the glorious record of the Thirtieth a bright spot in history. It was that offensive which broke the toited Hindenburg line and crumpled for the first time the haughty spirit of the Germans by proving to them that the Americans recognized no thing as impregnable.

The Hindenburg line was the pride of the German general and was a remarkable work of fortification and defense. Three main trench systems protected by vast fields of barbed wire, scarcely touched by artillery fire and unusually heavy, a tunnel through which flowed a deep canal, and scores of machine gun emplacements covering the approach from any angle and able to bring at once a withering fire upon any point of attack. Other tunnels ran out from the main tunnel and the whole subterranean system of entrances and exits and tunnels was guarded by thousands of Germans and believed absolutely impossible to capture. But after a few hours of fighting the Americans had gone through and the Thirtieth had gone on for 4,200 yards on a front of 3,000 yards.

Mention has been made of the Twenty-seventh division being on the left of the Thirtieth division in this engagement. This was the famous New York division which had trained at Spartanburg, S. C. Major General John F. O'Ryan commanded this unit and was always on the best terms with Major General Read in command

After the beginning and work in this fight another rest was in order and then on October 8-9-10-11 another battle was engaged in by the Thirtieth division. On October 11-12 the Thirtieth was relieved by the Twenty-seventh American, but returned on the 16th and again took over the line, launching an attack on the 17, 18 and 19. The infantry did the greater part of the fighting and was often even without the support of artillery, determination and skillful use of rifle and bayonet only making up for this lack. Frequently, too, the terrain was against them, but in spite of difficulties the advance continued.

The division was withdrawn to Heilly for rest and replacements and two weeks later, when immediate orders for return to the front were momentarily expected, the armistice was signed and the fighting was over, November 11, 1918.

With the cessation of battle, the Second American corps was released from the British expeditionary force with which it had long been associated and was transferred to the American Le-Mans area. Here Thirtieth division headquarters were opened at Ballon on November 21. The work was now over and the boys were ready to return home. Guard duty, however, had to be done and other tasks performed. Drills were continued off and on and as much discipline as possible maintained, but it was a long, dreary wait and the fighters thought of nothing but home. Nineteen hundred and eighteen passed out of existence and there came the first month of 1919. The second month passed and still they were in France, but ships were now becoming better supplied and the rumor was going the rounds that it would be a few days at the most now before their own division would be slated for the sailing list.

Then sailing orders came. The division was ordered to sail from Saint Nazaire and finally the ships arrived, the last good-byes to France and the battle-ground were said, old comrades were regretfully left sleeping “where the poppies blow,” and the others were off for America. The first units arrived at Newport News toward the last of March and were quickly followed by other units who were directed to Charleston, being the first troops to land at the splendid Charleston Port Terminals here. The first ship with teh Thirtieth men on board to arrive here was the Mercury, which came March 27th. After that many more came bringing men of the Thirtieth division.

Charleston was prepared to give a great reception to her boys and those of her sister states as they came in, but the order was that they would be entrained immediately for Camp Jackson. After that they would be deloused and demobilized. But not able to give the welcome in person, the whole city turned out to wave a greeting as the first troop ships came up the harbor and the mayors and others went out in special boats to extend official greetings to the returning heroes. It was a grand home-coming but only the beginning of the round of festivities prepared for their home-coming when they should at last be by their firesides again.

The official record of the first and following offensive is as follows:

On August 17, 1918, the division took over the entire sector occupied by the Thirty-third British division, Sixtieth brigade being in the front line, Fifty-ninth brigade in support. This was known as the Canal sector and extended from the southern outskirts of Ypres to the vicinity of Voormezeele, a distance of 2,400 meters.

On August 31 and September 1 the division engaged in an offensive in conjunction with the Fourteenth British division on the left and Twenty-seventh division on the right. The Thirtieth division captured all its objectives, including Lock No. 8, Lankhof farm and the city of Voormezeele, advancing 1,500 yards, capturing 15 prisoners, two machine guns and 35 rifles. As a result of this advance the Two Hundred and Thirty-sixth division, which was considered an average German division, was identified. During the six weeks previous to this advance, many attempts had been made by the British and our own troops to identify this German division.

On September 4-5, the division was withdrawn from the Canal sector and placed in British G. H. Q. resreve with division headquarters at Roellecourt, France. While in this area the entire division was trained in attacking in conjunction with British tanks.

On September 17 the division was again moved farther south with division headquarters at Herissart, and on September 22 was moved to the British Fourth Army with division headquarters at Bois de Buire, near Tincourt, taking over a front line sector from the First Australian division, on the night of the 23d-24th.

On September 29 this division with the Twenty-seventh American division on the left an dthe Forty-sixth British division on the right, assaulted the Hindenburg line. The Hindenburg line at this point curves in front of the Tunnel at St. Quentin. This was considered impregnable by the Germans for the following reasons: The Hindenburg line curving west of the tunnel consisted of three main trench systems protected by vast fields of heavy barbed wire entanglements skillfully placed; this wire was very heavy and had been damaged very little by artillery fire. The dominating ground enabled them to bring devastating machine

The Thirtieth division, the sixtieth brigade, augmented by units of the One Hundred and Seventeenth infantry, attacking, assaulted this line at 5:50 a. m., September 29, on a front of 3,000 yards long, captured the entire Hindenburg system of that sector and advanced farther, capturing the tunnel system with the German troops therein, and took the cities of Bellicourt, Nauroy, Riqueval, Carriere, Etricourt, Guillaine, Ferme and Ferem de Riqueval, advancing 4,200 yards, defeating two enemy divisions of average quality (the Seventy-fifth Reserve division and the One Hundred and Eighty-fifth division), taking as prisoners 47 officers and 1,434 men.

On October 1-2 the Thirtieth division was relieved by the Fifth Australian division and moved back area with division headquarters at Herbecourt. The division scarcely reached this area when it was marched back and took over the front line in the same sector from the Second Australian division near Montbrehain on the night of the 4th-5th.

On October 8, 9, 10, and 11 the Thirtieth division attacked each day, advancing 17,500 yards and capturing le Tilleul d'Archies, le Petit Cambresis, Becquigny, Mon. Sarasin, le Trou Aux Soldats, Busigny, Gloriette, le Vert Donjon, Escaufort, le Rond Pont, Vaux-Andigny, Vallee Hasard, la Haie, Menneressee, la Rochelle, le Vent de Bise, St. Souplet, St. Benin, Malassise, Geneve, half of Montbrehain; Brancourt, Premont, Vaux-le-Pretre, Brancoucourt, Faircourt Ferme, Bois iMrand, Butry Ferme, la Sabliere Bois, Beckquignette Ferme, Bois de Malmaison, Malmaison Ferme, Bois de Busigny, Bois l'Ermitage, Bois Proyart, Imberfayt and Du Guet Fassiaux Fermes, taking prisoners 45 officers and 1,1889 men. The Fifty-ninth brigade began this attack on October 8 and captured all