Entered military service from Indiana.
Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Engineers, 2nd Division, A.E.F.
Killed in Action near Vaux.
Co. "C" was in action with 3d Bn. 23d Infantry the day he died.
Son of Benjamin and Ellen Hibbard.
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HISTORY OF COMPANY "C", 2nd ENGINEERS.
May 30, 1918 to July 25, 1918.
Then, late on the night of June 30th, orders came in to move along the lines to the left. The[y] halted for the day (July 1st) in the rear of the lines encircling Vaux. Barbed wire stakes were cut and everything put in readiness to follow the infantry as soon as they attained their objective. At 5:00 P.M., July 1st the attack started after an intense artillery preparation. About five o-clock the company moved forward through moderate shell fire to a big ravine, called by the men later, "Suicide Trench" because of the heavy fire directed upon it. Here they suffered a few casualties. Shortly before dark, with wire and stakes, the first, second and third platoons climbed out of the ravine, over the old front line, crossed the Paris-Metz road and went into the woods on the other side where the infantry had established themselves. The fourth platoon remained behind as a carrying party.
Shelling had practically ceased on the new front line but it was still intense in the rear. The first and third platoon succeeded in finishing their work and returned to camp, but the second, after using all the material they had were forced to wait until almost daylight before more came up. Then it being too late to do anymore work they "stood to" till after daylight. The day was spent in digging trenches and in placing two German machine guns which later did very effective work. A quantity of wire and stakes, left behind by the retreating Germans was found and everything made ready to finish the work. Although two attempts were made, the almost constant shell fire caused the night of July 2nd to pass without a foot of wire being placed. The night of July 3rd passed in almost the same fashion except that a part of the Infantry had left without being relieved, the Engineers had the added burden of holding a section of the lines. On the night of July 4th the third platoon came up and with its assistance the wiring was finished and the men returned to the company. They ate ravenously that breakfast on July 5th for they had had nothing except a little sardines and salmon that had been brought out by the runners and some "pumpernickel" or black bread that had been left behind by the Germans.
--V7 2nd Engrs (96)
Contributor: MGR (46905687).
Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Engineers, 2nd Division, A.E.F.
Killed in Action near Vaux.
Co. "C" was in action with 3d Bn. 23d Infantry the day he died.
Son of Benjamin and Ellen Hibbard.
--------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY OF COMPANY "C", 2nd ENGINEERS.
May 30, 1918 to July 25, 1918.
Then, late on the night of June 30th, orders came in to move along the lines to the left. The[y] halted for the day (July 1st) in the rear of the lines encircling Vaux. Barbed wire stakes were cut and everything put in readiness to follow the infantry as soon as they attained their objective. At 5:00 P.M., July 1st the attack started after an intense artillery preparation. About five o-clock the company moved forward through moderate shell fire to a big ravine, called by the men later, "Suicide Trench" because of the heavy fire directed upon it. Here they suffered a few casualties. Shortly before dark, with wire and stakes, the first, second and third platoons climbed out of the ravine, over the old front line, crossed the Paris-Metz road and went into the woods on the other side where the infantry had established themselves. The fourth platoon remained behind as a carrying party.
Shelling had practically ceased on the new front line but it was still intense in the rear. The first and third platoon succeeded in finishing their work and returned to camp, but the second, after using all the material they had were forced to wait until almost daylight before more came up. Then it being too late to do anymore work they "stood to" till after daylight. The day was spent in digging trenches and in placing two German machine guns which later did very effective work. A quantity of wire and stakes, left behind by the retreating Germans was found and everything made ready to finish the work. Although two attempts were made, the almost constant shell fire caused the night of July 2nd to pass without a foot of wire being placed. The night of July 3rd passed in almost the same fashion except that a part of the Infantry had left without being relieved, the Engineers had the added burden of holding a section of the lines. On the night of July 4th the third platoon came up and with its assistance the wiring was finished and the men returned to the company. They ate ravenously that breakfast on July 5th for they had had nothing except a little sardines and salmon that had been brought out by the runners and some "pumpernickel" or black bread that had been left behind by the Germans.
--V7 2nd Engrs (96)
Contributor: MGR (46905687).
Entered military service from Indiana.
Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Engineers, 2nd Division, A.E.F.
Killed in Action near Vaux.
Co. "C" was in action with 3d Bn. 23d Infantry the day he died.
Son of Benjamin and Ellen Hibbard.
--------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY OF COMPANY "C", 2nd ENGINEERS.
May 30, 1918 to July 25, 1918.
Then, late on the night of June 30th, orders came in to move along the lines to the left. The[y] halted for the day (July 1st) in the rear of the lines encircling Vaux. Barbed wire stakes were cut and everything put in readiness to follow the infantry as soon as they attained their objective. At 5:00 P.M., July 1st the attack started after an intense artillery preparation. About five o-clock the company moved forward through moderate shell fire to a big ravine, called by the men later, "Suicide Trench" because of the heavy fire directed upon it. Here they suffered a few casualties. Shortly before dark, with wire and stakes, the first, second and third platoons climbed out of the ravine, over the old front line, crossed the Paris-Metz road and went into the woods on the other side where the infantry had established themselves. The fourth platoon remained behind as a carrying party.
Shelling had practically ceased on the new front line but it was still intense in the rear. The first and third platoon succeeded in finishing their work and returned to camp, but the second, after using all the material they had were forced to wait until almost daylight before more came up. Then it being too late to do anymore work they "stood to" till after daylight. The day was spent in digging trenches and in placing two German machine guns which later did very effective work. A quantity of wire and stakes, left behind by the retreating Germans was found and everything made ready to finish the work. Although two attempts were made, the almost constant shell fire caused the night of July 2nd to pass without a foot of wire being placed. The night of July 3rd passed in almost the same fashion except that a part of the Infantry had left without being relieved, the Engineers had the added burden of holding a section of the lines. On the night of July 4th the third platoon came up and with its assistance the wiring was finished and the men returned to the company. They ate ravenously that breakfast on July 5th for they had had nothing except a little sardines and salmon that had been brought out by the runners and some "pumpernickel" or black bread that had been left behind by the Germans.
--V7 2nd Engrs (96)
Contributor: MGR (46905687).
Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Engineers, 2nd Division, A.E.F.
Killed in Action near Vaux.
Co. "C" was in action with 3d Bn. 23d Infantry the day he died.
Son of Benjamin and Ellen Hibbard.
--------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY OF COMPANY "C", 2nd ENGINEERS.
May 30, 1918 to July 25, 1918.
Then, late on the night of June 30th, orders came in to move along the lines to the left. The[y] halted for the day (July 1st) in the rear of the lines encircling Vaux. Barbed wire stakes were cut and everything put in readiness to follow the infantry as soon as they attained their objective. At 5:00 P.M., July 1st the attack started after an intense artillery preparation. About five o-clock the company moved forward through moderate shell fire to a big ravine, called by the men later, "Suicide Trench" because of the heavy fire directed upon it. Here they suffered a few casualties. Shortly before dark, with wire and stakes, the first, second and third platoons climbed out of the ravine, over the old front line, crossed the Paris-Metz road and went into the woods on the other side where the infantry had established themselves. The fourth platoon remained behind as a carrying party.
Shelling had practically ceased on the new front line but it was still intense in the rear. The first and third platoon succeeded in finishing their work and returned to camp, but the second, after using all the material they had were forced to wait until almost daylight before more came up. Then it being too late to do anymore work they "stood to" till after daylight. The day was spent in digging trenches and in placing two German machine guns which later did very effective work. A quantity of wire and stakes, left behind by the retreating Germans was found and everything made ready to finish the work. Although two attempts were made, the almost constant shell fire caused the night of July 2nd to pass without a foot of wire being placed. The night of July 3rd passed in almost the same fashion except that a part of the Infantry had left without being relieved, the Engineers had the added burden of holding a section of the lines. On the night of July 4th the third platoon came up and with its assistance the wiring was finished and the men returned to the company. They ate ravenously that breakfast on July 5th for they had had nothing except a little sardines and salmon that had been brought out by the runners and some "pumpernickel" or black bread that had been left behind by the Germans.
--V7 2nd Engrs (96)
Contributor: MGR (46905687).
