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Our Despatches from the Front.

4th February 1915
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Page 3, 4th February 1915 — Our Despatches from the Front.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Fodens Mending French Roads—Loading as an Art—Lorries and their Nicknames -Average Tire Mileage, 4000.

These messages from Our Own Special Correspondents have been submitted to and censored by the Press Bureau, which does not object to their publication but fakes no responsibility for the correctness of the statements contained therein.—ED.

111111 Co., IIIII Div., Sup. Col., British Expeditionary Force,

MN January, 1015.

Bulged Roads.

The pave foundation must now be thoroughly e,odden ; in many places where the road has been forced down into hollows, it bulges at the sides of the latter, thus making the effect on springs even worse.

• Fodens on Road Ma'ntenance.

Large parties of French and Belgian soldiers, together with a few refugees, are continually at work patching up and draining the roads, and this work is assisted by a number of Foden steam wagons which carry bricks, etc., from any convenient source ; the latter is sometimes even a ruined house, but in the majority of cases a brickfield.

How Pave is Repaired.

in repairing a pal, road the first task is to drain it effectively ; this in done by removing the soft mud at the sides for a distance of about 3 ft and to a depth at which hard ground is reached—usually 6 ins. to 9 ins.—this trench is then filled with bricks or brick rubble, and other channels are cut through to the ditehes at the sides of the road. The pain itself, where forced down, is lifted and the stones rebedded in sand or any other suitable material which may be handy, the surface being raised slightly above that of the normal road to allow for further depressing by the traffic. I particularly noticed that some of the Fodens engaged in this work were once the property of Arding and Hobbs, of Clapham Junction.

How a Supply Column Works.

Though some of the readers of the "CM." may know fairly exactly how a supply column is worked, the majority probably do not know more than that the food for men, horses and guns is carried by motor lorries and 'gets there"; perhaps, therefore, a description of the working of this particular column may prove of interest, in that it is representative of many of the others except of those supplying ammunition' the working of which is slightly different.

This column consists of approximately 100 lorries ; in addition to these there are also two fine Leyland travelling, workshops equipped with water-cooled Douglas engines, a number of cars for the officers, and motorcycles. It is divided into two sections which supply the troops on alternate days, the "in days" being filled by loading at a station, greasing up the lorries and cleaning engines, etc., as well as by drills, rifle inspections, route marches, parades for pay, and engine inspections.

;Ration and Oat Lorries.

Each of the two sections is divided into sub-sections which are known as 1st Brigade, 2nd Brigade and Divisional Troops, after the particular troops they serve. These sub-sections are split up into so many ration and oat lorries for each regiment or unit, each lorry being provided with an identification plate with the name of the regiment or unit on it. In addition to these lorries there are a number which carry hay and fuel, these being distributed between the subsections according to requirements, and also several spares which run with the column and take the loads off any lorries which may meet with mishap.

Running at Intervals. For some months each section used to run as a whole, but it was found that this caused a great deal

of traffic obstruction as well as undue road wear ; the 50 or Et) vehicles ran. practically in the same tracks, and by the time the last had passed, any soft spots in the roads would be deeply cut or, in the ease of raw1, forced down. Now, however, each section goes out with intervals of approximately half-anhour between its sub-sections, and thus congestion and local road wear is so far as possible avoided. Unfortunately few of the other columns do this, so we are sometimes given ample time to reflect on their bad methods, and our good ones, while we are waiting for, perhaps, a hundred lorries to pass some point where obstructions pre-vent more than one line of transport at a time.

Loading Now an Art. Loading has been developed into quite an art, everyone knows his work, and the officers wisely

seldom interfere with the noncoms., who have mostly been with the column since the beginning of the war. As when delivering rations, etc., the sub-sections leave for the loading station at intervals of halt-an-hour, and the most important matter in the supervision is completely to load one sub section before the others commence, most of the yards being rather cramped for the large number of lorries which have to load. especially as three columns usually load off the same train, though not from the same trucks, It often requires skilful ma,nceuvring to get the vehicles in and out without causing a jam. To show the expedition with which loading is done, I will quota the brigade to which I belong. It consists of about a dozen B-types, and the rations and oats for 2000 men and 2200 horses are sometimes all loaded within an hour, the bay lorries being loaded separately.

.Meanwhile one lorry loads up with drums of petrol for the whole section, and returns with these to the place where the lorries park ; incidentally this lorry also carries carbide, oil, paraffin, etc. Another lorry carries the mails, which usually completely fill it, these being distributed, amongst the various unit lorries whan they return from the station.

The Chopping up of Frozen Meat.

After loading, the next, and probably more interesting business to most, is the distribution of rations to our own fellows, one lorry with its men in each sub-section has to deal with this work in addition to its own, and for a time nothing much else is heard but the chopping up of frozen meat and the chink of jam tins.

The Work at Rendezvous.

On delivery days the various sub-sections run to predetermined points at which the supply officers of the brigades are met, and these officers inform the officers in charge of the sections as to the dispositions of the troops. Sometimes the sub-sections are immediately split up to supply the various units, but under certain circumstances it may be necessary to wait until after dark. When unloaded the lorries of each sub-section return to some previously fixed point not far away, and the section does not proceed until all the vehicles have returned to the fold.

Average Tire Mileage is 4000....

In the running of the Mechanical rransport, the question of tires is naturally of great importance. With the vehicles we are at present using, and with most of those on other and newer columns, new tires were provided, and thus for the time being the trouble has been almost shelved ; this will not be the case for long, however, as most, if not all, the tires are deteriorating

very rapidly. I consider, according to the condition which the tires are in now, that an average mileage of over 4000 can hardly be expected; continual running on palmi has a most destructive effect on all the solid tires, irrespective of make.I have examined numbers of tires of various makes, all of which have run a distance of approximately 2000 miles : the continual hammering has in many cases caused the rubber to separate from the steel band in places, and I should not be surprised if in time some of them came off entire, leaving the steel band behind.

Causes of Tire Failures.

Broken granite is often used for filling up holes in pave or for the soft sides of the road, and large pieces sometimes lodge between the rear twin tires, and, being forced deeper and deeper, tend to force the rubber treads off the bands. In other eases the granite causes the treads to go to bits

circumferentially. One or two tires, which were apparently defective when new, broke and stripped off after a few days running, but the rest are doing their best ; under the trying conditions no tire can he expected actually to wear out, but instead to disintegrate.

More-Resilient Tires Wanted.

I consider that the ideal tire foi the work here should be one rathel more resilient than is usual ; as it is not actual wear that tells, suci-. a tire should have a far longer life than a harder one which would probably give longer life on good roads ; if possible a widening of the base band would give greater durability, and vehicles should cer tainly be over-tired or what would under ordinary conditions be considered as such. It would also seem that improvement might be effected in the attachment of the tread rubber to the vulcanite, this is in nearly all tires very abrupt, and it would be better to " bridge " the two by a number of thin bands of rubber varying in elasticity from that of the tread to that of the vulcanite.

Nicknames for Lorees.

Some of the drivers on other columns have invented very curious and amusing nicknames for their lorries, most of them b.eing significant of the behaviour of the vehicles to which they are applied. One five-ton Leyland bears the name "Stammering Sam" on its bonnet owing to its tendency to splutter when it is first started up. A powerful Daimler has been dubbed "Jamais Jibber' " a queer mixture of French and English slang. One lorry, bore the -particularly clever name of "Tea's Ready, Thomas," brought forth by its tendency constantly to boil ; another, minus several tires, bore

the appropriate name of " Tireless Timothy." "S. S. Mokta," rather grubby looking vehicle, brought to my mind visions of the filthy old coal tramp on which we came over ; others included " Slumbering Sam," "Snice Cushy," " Lychulite Liz," " Ragtime Kate," "Lumbering Luke," "Saucy Sal," and "Naughty Kiddie."

A Hallford with a Benz Bonnet.

The other day I was very interested to notice a fine large Hanford fitted with the beautifully made body from a German lorry—a Benz ; it presented rather a curious appearance, as the bonnet was that from the German vehicle, and its lop came several inches above the level of the radiator cap.

An A.S.C. Lorry Knocks Over a Railway Truck.

The smash which is illustrated on p. 412 took place, owing to the French railway train being moved whilst the lorries were loading, and shoving one of the latter on to another. When in line near the top of the V of the siding, the lorries met the other train, upset a truck and pushed two others off the rail. No one was hurt, luckily, but there was a pretty good mess to clear up.

The A.S.C. "Follies."

We are living in a sea of mud, but the lorries are doing very well unless they get in a ditch, The men in the -trenches are, of course, having a dreadful time in this weather. We have started a cinematograph for them when they are out for their rest, and it would do you good to see how they enjoy it. We have a complete Pathe plant, purchased in Paris, and it has its own generating tackle. The • Div. Amm. Column is running a rival show, 'The Follies,' which is also very popular, and it plays to full houses of delighted, if dirty, men who are having a rest.

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Locations: Paris

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