DEPOT VEHICLES; RESULTS NOTED The lack of sufficient preventive maintenance on Army vehicles has cut the life span of these vehicles enormously.Little operations that take ten or fifteen minutes of the drivers time before and after the use of a vehicle would save the Army millions of dollars and would insure the use of a vehicle when it is needed.Too many vehicles are now in shops for major overhauls because of the lack of a few preliminary steps by the users. Someone decided to put a stop to the unnecessary wear and tear on vehicles.That someone was 2nd Lt. William L. Fischer.The lieutenant arranged for a group of men to be stationed on the road to town;these men to stop every vehicle from the Depot and check for minor ailments.These preventive maintenance men check every vehicle from the Depot about once in every ten days. There are three men involved in the job.Pvt. Leo F. Spearance of Cohoes, N.Y., was a machinist in civil life.T/5 Kenneth M. Phinney of Malden, Mass., was a taper annealer before entering the army.Sgt. Eugene G. Bolis of Port Blanchard, pa., was a truck driver before donning khaki.These three men are out on the road every day, waving down vehicles.When the vehicle pulls up, Phinney asks questions necessary to fill in the form used for every vehicle.He ascertains the driver's name, rank and serial number, as well as organization.He finds out who authorized the use of the vehicle and takes down the vehicle registration number, type, the mileage and general condition.Meanwhile, Spearance and Bolis are checking the air in the tires, the level of the radiator water, the oil level and the general condition of the engine.They check for loose wiring and spark plugs.The lights, both dim and blackout, are tested.The windshield is inspected for cleanliness to insure the maximum visibility.These and many other units are checked.On different days they check special units, such as springs, transfer case and transmission lubricant levels and wheel bolts. |
The officer is not of this Depot but was stricken ill while nearby and was taken to the infirmiry for treatment.Like all the patients in the infirmiry, the officer received the best medical care that it was possible to get over here.He recovered quickly and left.He returned a short time ago with the radio and it now reposes in one of the wards for the entertainment of all the hospitalized soldiers. The bed capacity of the hospital was only recently extended to 37 but the patients are still being taken care of in the best manner possible.The Red Cross and Special Service are doing everything possible to keep the soldiers entertained by supplying books, magazines and games.The medical department is doing a fine job and receives all too little credit for it.No man leaves the hospital until he is completely recovered.The doctors, nurses and ward boys are doing their work with a will that produces gratifying results.The Depot Infirmiry is one of the finest in India and the finest that the staff can make it. |
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Sunday morning on the local diamond, the 82nd ball club nosed out the colored boys from down the river by a score of 1 to 0.The pitchers of both teams were in great form.Arnzen of the 82nd sending 14 men down by the strike out route while Williams of the colored boys had 12 strike outs to his credit.It was anybody's ball game going into the last half of the ninth when with two outs Stewart singled and came home on Lantrip's booming triple over the left fielder's head for the only and winning run of the game. |
Sunday, the 886th Baseball team played the Port Battalion at their diamond, and carried way the honors, with a score of 7 to 3.It was the 886th's game all the way, and a try for a revival in the last of the seventh by the Port was unsuccessful, but brought in two runs.Zoller, of the 886th allowed 3 hits, and Tober of the Port Battalion allowed 6.The sensational fielding of Chiappori, Babinski, and Wadmiller of the 886th was the outstanding feature of the game.Evers, 2nd base for the Port, spoiled an otherwise excellent ball team, by walking off the diamond in the 3rd because he didn't like one of the umpire's decisions (It was quite raw, we'll agree) and, not being able to take the bats and balls along, he took the drinking water.A unique way to punish the rest of his team for not walking out too! |