WARRINGTON, Elmer Allen. Pvt. Elmer (E. A.) WARRINGTON was born 12 June 1895 in Hardin County, Tennessee, near Olive Hill, the oldest of two sons of John Young “Toby” WARRINGTON and Catherine KING WARRINGTON. His brother John and four sisters: W. KYLE, Vesta W. DANIEL, Grace W. BERRY and Fannie W. FAULKNER, were left when John WARRINGTON died. E. A. “Allen” was six years old. His mother and the six children struggled to earn a living farming. His mother remarried a man by the name of GEANS and they moved to near the community of Lutts on Weatherford Creek to the homestead still known as the Geans place. Mr. Geans soon died and the widow and children remained on the farm. His parents are buried in the Piney Grove church graveyard near Olive Hill.

E. A. “Allen” was drafted, inducted and assigned to Company B, 114^th Machine Gun Battalion of the 30^th Division where he served as a private with duties as a wagoner (teamster). He was the driver of a two-man crew hauling ammunition and towing the light artillery pieces. When towing a gun the front axle carried a large ammunition box bulled by four horses. Two front Caissons could be puller and the limber was “hinged” in the center connection between the caisson/gun or caisson/caisson and could turn around in a space large enough to turn the four horses. The second man in the crew rode on the back caisson and served as the brakeman.

The 30^th Division was dubbed “Old Hickory” after the warrior and statesman Andrew Jackson. The 30^th Division was made up of National Guard troops of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee augmented by many thousands of selective draftees. On July 25^th 1917, the Tennessee National Guard was called up and mustered into Federal Service on August 5, 1917, then transferred to Camp Sevier near Grenville, SC for training. At 7:30 A.M., September 14, 1917, orders were received creating the 114^th Machine Gun Battalion from First Squadron Tennessee Cavalry. On October 16, Allen was in the group of recruits who arrived in camp from Camp Gordon, GA and on October 20^th, measles appeared in camp. On November 17, 1917, the Division was placed under quarantine because of the measles outbreak, as well as meningitis and other illnesses. During this period of disease in camp, a close friend, Lulie JOHNSON (home address listed as Florence, AL) died November 10. Other acquaintances from the local area in Company B were A. L. “Alfred” HITCHCOCK of Walnut Grove, Tennessee (killed in action 8 October 1918); Leonard KEYTON of West Point, Tennessee; Archie PIGG of Cypress Inn, Tennessee; T. F. “Tom” RICKETTS of Olive Hill and Clyde WEST of Collinwood, Tennessee. The men were quartered in tents with heavy snow on December 11, and December 29^th and heavy sleet on January 21, 1918. The quarantine was lifted December 17, 1917. On May 1, 1918, the 114^th Machine Gun Battalion loaded on the train and left Camp Sevier for embarkation at Hoboken, NJ on the transport El Penor, leaving at 3 P.M. May 10, 1918. After 13 days of squalls, sleet and blackouts and four days of wearing life belts at all times, they arrived at Liverpool, England on May 23, 1918 and entrained for Folkstone, England. Then on May 26^th embarked for Calais, France.

The 30^th Division was transferred to the II British Corps, Second Army in the Ypres sector where they trained with British instructors on the Vickers Machine Guns. On July 10, they left La Panne and headed for the front lines, crossing the Belgian border on July 12 and arrived at Tunnelling Camp. This Division was the first American division to enter the Kingdom of Belgium. On July 16^th, the 114^th Machine Gun Battalion took over the sector in Ypres with the British. Company B was in the front lines. On August 2, relief was made and Company B was reviewed by King George of England the following day.

On August 17, 1918, the Division took over the entire sector known as the Canal Sector which extended from the southern outskirts of Ypres to the vicinity of Voormezeele, a distance of 2400 meters. On August 29^th the 114^th MG BN took over the Canal sector from the 115^th MB BN and Kemmel Hill was taken by the 30^th and 27^th Divisions in conjunction with the 14^th British Division. On September 4 and 5 the 30^th Division was withdrawn from the Canal Sector and placed in British GHQ reserve at Roellecourt, France for training in attack in conjunction with the British tanks.

On September 22, the division was moved to the British Fourth Army near Tinecourt and on the night of September 23 and 24^th the Division took over a front line sector from the 1^st Australian Division, facing the Hindenburg Line.

On September 27^th, Allen was driving the lead “limber” in a column hauling ammunition to the front when the Germans from their commanding higher ground zeroed in on a sunken road area and began shelling them with severe artillery fire mixed with mustard gas shells. The order to retreat placed him at the rear. He was lying between his rear horses with his arms over their backs, using their bodies for his protection when a shell landed among the horses. All four horses were killed or mortally wounded. Allen received minor flesh wounds to his arms and neck, but the horses fell on him, knocking his gas mask off and trapping him. First Lieutenant Summerfield RAGAN of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee saw his predicament and returned and helped him free himself from the dead and dying horses. Allen, thinking his wounds, injuries and gassing not serious, declined immediate medical care to remain with this unit. The mustard gas injury was indeed serious with severe damage to the inside of his mouth, esophagus and lungs. He could talk only at a whisper when he returned home.

On September 29^th, the 30^th Division with the 27^th American Division on the left and the 46^th British Div. On the right assaulted the Hindenburg Line. The Hindenburg Ling at this point commanded the high ground and curved in front of the Tunnel of St. Quentin and was considered impregnable by the Germans because it consisted of three main trench systems protected by vast fields of heavy barbed wire entanglements, skillfully placed and damaged very little by artillery fire. The dominating ground was strengthened by concrete machine gun emplacements, a large number of dugouts lined with mining timbers and wooden steps going down 30 feet to rooms holding four to six men, with bunks and wired for electric lights. A large tunnel including a canal had the capacity to shelter a division. The tunnel was electrically lit and filled with barges and connected by numerous tunnels to the Hindenburg trench system. Tunnels led to the city of Bellicourt and other places, including headquarters.

The 30^th Division, the 60^th Brigade with units of the 117^th Infantry, assaulted the line at 5:50 A.M., September 29^th, captured the entire Hindenburg system and advanced further, capturing the tunnel system with the German troops within, taking the cities of Bellicourt, Requeval, Carriere, Etricourt, Guillaime Ferme and Ferme de Requeval, defeating two enemy divisions, capturing 47 officers and 1,434 men.

On October 1 and 2, the 30^th Div. Was relived by the 5^th Australian Div. And moved to a back area. They had a short rest, only to march back to take over the front line in the same area on the night of the 4 & 5. On October 8^th through the 11^th, the 30^th Div attacked each day, advancing 17,500 yards capturing several towns and encountering units of 14 German divisions. The Division was relieved on Oct 11-12, but returned on Oct 16 to take over the same line at the same place and launched another attack on Oct 17, 18, and 19 against three German divisions, advancing 9,000 yards, capturing six towns, and many troops. The total number of prisoners captured by this division between September 29 and October 29 was 98 officers and 3,750 men. Because of the rapid advance and early withdrawal for replacements and rest, there was no opportunity to gather up and salvage a great number of guns and supplies captured which were left for the salvage troops of the 4^th British Army. Many field guns taken from the Germans were turned over to supporting artillery and used by them against the retreating enemy.

On Oct. 20^th, the 114^th MG BN moved to the rear for rest and camped near Bellicourt and St. Quentin Canal. Then on October 23^rd entrained at Tincourt for a trip by rail, arriving at Albert at 4 A.M. and marched 10 miles to Merricourt billeting in buildings partially destroyed by shellfire in the summer. Oct. 29, Brigade field meet, November 1 Division Field meet, furloughs, and leaves granted to parts of France. Big celebrations the night of November 10 with news the Armistice would be signed on the 11^th hours of the 11^th day of the 11^th month – exactly six months since the unit left New York. Drills, Divisional reviews, orders to turn in all British equipment, prepare to move south to join the American Army. Turned in ammunition on November 16^th. November 22^nd left Merricourt entrained to Corbie, detrained at Mont Bizat and trucked to Chateau de la Daniere on Nov. 23. Dec 13, moved to Chateau to Torce, billeted in barns. December 25, Christmas Day, heavy snow, Christmas tree for French children. Dec. 31^st more inspections, football games, presentations, visits and reviews by Gen. J. PERSHING and Gen. LEWIS through Feb 5^th. Feb. 15^th left Torce for Belgium camp; March 6 at St. Aziere, more inspections prior to embarking for the USA on the USS Rijndam on March 9. After a squally weather, rough seas and seasickness, landed at Newport News, VA at 8 A.M. on March 20, marched seven miles to Camp Morrison. March 22, delousing and new clothes issued. March 26, entrained in Pullman cars with “real porters” for Tennessee, arriving in Knoxville at 10 A.M. March 27^th for a big parade at 11 and a reception and feed and liberty until 10 P.M. Reached Nashville at 11 A.M. by train and marched to the Belmont for dinner. Paraded at 2:30 P.M., another big reception and liberty until midnight. March 29^th arrived at Chattanooga and Ft. Oglethorpe, GA. April 1 – 4, physical exams, records processed, parades, final pay and discharge.

Allen returned to the family farm at Lutts, Tennessee and on November 9, 1919 married Myrtle Estelle MORROW of the local community. They were the parents of five children: Estelle ROBBINS, Nannie WEBB, Edward, Marie McGEE and James Elmer. He lived in the Lutts community the remainder of his life, earning his living as a farmer. After several heart attacks and hospital stays over a period of years, he died of a sudden heart attack at home in April 1973.

(The above narrative was assembled by Maj. Edward Y. WARRINGTON, USAF, ret. With military narrative extracted from the book With the 114^th Machine Gun Battalion 1917 – 1919 which was compiled by members of the unit.)