other companies it required about that number of 

 replacements. 



A re-organization of the 20th in midsummer caused 

 a change in naming of the companies ; Co. C. of the 

 5th battalion became Co. 15, Co. A. 41 Eng.. and Co. 

 A. 43 Eng. were incorporated into the 20th as Co. 38 

 and 46 respectively. The Company later known as 

 Company 38 was attached to Co. 15 some time in 

 April, and company 46, some time in June. At no 

 time before September 1st did our total strength ex- 

 ceed 400 men, because of detachments to other or- 

 ganizations. No units of the colored labor battalion 

 ever worked directly in connection with our men, but 

 some six to eight operations of these troops worked 

 at different times under the direction of enlisted men 

 detached from our company for that purpose. In 

 some instances officers of the 20th attempted to work 

 white and colored troops mixed, but fortunately con- 

 siderable hard feeling and possible serious trouble was 

 prevented by higher officers recognizing the imprac- 

 tibility of forcing such working conditions upon white 

 men. 



After arrival in Brest early in February 1918, and a 

 long trip across France taking eight days, we finally 

 arrived in a little Loraine village, called Chatinois. in 

 the department of Vosges. Chatinois is located about 

 15 miles to the west of Nancy. We found here a 

 small detachment of Co. F. of the 2nd battalion, w 

 had been in the village some two or three weeks, an 

 as they were familiar with the local conditions were 

 great help to us in getting acquainted. 



A few days after arrival in Chatinois our Company 



4 



