Book Synopsis
The Eighteenth Engineers tells the story of the incredible work performed by the men of the 18th Engineers Regiment in WW1.
They were among the first 75,000 A. E. F. troops to arrive in France in late August of 1917.
There they built massive docks large enough to berth 10 transport ships end to end.
Then they constructed huge warehouses to receive and store tons of cargo.
Finally, they designed and built a complex, multi-functional railroad track system, along with unique cargo handling equipment
allowing them the ability to unload men and cargo quickly and efficiently from the ships hold.
The 18th Engineers built this massive base depot in record time under difficult conditions,
with minimal tools and materials, 6 miles north of Bordeaux, France. along the cold mud banks of the Gironne River,
This story is told by the 18th Engineers themselves, thru their many letters home to loved ones,
their poems and stories written in The Spiker, and many photos.