My passion for WWI Vermont material is endless and I make every effort to track down unique, original photos and objects related to Vermonters in the Great War. It’s not easy to find and often comes at a price; 26th Division material is popular with French collectors and fetches a high price when purchased on eBay. In this case, I was able to purchase a studio photo of a 102nd Field Artillery Vermonter of Battery A . Curtis J. Sawyer was born in Middlebury, VT on September 13th, 1893 – nearly 120 years ago!
He worked at hotels most of his life, having worked at Clark’s Hotel in Boston in 1917 when he registered for the draft. Previously he served as a clerk for City Hall in Barre, VT – not far from where I work! He started his career early at the age of 17 (at least) and worked as a clerk and hotel man unit his death. He is listed as being tall with a slender complextion with blue eyes and brown hair. He lived nearly 90 years and died in 1980 in Arlington, MA – not far from Boston.
This portrait photo recently arrived from an eBay dealer in New Hampshire and my research bug is in full throttle. The photo was taken at the Burnham Photo Studio in Burlington, VT in 1917 and depicts a 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment Captain posing for the camera. I’ve seen similar shots of other officers taken at the same studio. Not much to go on in terms of an identification, but I feel that a little hard work will pay off. I should be able to narrow down all the captains in the 1st VT and work from there. Most officers would have their portraits listed in unit histories, so my journey may take me in search of obscure tomes. All the more fun!
Here’s the breakdown of the distribution from the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment:
101st Ammunition Train, 26th Division
1 Major, 6 Captains, 3 First Lieutenants, 3 Second Lieutenants, 700 Enlisted Men
101st Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division
2 First Lieutenants, 2 Second Lieutenants, 197 Enlisted Men
102nd Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division
1 First Lieutenant, 2 Second Lieutenants, 212 Enlisted Men
103rd Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division
2 First Lieutenants, 1 Second Lieutenant, 229 Enlisted Men
With this info in hand, I’ve been able to narrow down our sitter as a Captain who is most likely an officer with the 101st Ammunition Train of the 26th Division. I’ve located a list of the captains of the 1st VT who were transferred to the 101st Ammo Train:
Captain Charles E. Pell, Co. B, St.Albans
Captain Haroll M. Howe, Co.F, Northfield
Captain Dowe E. McMath, Co.H, Montpelier
Captain William N. Hudson, Co.M, Burlington
Captain Richard T. Corey, Co.L, Newport
Captain John L. Shanley, Co.G, Winooski
Our sitter is one of the above-listed men. Now to get down to some ancestry.com research……………..
I started with Captain Pell and quickly found a portrait of him. His long ear lobes are quite distinct and are not a match for our sitter.
Captain Pell
Captain Howe was next and I was able to find a shot from his 1911 Norwich University year book. Not sure on the ID, so I will continue to search……..
Captain Howe
Next step – locate a copy of the 101st Ammunition Train unit history. Hopefully officer photos are listed!
WWI Photos of Vermonters are hard to find and I continually search for superlative examples at flea markets and yard sales. This past May I was lucky enough to encounter a Vermonter dealer at a Massachusetts flea market. Low and behold, the seller had a fantastic image of a WWI Vermonter for sale! Herbert L. French is identified as being from Stratton, VT and as being a member of the 307th Field Artillery of the 78th Division.
I always try to pick up groupings of WWII color slides whenever possible, but they are incredibly expensive. I don’t want to say what I paid for these slides, but they weren’t cheap! This small selection of slides comes from the WWII 35mm slide collection of a fighter pilot who spent some time on Saipan and shot some incredible images of the things he witnessed while on the island. In this set we wee a DUKW of the 2nd Marine Division complete with painted duck logo, serial codes, and prisoners/laborers in the back. A rare color glimpse into the paint schemes and battle-wear of a wartime DUKW. I would love to find more info on the unit, but don’t know where to start!
eBay listings can be a treasure chest of great genealogical and WWII material. My favorite photos are ones that can be linked to a direct individual in a combat unit serving overseas in WWII. In this case, I was able to purchase a signal corps shot taken by the well-known combat photographer Irving Katz. His last name is mentioned on the reverse side of the image. Luckily, I’m familiar with Katz’s work from my familiarity with the Smithsonian article about the famous discovery of the Rothschild furniture in a German warehouse. More on that in a later post. Also, I’m friendly with a 196th Signal Corps photographer who lives locally. The 163rd and 196th served together in similar capacities in Italy and Southern France.
(August 25th, 2017 UPDATE)
I was just informed that this photo was taken by a different Katz that served in the same unit. Irving didn’t make it to the continent until January, 1945. Thanks to Barry S. for clearing this up!
45th Division Insignia
Back to the identification portion of the blog post. Lt. Peter Figler posed for his snapshot while holding a French fire helmet next to a fire engine in the Northeastern French town of Brouvelieures. Figler was a Lieutenant with B Battery of the 160th Field Artillery of the 45th Division when they participated in the Vosges Mountain Campaign. The photo is dated October 23rd, 1944 which places it in the early portion of the campaign.
The reverse caption identifies Lt. Figler as being from the Pennsylvania town of Larksville. With a name and town I was able to easily identify him and track down some basic info on him from ancestry.com. He was born on September 28th, 1919 and enlisted on June 16th, 1941, well before Pearl Harbor. That would likely account for his status as a Lieutenant in 1944. Sadly, he passed away in 2006. I’ve attached his obituary at the bottom of the post in hopes of connecting with his family. I love to reconnect family members with images of their relatives and provide unwatermarked photos for them.
1940 Census Record
French Brass Fire Helmet
2006 Obituary
PETERFIGLERPeterFigler, 86, of Colonial Park, Harrisburg, formerly of Larksville, passed away Monday, June 26, 2006 at Community General Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Eleanor (Sheridan) Figler, Jan. 11, 2002. Born Sept. 28, 1919, he was a son of the late Peter and Eva (Yasenchak) Figler. He graduated from Larksville High School. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served his country in World War II. The Army took him to numerous countries including Germany, Italy, France, Africa and Austria. He received the Bronze Star Medal for Heroic Achievement in Action, in France, in September, 1944. He worked for the United States Postal Service, retiring after more than 30 years. His family says he will be remembered for his strong family values. Mr. Figler was an active, founding member of St. Anns Byzantine Catholic Church in Colonial Park, Harrisburg and the former president of the Holy Name Society. During the early part of his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife to Florida, Canada and Cape May, NJ. He was a former member of the ABC North Senior Bowling League. Surviving are his two daughters, Margaret Wolfe and her husband, Robert, of Lansdale and Elaine Witmer and her husband, Jonathan, of Harrisburg; four grandchildren, Pamela, Michael and his wife, Kim, Robert and his wife, Janelle, and Karen and her husband, Pietro; six great-grandchildren, Devon, Camron, Brandon, Elizabeth, Adriana and Arden; a sister, Helen Zalora of Wilkes-Barre; a brother, Paul Figler of Shavertown; and numerous nephews and nieces. Friends will be received from 6 to 8 PM, Sunday, July 2 at Neill Funeral Home, 3501 Derry St., Harrisburg. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 11:30 AM, Monday, July 3 at St. Anns Byzantine Catholic Church, 5408 Locust Lane, Harrisburg, PA 17109, officiated by Father Michael Shear. Burial with military honors will be at Resurrection Cemetery, Harrisburg. Memorials in Peters memory may be made to St. Anns Byzantine Catholic Church, at the above address.
One of the hardest parts of collecting WWI panoramic photography is presenting it in a manner that allows for many people to view it. Each of my scanned examples takes at least an hour to scan in sections, and then digitally splice together. Here is a particularly good example from H Company of the 115th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division. Note the Native American soldier as well as two soldiers wearing the ribbon for the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). Sorry about the large file size.
This photo was made into a giant panoramic painting!
I actually was able to do some research on Company H of the 115th and found some info on a few members that I was able to identify in the photo.
Robert S. Landstreet
Robert S. Landstreet
Place of Birth: Maryland, Baltimore
Home of record: Baltimore Maryland
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Robert S. Landstreet, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F., near Bois-de-Consenvoye and Bois-de-la Grande Montague, France, October 8 – 16, 1918. On October 8 First Lieutenant Landstreet led his platoon through machine-gun and rifle fire in an advance which resulted in the capture of 300 prisoners and 12 machine-guns. On the morning of October 16 lie volunteered, with one sergeant, and straightened out the line of an adjacent unit. His movements were under constant machine-gun fire, and so close to the enemy that he, with his sergeant, captured two prisoners while accomplishing their mission.
Hugh P. McGainey
Place of Birth: Maryland, Baltimore
Home of record: Baltimore Maryland
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant Hugh P. McGainey (ASN: 1285511), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F., near Verdun, France, October 8 – 15, 1918. In the Bois-de-Consenvoye, east of the Meuse, Sergeant McGainey, in command of his platoon, led his men, under heavy machine-gun fire, and captured approximately 500 prisoners, three fieldpieces, and many machine-guns. On October 15 he voluntarily exposed himself to warn his men against gas, and was wounded by shrapnel. He refused to go to the hospital until ordered to do so by the medical officer.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 3 (1919)
Company H, 115th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Verdun, France, October 17th, 1918. In the Bose de Consenvoye, east of the Meuse, Pvt. De Berdaninis, acting in the capacity of a runner, carried three successive messages through heavy barrage of both own own and the enemy’s artillery, traversing a patch where two men had previously been killed by the same barrage.
One of my favorite neighbors growing up was a member of the 31st Dixie Division and always took time to tell me about his experiences during the war. As I grew older, he told me some of the more intense stories of his time on Mindanao and of his being wounded while attacking a Japanese airport. Those memories have always stuck with me, and with those memories come an attachment to photographs from the 31st Division. It’s one of the hardest divisions to find on eBay and I was especially excited to find this set of 8 images listed as “(8) Vintage WWII photos / Happy American GI Soldiers with Names – Old Snapshots”.
My WWII patch radar went off when I recognized a portion of a 31st Division patch in one of the shots. I did quick searches on each of the soldiers and found a website for Mr. Fred B. Kearney of Kokomo, Indiana. The name matched with the town on the reverse of the photo and the writeup mentioned his service with the 31st Signal Company of the 31st Division during WWII. Bingo, my hunch was correct that this group was a portrait collection of soldiers of the Dixie Division.
Company members identified in the images include:
Fred Kearney of Kokomo, Indiana
Fred Kearney in 1944
Jack Parsons of 905 Kramer Ave, Lawrenceburg, TN
Joseph Kalmiski (sp) of 26 Willow Street, Plymouth, PA
Edwin Wilson of Oakwood, MO
“Shaw” of 220 N. Lewis Street, Staunton, VA
Merrell Warren of Box 84 Bowdon, GA
Eugene W. Carroll (identified through draft records) of 3140 Long Blvd., Nashville, TN
I have to admit that this is a first for me. 99% of my posts have been dedicated to photos mixed with the occasional letter and/or youtube video. This is the first time I’ve digitized a WWII record! The process was incredibly laborious and the results were scratchy and hard to listen to. Given the condition of the record as well as the limited audio digitization available, I think I did a decent job.
Here’s the story – I purchased a set of WWII “Letter on Record” wax and paper records produced by the USO in WWII. They were put out by the USO in affiliation with organizations such as the National Catholic Community Service. According to my research, over 350 recording booths were available during the war with a total production of 350,000 +/-. They were printed on wax and paper records using a recording booth where the sitter would talk while the machine “cut” their voice into the record. They were then sent home to be listened to by loved ones. I can’t imagine they were made to survive 70 years, but these two copies remain in decent condition. I purchased them for $1.50 each at a local flea market.
The discs were recorded by a Eugene “Gene” Daly who was stationed at an Army Air Corps base in Charleston, SC during the war. He was a member of Crew 620 of Sub Unit E. I’m not entirely sure what this group did but it may have to do with sub patrol on the East Coast. It was sent to Bunny Echenique of 122 Bedford Ave, Grant City, Staten Island, NY in February of 1945.
I played the disc on my record player at 33 speed and held my iPhone up to the speaker and recorded what played. I could hear a slowed down version of human speech so I knew that the process was working. From there I sent the audio file to my computer where I fiddled with Audacity to tweak the speed. I was able to speed up the voice by 1.6X. A voice from 70 years ago played on my speakers. From there I created a video with the actual record as the visual and posted it to youtube. Listen for yourself! I still have a few additional sides to record, but this one gives you the general feeling of Gene Daly’s “letter on a record”.
It’s not often that I’m able to link an amateur still photograph with a professional moving film, but I’ve been able to do it here. In this particularly crisp shot, a member of the Anti-Tank Company of the 222nd Infantry Regiment snapped a shot of a group of Munich city officials and policemen surrendering in the main center of Munich. I thoroughly researched this set of images and was able to track down living members of the Company who remember the events in the images. A rare opportunity!
Please skip ahead to 00:44 to view the quick clip of this scene. Trucks of the 222nd Anti-Tank company can be seen escorting thousands of German POW’s in the next scene. I’ve included a screengrab for those of you who can’t view the video. The film was shot by Sgt. Fred Bornet, a well-known combat photographer who made recent news when he gave an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered in 2004. Please check out this: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1914938
One of my favorite WWII color slide groupings was shot by a US Engineer who was stationed in Berlin at the end of the war. Quite the shutter bug, he was able to track down German Agfa color film and shoot some of the scenery around Berlin. In one image, Captain Smith captures a brisk October, 1945 morning on Curtiusstraße in Berlin. An intrepid researcher was able to track down the original location using information from the store signs. Special thanks to Berliner Niko Rollmann for reshooting the image for me.
Portraits of War 