The identity of the sitter is lost to history, but I’m hoping someone on the WWW may help put a name to the sitter. US Marines sporting District of Paris patches are hard to find photographically, and this unnamed leatherneck is begging to be identified.
Paris Marine Headshot
District of Paris USMC Patch Photo
Example of District of Paris Patch (Griffin Militaria)
Material related to wartime (and postwar) activities of the YMCA can be easily researched through the help of internet databases, digitized books, collectors forums and various other digital avenues. What is lacking, however, is information directly related to the individuals who volunteered their time and money to travel to a foreign county to serve donuts to war-weary doughboys waiting to return to their families in the US.
I was lucky enough to track down a large grouping of ephemera collected during the war by a YMCA canteen entertainer, a Miss Kittie Kunz. Included in the grouping is a selection of rare YMCA “unit history” paperwork which gives names and identities to many of the women and men who served alongside Kittie. I researched each of the names in hopes of tracking down passport application portraits. I was overwhelmingly successful and found nearly 75% of the names in the US Passport database that matched perfectly. Each was listed as being a member of the YMCA or Red Cross, and each matches the date range for the YMCA hut. A neat find! Please read on to see the faces of the women who served alongside Kittie. You will also find a smattering of hard-to-find ephemera related to the YMCA. It’s amazing that Kittie saved some of these items. Not all the paperwork is contained in this post, but the scanned material gives a quick glimpse into the typical material a YMCA canteen worker would deal with.
Kittie Kunz’s YMCA ID
Kittie’s YMCA Paris Travel Permit
Kittie’s YMCA Paris Travel Permit Reverse
Kittie’s Permit to Travel to Reims
YMCA War Service Pin Card
YMCA War Service Pin Card Interior
Tea Service Notice for the 28th Division
Here is where my favorite piece of researching WWI material came handy….. I was able to research the names of the women listed in the distribution section and track down their WWI era passport applications. Here are my results:
YMCA Women
Miss Gertrude Garden – YMCA
Miss Dorothy Berry – YMCA
Harriet McKenzie – YMCA
Margaret Robinson – YMCA
Katherine Parks – YMCA
Janet Kunz – YMCA (sister to Kittie Kunz)
Kittie Kunz – YMCA
Pauline Brown – YMCA
Mary Waden – YMCA
Dora Lewis – YMCA
Katherine Beakes – YMCA
Cora A. Kennedy – YMCA
RED CROSS WOMEN
Lois Loyhed – Red Cross
Harriet Maxon – Red Cross
Dorothy Peters – Red Cross
Alice McCoy – Red Cross
Esther Edmondson – Red Cross
Mary Jones – Red Cross
Eleanor Little – Red Cross
Mary Healy – Red Cross
Byron Miller in World War One
When searching for new portraiture to add to PortraitsofWar I generally tend to look for material with identifiable soldiers, uniforms, medals and other researchable information to help shed light on life during wartime. In this post, I will be researching a photograph of a US Navy sailor who caught my eye during a recent eBay search.
Reverse Side of Postcard
The information written on the back of the postcard shows an identification of the sitter as a B.G. Miller. He is identified as being a Pharmacist’s Mate 1st Class from Salt Lake City, Utah who was on duty at one point at a hospital in Samoa on August 1st, 1918. Additional info added to the photo includes an anecdote about his position as a Mormon missionary in Germany during the breakout of the war between Germany and France.
With a little luck and a lot of research I was able to track down our mysterious B.G. Miller. Byron Gardener Miller was found listed in the Utah World War 1 Military Service Questionnaire on ancestry.com. Please see his card below:
Byron G. Miller in WWI
It looks like Byron attended the University of Utah for a year before being shipped off for his overseas missionary work. This is likely the reason for his service as a Pharmacist’s Mate with the US NAVY as can be seen in the details of his uniform.
Navy Pharmacist’s Mate Rate Patch
The reference to his missionary service in Germany during the outbreak of war in July of 1914 is partially confirmed through my discovery of his listing aboard a ship ledger arriving in Montreal, PQ in September of 1914.
His service in Samoa has also been confirmed through the same series of records.
Sadly, his arrival back in the US in 1919 wasn’t likely a time of joy for the Miller family; a Utah death certificate shows that he died of influenza only a few months later on February 7th, 1920. Interestingly enough, my research into the US Hospital in Samoa shows that a MASSIVE flu outbreak in the Samoan Islands lead to the deaths of nearly 25% of the population. The US Navy set up an epidemic commission to deal with the issue. The results of the intervention in American Samoa were incredible. Apparently the method of using maritime quarantine lowered mortality rates to nearly 1%. It’s strange that Byron would die of influenza only a few months later while in the United States……
For the 1919 report please CLICK HERE
1920 Death Certificate
One of the main goals of this website is to help share photos and pertinent military service information with the families of the men and women depicted in the images I collect. In this case, I’m hoping a Miller family representative will discover a rare image of their ancestor who witnessed a formative time in history.
eBay has been a consistent source of fantastic portraiture for PortraitsofWar for over five years. The material that pops up on the web is easy to acquire and makes for a fun and interesting research project. In this case, I was able to track down an identified photo of a US airman wearing a brim-up cap and sporting a light beard. The photo is identified on the reverse as a Harry Kolacinski.
Harry Kolacinski in WWII
Harry was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. His major biographical information can be found below:
Army Record
Harry’s 1936 Yearbook
Harry in 1936
Harry passed away in 1986
WARNING: LARGE FILE SIZE
One of the most difficult aspects of WWI photography collecting is presenting it in a manner that allows for many people to view and appreciate the content. Each of my scanned panoramic photos takes at least an hour to scan in sections, and subsequently digitally splice together. This post is a particularly good example of a panoramic taken of H Company of the 115th Infantry Regiment, 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.
Click HERE for the H Company, 115th Roster
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.
2nd Lt. Patrick Regan
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Patrick J. Regan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 8 October 1918, while serving with 115th Infantry, 29th Division, in action at Bois-de-Consenvoye, France. While leading his platoon against a strong enemy machinegun nest which had held up the advance of two companies, Second Lieutenant Regan divided his men into three groups, sending one group to either flank, and he himself attacking with an automatic rifle team from the front. Two of the team were killed outright, while Second Lieutenant Regan and the third man were seriously wounded, the latter unable to advance. Although severely wounded, Second Lieutenant Regan dashed with empty pistol into the machinegun nest, capturing 30 Austrian gunners and four machineguns. This gallant deed permitted the companies to advance, avoiding a terrific enemy fire. Despite his wounds, he continued to lead his platoon forward until ordered to the rear by his commanding officer.
Congressional Medal of Honor
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 50 (April 12, 1919)
Action Date: 8-Oct-18
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Regiment: 115th Infantry
Division: 29th Division
2nd Lt. Patrick Regan
I was recently (11/2014) contacted by a grandson of Lt. Regan alerting me to his presence in the photo. I had no idea he was present in the photo based on my prior research and the visual evidence in the photo. His double wound stripe stood out but wasn’t enough to make a 100% identification. Upon contact with Lt. Regan’s grandson, I was able to confirm that this is a previously unknown and non-digitized version of the Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. I’m posting the publicly available photo here:
2nd Lt. Regan
BOLTON, ARTIE E.
Captain, U.S. Army
Company H, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F.
Date of Action: October 16, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Artie E. Bolton, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Bois- de-la Grande, Montagne, France, October 16, 1918. Having been ordered to take up his position on the final objective, Captain Bolton made a personal reconnaissance of his company front line, during which time he was subjected to the artillery fire of both friendly and enemy guns and machine guns directed on his position. He again went out on the same mission and captured 20 prisoners who were carrying a machine gun.
Distinguished Service Cross
General Orders No. 44, W.D., 1919
Home Town: Wingina, VA
Captain Artie E. Bolton
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.
Distinguished Service Cross
Lt. Landstreet
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.
Distinguished Service Cross
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 3 (1919)
Action Date: October 8 – 15, 1918
Sgt. Hugh P. McGainey
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.
Distinguished Service Cross
Home address: Louis Brino, 3921 Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD.
Private Pietro De Berardinis
FERGUSON, JOHN E.
Corporal, U.S. Army
Company H, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F.
Date of Action: October 8 – 29, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John E. Ferguson, Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Samogneux, France, October 8 – 29, 1918. Throughout the offensive east of the Meuse, near Samogneux, Corporal Ferguson displayed exceptional bravery and endurance as a battalion runner, repeatedly carrying important messages through intense artillery and machine-gun fire after other runners had been killed in traversing the same routes. On numerous occasions he alone was responsible for the maintenance of both forward and rear liaison.
Distinguished Service Cross
General Orders No. 37, W.D., 1919
Home Town: New York, NY
Cpl. John E. Ferguson
Paul Reed Gilbert
| Name: Paul Reed Gilbert Race: white Address: 510 N. Pulaski St., Baltimore Birth Place: Baltimore, Md. Birth Date: 22 Feb 1898 Comment: NG pvt; pvt 1c 4/20/17; corp 5/25/17; sgt 10/27/18, Co L 5 Md. Inf; Co H 115 Inf 10/1/17, Hon disch 6/5/19, Overseas 6/15/18 to 5/24/19, Center Sector; Meuse-Argonne |
| Maryland in the World War 1917-1919; Military and Naval Service Records, Volumes I & II Serbian Order of St. Sava |
Paul’s grandson alerted us to his presence in this photo. Thanks!
Sgt. Paul R. Gilbert
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 Private Thomas F. Streb (ASN: 1285690), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F., near Verdun, France, 17 October 1918. In the Bois-de-Consenvoye east of the Meuse, Private Streb operated his automatic rifle on a post enfiladed by direct machine-gun fire during a desperate counterattack by the enemy until the rifle was damaged by the enemy’s fire and he himself was wounded. He remained on post continuing to defend same with an ordinary rifle. He was later gassed and refused to go to the hospital until ordered by his company commander.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 27 (1919)
Action Date: 17-Oct-18
Rank: Private
Thomas F. Streb
Windy Hill, Merle William Davenport, John Orrin Ellsworth and William Lee Landreth in Bougainville
Reverse
Merle William Davenport
“Butch” Merl is the only true fighter ace pictured in the snapshot. He was credited with 6 confirmed aerial victories during his time in the PTO. Merl passed away in 1989.
John Orrin Ellsworth
John’s Stateside Grave Marker
William Lee Landreth- The last Living Original Pilot from VF-17
From Country’s 2012 obituary:
A recent eBay photo grouping purchase has landed me with a fantastic identified and easily researchable photo of an 11th Airborne paratrooper. An often looked-over paratrooper group, the 11th served in the PTO and has been sadly back-burnerned due to the popularity of the 101st and 82nd Divisions who fought in the ETO and who have inspired such works as Band of Brothers and other films, books and video games.
PFC. John M. Holland in Japan
This portrait photo was taken by M. Kimura in Yonezawa, Japan in late 1945. The sitter is John M. Holland, a Dallas, Texas WWII veteran who served with the 675th Glider Field Artillery in the Pacific Theater of Operation(PTO) during WWII. He was born on June 2nd, 1924 at 821 East Dallas Street in Dallas, TX. After the war he went on to play professional baseball for two years in the Texas Leagues until he injured his throwing arm in 1947. He next went to work in the Cotton Exchange Building in the cotton and textile industry.
And I was able to find an incredible account of his wartime experiences here: http://www.johnmorganholland.com/Military_John_M_Holland.html
I’m copying it here:
John writes of his Army record:
To see footage of the Los Banos POW camp on the day of it’s liberation please click the photo below:
And to hear an incredible interview with released POW’s from the camp click the photo below (they reference the paratroopers dropping in):
All of the information in this post has been acquired through the biographical website of John M. Holland:http://www.johnmorganholland.com/Military_John_M_Holland.html
I’m starting a new thread here on PortraitsofWar in which I plan to post scanned versions of popular divisional, regimental, and company histories. I have access to 98% of all published WWI and WWII unit histories and can field most requests given adequate time. I’m starting with one of my favorite WWII units, the 10th Mountain Division. I personally own a copy of this history, but I’m posting a link to the Bangor (Maine) Digital Commons page with a PDF download of the book available. Enjoy!
Here’s the details on the book (from the Bangor Library website listed below):
It was Washington, D.C., July 15, 1943. At the War Department it was noted that a new division was being activated as of that date – the 10th Light Division. Out in Colorado the usual afternoon cloudburst broke loose as the journal clerk recorded the fact that the division had been officially activated. A month later there was a formal occasion; Pando, Colorado witnessed the parade and ceremonies honoring the birth of the Tenth. Major General Lloyd E. Jones reviewed the troops.
Jacques Parker
Photo By: Clint Viebrock
Mountaineers Cover Art
1950
United States Army Mountain Division 10th World War 1939-1945 Regimental histories United States 10th Division World War, 1939-1945 Campaigns Italy
Military History
Lockwood, Theodore and United States Army, “Mountaineers” (1950). World War Regimental Histories. Book 6.
http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/6
Straight from the dusty PortraitsofWar archives comes an incredibly unique 8×10 photo of a window display in Lancaster, Pennsylvania during World War Two. I typically shy away from purchasing and posting “press photos” taken during the war, but this shot has so much potential research that I felt it deserved to be digitized.
Lancaster, PA WWII Portrait Photo Display
I purchased this photo while visiting a friend in the Philadelphia area. The reverse side of the photo identifies the photo as the F.W. Woolworth building in Lancaster, PA. The store identity is confirmed in the image; the tiled entrance and gilded placard identify the establishment as such. The date of the photo wasn’t noted, but the presence of the 4th Liberty Loan Bond dates the image to 1944.
4th War Loan Drive Poster, ca. 1944
My guess is that the store asked for portrait photos of local veterans to post in the storefront. A rough estimate puts the number at 100 portraits visible in the window. The shots runt he gamut of WWII service branches, including the Marine leathernecks, Army Air Force pilots, female WAC and Waves, Navy Sailors as well as regular Army soldiers.
4th Loan Poster
I plan on contacting a number of Lancaster, PA historical societies, veteran groups and newspapers in hopes of identifying a few of the veterans posed in the Woolworth’s window.
This incredibly moving snapshot from my WWII collection captures a wide range of emotions. The only identification I have for the photo is that it was taken in a town/village/city named Poules during the tail end of the war. A US GI followed a joyous parade of French citizens and Free French (FFI) underground soldiers as they proudly walk down the streets of their newly liberated city. It’s a photo that speaks volumes.
German Collaborator Parade
After nearly four years of German occupation, a contingent of the French population were eager to fight back against the oppressive rule of their German visitors. In this post’s main photo we see a young, attractive female underground soldier causally smoking a cigarette, toting German “potato masher” stick grenades while holding a captured German rifle and briefcase. To her left we see a group of young French women who have been publicly shamed. Their shaved heads were shaped to show a swastika. A joyous moment for the FFI, yet a horrible moment for the women who were caught up in the frenzy of the German occupation. This photo has never been digitized for display on the web. You’re the first to see it!
Collaborator Parade
FFI Female Underground Fighter
US Signal Corps Footage of Collaborator Hair Cuts
Similar Photos From the Web
Another hero of the French Resistance during World War II and decorated for saving the lives of U.S. soldiers shot down behind enemy lines was Micheline Blum-Picard. Only eighteen-years-old when she first became involved in the Resistance, Blum-Picard started by carrying messages taped to her back and then progressed to photographing inside factories damaged by bombing raids By D-Day, however, she was carrying a rifle, a pistol, and a hand grenade wherever she went. inyourfacewomen.blogspot.com
Female French Resistance
World War II resistant woman fighter – Paris,1940s photograph the New York Public Library Picture Collection
Member of the French resistance with German tunic and thompson machine gun by Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, via Flickr
Portraits of War 