WWI University of Vermont 1917 Alumni Navy Veteran – LOST AT SEA – Carroll Goddard Page UPDATE!

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

PortraitsofWar researched the collegiate times of Carroll Goddard Page back in August of 2011 in hopes of raising interest in the strange loss of the USS Cyclops; the presumed death of this UVM alumni during WWI was also a major focus of our research. Since then, we’ve looked into various aspects of the University of Vermont during WWI with highlights including panoramic photos taken during the war years as well as photographs of local boys who served in France and Germany in 1917-1921 respectively.

Why an Update?

After seeing a recent eBay auction pass during a common search routine, PortraitsofWar’s author instantly recognized the sitter as Carroll Goddard Page. What are the chances? At a reasonable $11.73, we made the purchase in hopes of donating the image to the University of Vermont’s Special Collections unit located in the library.

eBay Purchase Title and Price

2016 eBay Purchase – Carroll Goddard Page

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The 2011 post below was created with scant information based on a visit to the UVM Library Annex (when it was still open to researchers) in hopes of tracking down students who served with distinction in WWI. Our main focus that day was to research soldiers/sailors/marines/nurses who were wounded in action (WIA) or killed in action (KIA) during their period of service. Interest was also paid to servicemen/women who died of disease or complications during their time in service.

Page in Washington, D.C – Courtesy of the University of Vermont Special Collections

One of the biggest mysteries of the US NAVY during WWI is the inexplicable loss of the USS Cyclops (AC-4) while transporting 300+ passengers/crew and a load of manganese ore from Brazil to Baltimore in 1918. Carroll Goddard Page, UVM Class of 1917, was aboard as paymaster when the ship disappeared without a trace on March 4th, 1918. Although a structural failure in the engine is likely the cause, we may never know the true reasons behind the disappearance.
Carroll was a member of the Class of 1917, originally from Hyde Park, he studied business and banking at UVM. His nickname was “flunko”, and his ambitions at UVM included “raising a mustache that resembles a cross between the Kaiser’s and a hair-lip.”

1917 Yearbook Entry

Carroll’s UVM Alumni Database Entry

Carroll and Delta Psi in 1916

Special thanks to the University of Vermont Special Collections!

Vermont WWI Veteran Post: Rutland County Veterans Return Home – Rare 1919 Celebration Footage

October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 / portraitsofwar / 4 Comments

After years of stagnated war, Vermonters were ready to celebrate the return of Rutland County’s men and women in uniform. The Vermont State Fair has been held in the same location every September/October since 1846; nearly 73 years before the film was shot, and exactly 171 years before the date of this blog post.

I purchased this original reel of 1919 footage on the internet from a local Vermont dealer. The footage was saved midcentury by a famous film preservation specialist, film historian and local Northeast historian named Karl Malkames, who apparently found the footage in disrepair and did his best to conserve the remaining material.

Although the footage was expensive, I was able to find a company to digitize the fragile footage and provide digital files of the film. The content is spectacular, and MAY represent the first confirmed footage of a plane flying in Vermont………..

The men and women in the film can be clearly seen wearing the WWI Rutland County Service Medal; a commonly sold item on the internet, it’s uncertain how the actual medal was distributed following the war.

WWI medal for wartime service from Rutland County, Vermont

And for those of you who don’t know Rutland…. here’s an aerial view of the Agricultural Fairgrounds where this footage was taken in October of 1919.

WWI Vermonter – 103rd MG, 26th Division – Walter J. Fuller Dies of Disease 1917 – Westminster, VT Native

January 11, 2013December 5, 2013 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

Walter J. Fuller Poses in Westminster

A recent Walter J. Fuller poses for the camera near his home in Westminster before shipping off for training in 1917. The photo was originally part of a much larger scrapbook which was broken up and sold on eBay in 2012. Luckily they included a bit of context to the sale listing, enabling me to track down the identity of this brave Vermonter. A member of the 103rd MG Bn., Walter shipped out from Fort Ethan Allen down to Camp Bartlett in Massachusetts. It was here that he contracted the bronchial pneumonia and passed away at 3:30 (yes, we know the exact time!) on October 27th, 1917. His family was contacted via telephone about his worsening condition and were able to be present when he passed away.

Johnson, Herbert T. Roster of Vermont Men and Women in the Military and Naval Service of the United States and Allies in the World War, 1917-1919. Montpelier, VT: Tuttle, 1927.

I was able to track down a few articles in the 1917 Vermont Phoenix

“Soldier Dies in Westfield.” Vermont Phoenix, November 2, 1917, 2. Accessed December 4, 2013. ChroniclingAmerica.loc.gov.

WWI Vermonter Identified Photo – Irving C. Yates of Bellows Falls, VT – Trained at the University of Vermont, UVM in 1918!

November 27, 2012 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Here’s a good one! A collector friend of mine pointed out a freshly listed eBay auction for an identified Vermont soldier during WWI. Armed only with a name and general location, I was able to uncover a treasure trove of material on our seated friend.

Irving C. Yates was born in Manchester, NH in 1896 and soon moved across the Connecticut River to the good ol’ land of Vermont. He lived in Bellows Falls for awhile before shipping off to Middlebury. He enlisted at the University of Vermont and trained on those hallowed grounds (my Alma Mater) until August of 1918 when he shipped out for France as part of the 6th Division, 80th Field Artillery Battalion. Presumably he worked in some capacity with 155mm guns.

After the war he moved to Brattleboro where he worked in the laundry industry. He passed away in 1975 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls, VT.

Irving’s WWI Service Record

World War One Draft Card

World War Two Draft Card

Irving’s 1940 Brattleboro Address

WWI Vermonter Identified Photo – John D. Hamilton of Middlebury, VT – 301st Engineer Supply Train

November 15, 2012November 15, 2012 / portraitsofwar / 6 Comments

As my followers will know, I’m a huge WWI Vermont collector who loves to uncover identified photos of First World War Vermont veterans. In this case I was able to trade a series of photos to a fellow collector/friend who knew I search for identified Vermonters. The photo itself has good composition and details with a visible pistol and holster as well as OS chevron and signet rings. Mr. John D. Hamilton lived in Addison, VT and enlisted and inducted at Middlebury on April 29th, 1918. He was set up with the 301st Engineers and was listed as a wagoneer. He served overseas from July 10th, 1918 to June 13th, 1919. Given that he is wearing a six month chevron on his left arm, this photo had to have been taken sometime between December 10th, 1918 and June 10th, 1919. He has no visible insignia that give his rank, but he is wearing a brass whistle which indicates that he is likely an NCO. All in all a great shot!

WWI 26th Yankee Division, 103rd Machine Gun Battalion Vermont Dog Tag Grouping

May 29, 2012November 11, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 19 Comments

103rd MG Dog Tag

VT NG Dog Tag

WWI Soldier Registry Entry

Daughters of the American Revolution Application

Grave Site in St. Albans

Followers of PoW will know that I love WWI Vermont material. I actively seek interesting groupings of World War 1 items to add to my collection; today I was able to add a wonderful little piece of 26th Division and Vermont history. This set of dog tags once belonged to a Joseph Allen Evarts from St. Albans, VT. Originally born in Swanton, Evarts attended Norwich in 1904 and eventually joined up with the 1st VT National Guard. He was a direct descendent of the famous Allen family and can claim Ethan Allen as a great-great-uncle. He went overseas in October of 1917 with the 101st Machine Gun Battalion as a 1st LT and was promoted to Captain in August of 1918. He was assigned as Company Commander of Company D of the 103rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 26th Division. Evarts was well loved by the citizens of St. Albans and was sorely missed after he passed away in 1920 from gas-related lung complications.

He was cited at least two times for bravery while overseas and likely saw a lot of combat. I was able to track down an interesting article with some original material from Evarts:

PICTURE PROVES HIM A PRISONER

Lieut. Evarts Writes of Seeing Tenney’s Photo in Group of Men Missing

Arthur G. Tenney, of Fairfield st., received a letter Saturday from Lieut. Joseph A. Evarts, of this city, who is with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, saying that he had seen a German propagandist paper in which was a picture of those missing in action at a certain place on the American line and among them was Lieut. Walter M. Tenney, of this city. Lieutenant Tenney was reported missing in action April 20. He went from this city over a year ago as second lieutenant in the machine gun company of which Evarts was first lieutenant. The company was later divided and Lieutenant Tenny went with a division composed of Connecticut and Massachusetts men while Lieutenant Evarts remained with St. Albans men. In his letter Lieutenant Evarts says that he and his command were stationed just to the left of where Lieutenant Tenney was.

The portion of the letter received here by Mr. Tenney, which tells of the picture is as follows:

“In Trenches, “June 12, 1918.

“Mr. Arthur Tenney, St. Albans, Vt.

“Dear sir:–

“I have just received a St. Albans Messenger that tells about Walter being missing in action.

“I have something that may be of interest to you.

“Today a few German planes came over spreading propaganda in newspaper form printed in French. The boys brought me some of them, and to my surprise I found it was an illustrated paper, and had a group picture of those missing in action at the place where Walter was. I recognized quite a few, and Walter was very plainly among them, and all of we boys recognized him. I have all the details and the picture with me.

“I felt that you would want to know this right away, and I must say it was a strange coincidence.

“If Walter ever writes you, will you write me and let me know about him?

“Our boys were in a big fight just to the left of where Walter was.***

“Sincerely, “J. A. Evarts.”

St. Albans Daily Messenger, St. Albans, VT 4 Jul 1918

Another article of interest:

ALBANS GIVES
ROYAL WELCOME
Greeting for City’s Home-Corn-ing
Boys Is Wildly
Enthusiastic
St. Albans, April 30. Capt. Joseph B.
Evarts, First Llouts. Walter Tenney,
James McConncll, Francis Shannon, Ar
nold Spauldlng, and 13 members of the
original Machine Gun company from
St. Albans returnod this evening nt
0:40. Thoy were mot at tho station by
Co. E, V. V. M St. Albans Brigade band
and tho Boy Scouts and thousands of
their friends. Tho boys wero escorted
to tho armory by the band, Company K.
and tho Boy Scouts. Tho armory wns
lined with a Bolld mans of people, can
non boomed, bolls rang, whistles blow
and tho people shouted a welcome home
to their boys.
At tho armory tho boys were served
with hot coffoo doughnuts, lco-cronm
and cake.
At 4:30 a. m. Tuesday the military
call was sounded which was a signal
to notify St. Albanians that tho boys
were coming on train No. 1 at C:30
oclock. During Monday evening Wel
come Homo signs had been hung up
on Lake street and flags hung from tho
business places. Tho exterior of tho
armory was gayly decorated with flags
and bunting. With tho sounding of mil
itary call whistles and bells did all that
was possible to awake tho inhabitants
of St. Albans. The members of Com
pany 11, V. V. M., assembled at the
armory and marched down to tho train.
Only a few St. Albans boys appeared,
but they wore given a royal welcome,
by tho largo crowd that had assembled
at tho railroad station. Company E.
had prepared hot coffee, sandwiches
and doughnuts, but only two return
ing soldiers appeared at the armory.
so tho members of tho company enjoyed
an unexpected repast. Among tho boys
who returned Tuesday morning were,
Harris W. Alexander, Dewey Daniels,
John Daley, Herbert Laduo and Earl
Swlggott.

Memorial Day 2012 Post – John McCrae: WWI University of Vermont Professor and Author of “In Flanders Fields”

May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

What better way to remember Memorial Day than to post the most famous war poem of all time? This poem was written by Lt. John McCrae, a surgeon with a Canadian field artillery unit during the Second Battle of Ypres on May 3rd, 1915. The poem became an almost instant hit with the troops and with the homefront community “across the pond”.

What makes McCrae so special to me? He taught at my alma mater, the University of Vermont, between 1903 and 1911 where he taught Pathology in Williams Hall. I spent four years studying anthropology and archaeology in the hallowed halls of Williams, making my connection to McCrae even stronger.

This post is dedicated to all those who never returned home from the killing fields of France, Belgium, and Germany during WWI.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

McCrae entry from The University of Vermont in the Great War

Portraits of War

Snapshots in Time

world war one vermont