WWI Photo Discovery – Norton-Harjes Ambulance Drivers w/ Richard Norton!

September 29, 2013February 7, 2015 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

I often check eBay listings for groups of assorted black and white photos in the hopes of discovering some exciting WWI material hidden in the mix. In this case, I was lucky enough to recognize the uniforms and insignia of the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps amidst the piles of junk photos. An astoundingly cheap $20.00 Buy-it-Now option was on the photos, so I purchased them without haste. What a rare treat! Scroll down for cropped versions of the photo.

US Ambulance Drivers in France

This is possibly one of the clearest shots of Richard Norton I’ve seen in a digital form on the internet. Norton was the son of an influential Harvard archaeologist named Charles Norton who bankrolled a group of well-to-do American men to travel to France to assist in the movement of wounded soldiers from the battlefields. In this photo we see Norton posed with his fur overcoat, swagger stick and uniform. I’m guessing this photo was taken to depict a certain group of men overseas at the time. My best educated guess is that it was a photo taken of all the Harvard men in the Ambulance Corps at the time. Who knows?

Richard Norton

E.E. Cummings?

Edward Estlin Cummings
1917 Passport Application for travel to join the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps

WWI Photo Identification: Mortimer G. Thompson of Knoxville, TN 117th Infantry, 30th Division

July 10, 2013 / portraitsofwar / 5 Comments

Another incredible set of portrait photos arrived on my doorstep today by way of a close friend and fellow collector. Two portrait photos with incredible detail showing a clear 30th Division patch as well as a very uncommon 30th Division helmet. Shots of WWI soldiers wearing their service helmets in a portrait studio are especially prized amongst collectors. A big thanks to Chuck for parting with this set! As always, I will delve into the genealogy of this soldier and hopefully find some interesting material using web-based resources.

Mortimer G. Thompson

Mortimer Grinnell Thompson was born on December 29th, 1897 (other sources say 1887) to C. Mortimer and Hattie C. Thompson in Knoxville, Tennessee. He entered Federal service on May 21st, 1917 and eventually ended up as Sgt. with the 117th Infantry Regiment of the 30th Division. At this time, I can’t find much about his military service other than the basic facts. With some more in-depth searching I may be able to elucidate some aspects of his service that have been all but forgotten over the past (nearly) 100 years. He married after the war to a Celeste P. Condon and had at least two children named Mortimer G. Thompson Jr. and Harriet A. Thompson in the late 1920s. Mort is listed as a painting contractor.

Incredibly I was able to find Mort Jr. on facebook! A friend request is pending. He appears to be quite active on facebook and I hope he responds.

“Mort” passed away at a young age in 1935 and is buried in Knoxville National Cemetery in Knoxville, TN. His plot number is B,0,3993.

Mortimer Thompson’s Headstone
Source

Mortimer was the son of Charles Mortimer Thompson, better known as C. Mortimer Thompson, progenitor of Thompson Photo Products of Knoxville, TN. The Thompson family have been THE go-to family for photography needs in Knoxville for over 100 years. It’s no wonder the portrait shots of Mort are so detailed and well colored. Charles was an architect, draftsman and photographer who had an eye for detail and a solid business plan. His son Jim eventually became one of the best known Tennessee photographers of the early 1900s, capturing the rich visual heritage of the state in the first half of the century. His works are held in collections across the country and are regarded as some of the best examples of Tennessee industrial photography. A website of his work can be found here: http://cmdc.knoxlib.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p265301coll7

WWI 29th Division 115th Infantry Regiment Panoramic Yardlong Photo – Amazing Details!

June 17, 2013June 21, 2016 / portraitsofwar / 31 Comments

WARNING Large File Size

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.

Click HERE for the H Company, 115th Roster!

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

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)

Action Date: October 8 – 15, 1918

Pietro De Berardinis

Pietro De Bernardinis

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.

Home address: Louis Brino, 3921 Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD.

George Anibal

A June 20th, 2016 post from a direct relative:

“Looking at the Robert lands tree photo.
Over his right shoulder, our left. Is George Anible of Michigan.”

Corporal George William Anible of Midland, Michigan

George William Anible of Midland, Michigan

daa32771-dfbf-4e7b-ab26-d8ff0ca53ab1

WWI Photo: Research Uncovers 33rd Division Veteran’s Identification! 130th Infantry Regiment Wounded!

June 1, 2013 / portraitsofwar / 11 Comments

Sometimes it takes a good bit of time to lock down the identity of the sitter in a photograph. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of dozens of research friends and an equal number of archive websites. With that said, I was able to purchase, research and identify and post a positive identification of a recent eBay purchase! It’s not an easy endeavor, but it’s something that will be worthwhile at some point in the future.

Russell Studio Portrait

Backside of the RPPC

What are we working with for an identification? The soldier has a definite first name of Russell and is cousins with a male named Forrest Martin of Watson, Illionois in 1919. Given the intro and body wording, he’s likely to be close to the recipient.

I started by researching the recipient, Forrest Martin, and found his 1900 census entry:

1910 Census Forrest Martin

From here I decided to research his mother and father in search of a series of siblings to track down as aunts and uncles to Russell. An aunt or uncle would produce a cousin which should provide me with the proper identification for the 33rd Division soldier!

After over an hour of searching (tiring for sure) I was able to identify his mother’s sister as a Laura A. Humes. Laura had a son named Russell in 1897! When I clicked on his military burial record it all came together. Please keep in mind that this took hours of research!

Forrest’s Aunt Laura

Russell Humes’ Burial Card

Russell Humes, first cousin of Forrest Humes (recipient of the postcard), was in Company G of the 130th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Division in WWI. He achieved the rank of Corporal and was wounded in action at some point during his service. His portrait photo was taken in 1919 long after his wounding. He passed away on 11-5-1957 at the age of 61.

WWI Vermont Veteran Photo – John J. Corcoran, 101st Machine Gun Battalion Wounded in Action

May 7, 2013January 27, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

My continued obsession with WWI Vermont material has landed me a new WWI photo taken in France in June of 1918. I literally stumbled across this listing; the seller didn’t mention the fact that the soldier was a Vermonter. Luckily I checked out the back of the photo before moving on to the next auction listing.

The photo was addressed to a Mrs. George Bolduc of Fitzdale, Vermont dated June 25th, 1918. The writer added the following info:

“June 25th, 1918

Dear Sister,

Am well and happy and hope you and children are well. Will write you a letter later, am pretty busy just now so am sending this in place of a letter. This is not very good but will have to pass some love to you all. From bro-

John Corcoran

101st MG BN, AEF”

John J. Corcoran(R)

John poses in the above photo with an unnamed friend of his from the 101st MG Bn. sporting a beautiful example of a woolen M1911 sweater. I’ve attached below a period advertisement showing two versions of the service sweater. These were either hand-knit from patterns or could be privately purchased through various supply and retail companies.

Knit Service Sweater (Source: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39625)

I am fortunate enough to own a copy of the hard-to-find 101st Machine Gun Battalion unit history. Wagoner John J. Corcoran is listed with a frontal snapshot beside his biography. He was born on May 29th, 1890 in Maine and eventually made his way over to Vermont where he lived in Lunenburg, VT working as a paper maker with the Gilman Paper Company. He enlisted at Fort Ethan Allen on June 29th, 1917 with the 1st Vermont Infantry, where he was later transferred into the 103rd MG of the 26th Division. His WWI and WWII draft cards were both listed on ancestry.com and I’ve included them below along with a copy of his death record. He passed away in 1947 and is buried in Lunenburg. I hope to travel there soon to take a photo of his grave!

101st MG Bn. Unit History Roster Entry

WWI Draft Card

WWII Draft Card

John was badly wounded on July 22nd, 1918 during an attack on the French town of Epieds. I’ve included a period map of the battle as well as an image of the location today. Not much has changed! This attack was coordinated only a few days after the Battle of Chateau Thierry. Luckily, John’s encounter with the Germans was noted in the 101st MG unit history diary section. I’ve transcribed the section:

“At daybreak both companies were sent into some woods overlooking Trugny to assist the attack of Major Rau’s battalion against the town. We could not locate any enemy to fire at, and the best we could do was wait to protect Rau’s left against possible counterattack. We were shelled and M.G. bullets flew pretty thick. Bristol of C Co. was wounded. After awhile(sic) the attack crumbled in spite of Rau’s gallant efforts against impossible odds, and the troops were withdrawn to the old positions. A little later C Co. was sent over to the right to join Rau. There they found him with only a few of his men left. The guns were set up on the edge of the woods in a defensive position. B Co. got orders to support an attack of the 102nd Infantry Regiment on the town of Epieds over on the left flank. The company formed a fourth wave behind the infantry, and spread out into a long skirmish line. The advance started over the open wheat field at a slow walk, with frequent halts during which each man flattened out so that no moving thing was visible in the field. M.G. bullets began to kick up little puffs of dust all around us, and the enemy artillery barrage came down fiercely just ahead. We knew we would have to go through this, and every nerve was tense. We soon found ourselves in the midst of it – direct fire at that, mostly from one pounders, and 105’s and Austrian 88’s which come with the shriek of a thousand devils. The fumes choked us and the concussion half stunned us. it was here that Hez Porter, following his platoon leader, was instantly killed. Corcoran, Dick and Wendt were wounded…………………………….”

Unit History
Casualty Report

Death Registration

WWI Patched Studio Photo: Corporal Harold Dannhorn, Illinois WWI and WWII Veteran of the 86th Division

April 23, 2013 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Harold Dannhorn Reads a Book in France

Corporal Dannhorn served in the HQ Company of the 343rd Infantry Regiment of the 86th Division while stationed in France before being switched over to the 256th Prisoner of War Escort Company #256 during the Occupation of Germany. Here he poses in a studio in Menton, France on February 20th, 1919.

Veteran Gravestone Registration

WWI Draft Card

Uncropped RPPC

Maine in the First World War: The Maine National Guard and the 54th Artillery Regiment Coastal Artillery Corps in WWI

March 12, 2013February 15, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 1 Comment

Everyone knows that I love Vermont WWI material, but I also enjoy collecting photos from other New England states as well. I have a handful from every state but only one from Maine. Now I have another!

This fantastic interior studio RPPC has a ton of great qualities that drove me to make the purchase. The crossed flags at center, the helmet and pistol props, the uniform details, and the identification on the reverse all make it a great shot to add to the collection. This particular group is comprised of men from Portland and Bath.

Battery D of the 54th Artillery Regiment, C.A.C.

Identified to a Corporal Carl L. Pearson who I believe is positioned directly right of the flag, this shot shows a group of 19 soldiers posed in a French studio. This may be a record for my collection! I have a few with 6-8, but none with more than 10.

Pearson was from West Falmouth, Maine and was born in January of 1893. He enlisted with the National Guard in Portland in March of 1917 and reported for Federal service in June of that year. He was overseas from March of 1918 to March of 1919. This photo was taken in either late March, or April or May of 1918. He was promoted in early June of 1918. Since this photo shows him as a Corporal at the time of the photo, we know it was taken before his promotion. Also, his lack of OS chevron and the abundance of spats likely points towards an early photo taken in France.

A little info on the 54th CAC

Source: http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacunithistories/54thcac.htm

WORLD WAR I — 1917 – 1919The Coast Artillery Corps a Maine National Guard were mobilized on 25 July, 1917, and all companies, band, field officers, and non-commissioner staff officers reported on 27 July. 14 staff officers reported at Portland Coast Defenses and were assigned to duty in the Coast Defenses. The several companies were re-designated at once. This designation was changed again on 23 August 1917, and on 25 December 1917, nine of the thirteen C.A.C. Maine National Guard companies were made a part of the 54th Artillery, C.A.C., the supply company and Batteries B, D, E, and F, of the new 54th Artillery, C.A.C. 6 inch guns (Motor drawn), were entirely constituted from the nine companies Maine National Guard.

The 54th Artillery, C.A.C., was organized with a Headquarters Company, a supply company, and three battalions of two batteries each. Of the 6 batteries, four were taken from the Maine National Guard and from 25 December 1917, the further World War history of the C.A.C. Maine National Guard is properly that of the 54th Artillery since over 62 percent of its units were entirely Maine National Guard. In addition, only 30 percent of the units of the Maine National Guard were not included in the organization of the 54th Artillery C.A.C.

The 54th Artillery, CAC, (6-Inch Guns, Motor)

This regiment was organized in Portland Harbor Forts on 25 December 1917, five of its units being formed from National Guard units and three from Regular Army units.

The batteries of the 54th Artillery were organized as follows:

Headquarters Company, and Batteries A and C from the Regular Army.

Supply Company, from 20th Company, Lewiston.

Battery B, from 4th Company, Portland, and 7th Company, Biddeford.

Battery D, from 2nd Company, Portland, and 4th Company, Bath.

Battery E, from 3rd Company, Auburn, and 3rd Company, Kennebunk.

Battery F, from 9th Company, Lewiston and 11th Company, Portland.

Headquarters Company, Batteries C, D, E, and F, sailed from Portland, Maine, on the CANADA, 22 March 1918 and arrived Glasgow, Scotland 2 April, Winchester, England 3 April, and LeHarve, France, 6 April 1918.

The Supply Company, Batteries A and B, left Portland 14 March, sailed from Hoboken 16 March, 1918 on BALTIC arrived LeHarve, France, 6 April 1918.

The 54th Artillery C.A.C. was sent to rest camp at Mailly-le-camp (Aube) and on 2 May 1918, transferred to Haussimont (Marne), as replacement regimen to Railway Artillery Reserve and Tractor Artillery Regiments. On 20 September 1918, the 54th Artillery was reorganized into three battalion stations as follows:

1st Battalion, Training Battalion (A and B Battery) Angers (Marne-et-Loire).

2nd Battalion, Tractor replacement(E and F Battery), Haussimont (Marne) Angers (Marne-et-Loire.)

3rd Battalion, Unknown.

After the Armistice the 54th Artillery was assigned to Brest, and part of the Regiment sailed 23 February 1919 on the Vedic arriving in Boston 7 March 1919. It was completely demobilized at Camp Devons by 13 March 1919.

The four companies (1st, 6th, 10th and 12th) that were not formed into the 54th Artillery, C.A.C. were demobilized in January 1919 at Harbor Defenses of Portland however, but few of the original members of the companies remained in them late in 1918. Two large transfers of enlisted men from these batteries were made. The first was made on 23 August 1917, to the 26th Division Artillery and Engineers. One hundred-sixty-nine men were taken from these four companies in the transfer. On May 31 1918, the other large transfer was made to the 72d Artillery, C.A.C. From the 1st Company, 147 men were taken, and from the other three companies large numbers. However, the transfers were made as individuals no units being reformed or discontinued.

In July 1922, the regiment was reorganized and designated as the First Coast Defense Command, C.A.C., Maine National Guard. The regiment was formed into Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment, Band, Medical Detachment and 1st Fort Command.

1st Fort Command

301st Company, Portland, org. 1803 – later Btry A

306th Company, Sanford, org. 1903 – later Btry B

307th Company, Brunswick, org. 1884 – later Btry C

311th Company, Portland, org. 1807 – later Btry D

2nd Fort Command

303d Company, Camden, org. 1920 – later Btry E

304th Company, Thomaston, org. 1921 – later Btry F

305th Company, Rockland, org. 1921 – later Btry G

302d Company, Vinalhaven, org. 1921 – later Btry H

On 17 September 1923, the 1st C.D.C. was re-designated as the 240th Artillery, C.A.C., and individual batteries as shown above. The designation was again changed to 240th Coast Artillery, Harbor Defense, on 16 April 1924.

WWI Photo – Wounded 32nd Division Captain Poses in Paris Studio on Christmas 1918

March 9, 2013July 9, 2023 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

Wounded soldier photos are some of the hardest photos to find in the collecting field. Often times a collector will come across a photo of a veteran wearing a wound chevron, or occasionally a shot of a soldier with a cane. In this case, I was able to pick up a grouping of photos taken at a Paris photo studio showing an assortment of wounded vets who recently were treated at a local Paris hospital. They hobbled over to a studio on Christmas day of 1918 to have their photos taken. These shots were some of the most expensive I’ve ever purchased, but they were well worth the investment. This is the more subdued of the four photos, but took me a long time to research and I wanted to post it for the internet community.

Albert E. Haan poses on Christmas Day 1918

I was tipped off by a Dutch friend of mine (thanks Rogier!) that his photo may be of a Dutch-American given his last name of Haan. Starting with the basic ancestry.com search of a name and hometown I was able to find a few bits of info. His name was Albert Haan and was born in 1893. I had to search a bit to find the census records for him, as they were listed under a misinterpreted/transcribed name of Hoan. Anyway it appears that Albert became an Army informant for the Veterans Association after the war. He is listed in a 1922 court case where he (and another veteran from my photo grouping) is listed as an informant. Anway, he is listed as being employed by the US Army in the 1920 Census and is shown as having a wife named Frances L and a daughter named Frances L. His daughter was only 2 months old at the time of the census. His wife appear to have been born around the turn of the century. He is listed as having been born in Holland in his earlier census entry, but mysteriously switched his place of birth to Michigan in the 1910 and 1920 census. He must’ve been able to hide his accent! (7/9/2023 Edit – after further research it appears that he was born in Grand Rapids, MI)

His Veterans Affairs death file lists the following:

Name:	Albert Haan
Gender:	Male
Birth Date:	12 Mar 1893
Death Date:	30 Nov 1986
SSN:	234014340
Enlistment Date 1:	13 May 1910
Release Date 1:	12 Mar 1914
Enlistment Date 2:	15 Jul 1917
Release Date 2:	24 May 1920

Sounds like he served early in 1910 and was released in 1914. He likely served with the Michigan National Guard at this point. He re-enlisted in 1917 and served until may of 1920 with the Army.

He had one daughter named Frances who was born in Washington D.C. in 1920. Albert was shipped back to the States in 1919 and was busy rehabilitating at Walter Reed Hospital between 1919 and 1920. Sounds like he had at least one “special visit”. He also had a son named Carl in 1922 while living in Washington D.C.

At some point the family moved from Washington D.C. to West Virgina where they apparently spent the rest of their lives. The daughter, Frances Louise Haan appears in the 1939 and 1940 University of West Virginia yearbooks and can be seen below. Quite the stunner for 1940!

1940 UWV Morgantown

Frances Haan 1939

Frances Haan 1940

I wonder if Frances is still alive? I can’t find any info on her past 1941. Ancestry.com has no information regarding her marriage or future life. She may still be alive and may be able to shed some light onto her father’s war service. I hope a family member finds this post!

Carl J Haan is harder to track down. I do know he enlisted for the US Army in July of 1942. He was surprisingly listed as an actor as a profession! This is the first time I’ve seen this!

Name:	Carl J Haan
Birth Year:	1922
Race:	White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country:	Dist of Columbia
State of Residence:	West Virginia
County or City:	Kanawha

Enlistment Date:	1 Jul 1942
Enlistment State:	Kentucky
Enlistment City:	Fort Thomas Newport
Branch:	Branch Immaterial – Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code:	Branch Immaterial – Warrant Officers, USA
Grade:	Private
Grade Code:	Private
Term of Enlistment:	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component:	Army of the United States – includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of
Source:	Civil Life

Education:	2 years of college
Civil Occupation:	Actors and actresses
Marital Status:	Single, without dependents
Height:	70
Weight:	168

Amazingly he served in the US Army Air Force in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam! Quite the lineage! This family continues to surprise me. Sadly he passed away on March 22nd, 2000 and is buried in Cameron Memory Gardens in Cameron, MO. His wife Eleanor passed away in 2002.


Name:	Carl J. Haan
SSN:	232-24-6283
Last Residence:	64469 Maysville, Dekalb, Missouri, United States of America
Born:	4 Apr 1922
Died:	22 Mar 2000
State (Year) SSN issued:	North Carolina or West Virginia (Before 1951)

WWI 1st Division Chaplain 26th Infantry Regiment – Chaplain Roberts Williams, Silver Star Recipient

February 20, 2013November 14, 2015 / portraitsofwar / 1 Comment

Chaplain Roberts Williams in Germany

Obverse Side

Another incredible WWI portrait photo has come across my desk via my dedicated searching regime on eBay. I bought this shot with the knowledge that the sitter was a chaplain. Chaplain shots are far and few between, and to have an ink identified example is very uncommon. In this case I was able to ply the internet and dig up some wonderful information on our sitter. Chaplain(Protestant) Roberts Williams originally enlisted as a private in the 17th Engineers but was eventually hooked up with the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division. He was awarded the Silver Star and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Crossed by his commander, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. He was gassed and the wound chevron can be seen on his right sleeve in the above image.

Here’s a quick transcription of his war service courtesy of a post-war Princeton Alumni newsletter. Interestingly, he graduated the same year as his commander, Teddy Roosevelt Jr.

“Chaplain Robert Williams, chaplain of the 26th Infantry of the First Division, has returned home, 55 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to enjoy a brief leave of absence after twenty-one months’ service in France. Mr. Williams enlisted as a private in the 17th Engineers and served ten months at St. Nazaire. This regiment was among those composed of railroad men, to be reviewed by King George in London. During May, 1918, Private Williams was commissioned a chaplain. Immediately thereafter he was sent to the trenches where with the First Division he spent fifty-four days in the fighting of the Picardy front, culminating in the capture of Cantigny, the first planned American offensive. Withdrawn for a rest, his unit was unexpectedly sent into the fray again at the pivot of Marchal Foch’s counter attack northeast towards Soissons to cut the Soissons Chateau-Thierry railroad, which supplied the Germans in the Marne Salient. During this battle Chaplain Williams was gassed and here it was that his commander cited him for bravery and recommended that the DSC be conferred upon him. Chaplain Williams also spent three months in Germany, his unit being engaged in outpost duty twenty miles from the Rhine within Hunland. He says the Germans are very hard up for raw materials and that soap is worth more than money.”

I was also able to find a transcription of a letter Chaplain Williams penned to the family of a soldier killed in action:

“His battalion had gone over the top that morning, across a great
National Highway, the Paris-Soissons Road. The German machine-gun fire
was extremely severe, and we suffered heavily.

“A detail of four soldiers was given me by Major Legge to bury Captain
Richards and Lieutenant Boone. We buried your husband where he fell
and marked the grave with a cross upon which his identification tag was
placed. His personal effects, as I found them, were removed, and later
placed in his bedding-roll. We endeavored to remove his ring, but found it
impossible to do so, so we buried it with him. Records of the location of
the grave were sent to the Adjunct General, American Expeditionary Forces,
and to the Graves Registration Service; so his grave can be readily found after the war is over.

“It was remarkable what a peaceful and spiritual expression was upon
the face of Captain Richards. It did not seem as if he had suffered greatly,
and we could fancy that he seemed well pleased to pay the supreme sacrifice
upon the field of battle.

“I have heard among the enlisted men and officers who knew your
husband many, many remarks as to Captain Richard’s ouiet thoughtfulness.
his constant care for those under his command, his unfailing cheer, and his
courage, and efficiency as a soldier and leader of men. His memory lives
with us, and inspires us to emulate his devoted service to his Country.

“We ask that you will accept our sincere sympathy for the burden of
grief you bear; but we trust that your pride and joy in your husband’s
noble life and glorious death will enable you to bear his loss with courage.

“May God strengthen and help you, and may the promise of our
Savior comfort you with the thought of meeting your husband in a better
world.

Sincerely yours,

Robert Williams,
Chaplain (Protestant), 26th Infantry.”

Williams’ Silver Star Citation

WWI Photo: Flea Market Find Yields Research Gold – Lt. Robert Slocum of Burlington, VT

February 11, 2013February 12, 2013 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

Robert H. Slocum in 1919

Although Lt. Robert H. Slocum was born and raised in Syracuse, NY, he resided in Burlington(VT) for the majority of his life. A recent photo discovery by a friend of mine at a local flea market has provided a wealth of research potential. The photo clearly depicts a young Lieutenant sporting a Coastal Artillery Corps insignia on his collar. The name Robert H. Slocum was inked on the reverse of the image. I wasn’t able to find a wartime record of Lt. Slocum in the Vermont files, but was able to find his draft card from Syracuse. He was a student at the time at Syracuse University and was originally from the area.

Draft Card

Slocum was likely a Lieutenant with the 59th Coastal Artillery, a Syracuse/Upstate New York based unit. This is only speculation, but the likelyhood is strong.

Lt. Slocum’s grave in Syracuse

Mr. Slocum lived for nearly six decades at his home on 21 Alfred Street in the South End of Burlington. I was able to purchase his photo albums from the 1930s which include many interesting images of the Burlington lakefront and Southend area. His son recently passed and his estate was broken up, ending up at a local flea market. Luckily I was able to keep most of the early albums together.

Post-WWI Residence of Lt. Slocum – 21 Alfred Street, Burlington, VT

Lt. Slocum posed with his son, Robert H. Slocum III

Lt. Slocum posed with daughter in May of 1935

Little Bobby playing in a local Burlington playground (note the chicken coop)

Cruising the mean streets of Burlington in 1936

Little Bobby on a tricycle (note the decorative porch treatment in the background)

Background house in 2012

Lt. Slocum and family at the beach. Possibly North Beach

It would seem that Lt. Slocum lived a long and happy life. I found a 2012 obituary for his son which makes reference to Robert Slocum Jr, who passed away in 1993.

A 2012 obituary for Robert Slocum III

ROBERT H. SLOCUM III – BURLINGTON – On Nov. 15, 2012, Robert H. Slocum III died peacefully in his cherished home, following a brief illness. Born on May 31, 1931, he was the son of Robert H. Slocum II and Frances Slocum. Bob graduated from Burlington High School in the Class of 1949 and the Middlebury College, Class of 1954. For many years he was an elementary school teacher in Deep River, Conn. Music was an important part of his life and he hoped to instill a love of music in his students. For many years he would write and produce a musical for his students to perform. Upon his retirement, he returned to Burlington to live with his father. Both men enjoyed the company of their cat named Scooter who seemed to know his job was to make them happy. When Scooter died, Bob adopted a stray cat and most recently one from the humane society. Bob looked forward to his high school class reunions each summer and, of course, the Red Sox games. He is survived by his sister, Cynthia Slocum of Pittsford; and his cousins, Joan and Phil Hoff and their children, Susan Haynes, Dagny Hoff, Andrea MacNaughton and Gretchen Hoff. The family is most grateful to Philomena Gicheru for her friendship and caring assistance provided to Bob these past thirteen years. There will be a gathering of remembrance on Nov. 26, 2012, at 10:30 am at 35 Hillcrest Rd., Burlington.

Portraits of War

Snapshots in Time

wwi photo