Washington, Monday, Nov. 11, 2:48 A.M.–The armistice between Germany, on the one hand, and the allied Governments and the United States, on the other, has been signed.
The State Department announced at 2:45 o’clock this morning that Germany had signed.
The department’s announcement simply said: “The armistice has been signed.”
The world war will end this morning at 6 o’clock, Washington time, 11 o’clock Paris time.
The armistice was signed by the German representatives at midnight.
I always find myself returning to my maternal grandfater’s diary on these days. He was with Company L, 325th Infantry.
(https://paulmcnamee.blogspot.com/2012/11/veterans-day-diary-of-peter-kenny.html#more)
Today, I decided to dig in on where he fought.
The Internet can be a wonderful tool.
From his diary;
Oct 8th Chapentry for the first army corps
Oct 9th to the dead mans Hill
Oct 10th Chatel Cherery to Fleville
Oct 11th Over the top first time
Oct 31st Relieved by the 77 and 80th Divisions back to reserve
From “Revolvy dot com”;
From 26 September — 9 October 1918, the regiment waited to be committed to the Meuse‐Argonne Offensive. At 07:00 on 10 October, the regiment attacked to seize the Cornay Ridge, then continued the attack across the Aire River.
The Aire River is in Fleville.
And I was able to look up STARS & STRIPES following October 11th.
See the column; YANKS HAVE PART IN SUCCESSES OF ANOTHER BIG WEEK
https://www.loc.gov/resource/20001931/1918–10-18/ed-1/?sp=1&r=0.444,0.314,0.659,0.283,0
I only wish he had given more details of have far he traveled into that breach/push on the German line.
I’m tempted to get to France one day, just to follow his route.
Thank you for sharing that.
I have more to share.
I went down a rabbit hole yesterday.
Other than knowing one war story concerning my grandfather–he captured a German soldier — just a boy, really–I knew nothing else.
From his diary, entries jump from 11‐Oct (Over the top) to being relieved on 31‐Oct.
Searching deeper on his company, I found this.
Official History of 82nd Division American Expeditionary Forces: “All American” Division, 1917–1919
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TOZ02LY/
Or, you can read this on Books.google.
There are details of the actions of 325th Infantry, Company L spread throughout.
No wonder his diary jumps from 11‐Oct to 31‐Oct with no details. He would have been in the thick of it.
Oct 11
https://books.google.com/books?id=cGVBAQAAMAAJ&dq=82nd&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false
“Orders were sent to the two rear infantry companies (I and L) to break off to their right and send a skirmish line with its left flank on the highway to sweep the enemy north of the St Juvin Sommerance Road. This was successfully done.”
Oct 16
https://books.google.com/books?id=cGVBAQAAMAAJ&dq=82nd&pg=PA176#v=onepage&q=ravin%20aux&f=false
“The attack of the 325th Infantry in the center of the Division sector was made by the 3rd Battalion which passed through the line of the 1st Battalion and in spite of severe machine gun resistance pushed K and L Companies into the Ravin aux Pierres. This advance of our Infantry was supported by a machine gun barrage fired by B Company 320th Machine Gun Battalion. The right flank of the 325th Infantry could not advance and remained just south of the ravine in liaison with the 327th Infantry”
Counterattack and artillery drove them back out of the ravine. (Maybe gas, too)
Before the Muese‐Argonne offensive, this one sent a chill down my spine.
He had ambush patrol on Aug 28th. This happened on Aug 29th;
(https://books.google.com/books?id=cGVBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA154&dq=82nd+Division&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjA_4jc2c_eAhVpS98KHb4EBWEQ6AEILzAB#v=snippet&q=mystery&f=false)
“An event took place on August 29 1918 in the 325th Infantry which remained a mystery until long after the Armistice. Lieutenants Wallace and Williams went out on a daylight reconnaissance with Corporals Slavin and Sullivan of Company L 325th Infantry. This little patrol left Dombasle Chateau and never returned. When American prisoners were released after the Armistice, Corporal Slavin came back to the regiment. The party had pushed across the Sielle River and through No Man’s Land to the German wire. On their way back they were ambushed and all the party killed except Corporal Slavin.”
For the sake of a day. My grandfather could just as easily been on that patrol.
I’m just sitting here pleased and stunned. Finally to learn this after all these years–I’m nearly speechless.
Thanks for the catalyst.
This is, indeed, stunning stuff. So many lives thwarted or ended — and the reverberations down the generations. It’s mind‐blowing. Thank you again.
Went to the chow hall the other day, dinner‐ talked to a friend of mine old ret. intell guy army in his 80’s. in good shape old devil, you would think he was 70. We started to talk about the sand box war‐ asked him if he was in WWII.
“No” he said my Dad was in WWI Combat infantry”
“Damn that’s rough as hell good thing he made it”
“Yeah, he almost did’nt he went AWOL at the end, his company was mostly killed off. He took off. The policy was if you were AWOL for more than 10 days they caught you they shot you. If you went back before the ten days you got jail‐ bad news jail, maybe better to be shot.”
“Damn”
“So he went by his Mom’s place on the run‐ his Mom and his girlfriend talked him into going back‐ turn himself in so he would not be shot. begged him. He did”
“Jeeze”
” Yah well, at the brig a scarred up old Lt Col looked at his combat record‐ said, “boy you have a outstanding record no good you wasting here in hell‐ pulled some levers‐ he got sent him back to his combat unit, what was left of it. Well, anyway, he made it through the war.”
” GD you got any of his WWI stuff?”
“Just his Kaiser helmet with the spike on the top. Most of his stuff he burned”
Yeah, his Dad was on the German side, immigrated to the states in the mid 20’s. When WWII started he was so depressed and pissed off he burned or broke all his army stuff except for that helmet‐ not sure why he left that alone.
WWI‐ horrific, gas and trench raids, GD bad.
Rest in peace to the brave fallen.
That’s a hell of a tale. An entire civilization traumatized. Hard to wrap your head around.
Somewhere in my rude hut, I have a WWI Army training manual, hard cover pocket type issue book for dough boys.
P/C thinking, a kinder gentler military etc. was never heard of when they wrote that book.
The penalty for sleeping on post is death and so on.
The past is a different country damn sure.