GREATWAR-L Archives

Archiver > GREATWAR > 2001-10 > 1002085142


From: Iain Kerr <>
Subject: Re: [WW1] Grandfather's Unit?
Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2001 05:59:02 +0100
References: <Iain Kerr <iainkerr@clara.net>
In-Reply-To: <24243-3BBA4487-2064@storefull-113.iap.bryant.webtv.net>


At 15:49 02/10/01 -0700, Ms.Keplin K. Schwick wrote:
>Hi list- Here's my question. My grandfather was in WW1 from 1916-1919 in
>Europe (somewhere!) He was inducted at Camp Upton,N.Y. I have his
>service # & other than the above information,I don't know anything about
>which unit/group,etc.he was in during his Army years,nor about any
>battles he fought in.I only know he was exposed to mustard gas while he
>was in Europe & most likely met my grandmother while he was recuperating
>in a hospital. I have been trying to get some of his military papers
>from public records,but nothing yet.Is there any way I can find out
>about his Army life? Thanks for any imput.
>
>Please help me ID the man in this photo at this
>URL-http://marti.rootsweb.com/photogallery/pioneers/rubyh.html

>Thanks!-Keplin
>K. Schwick

Keplin,

The United States of America did not declare war on Germany until 6 April
1917, following the German development of unlimited submarine warfare, the
sinking of American ships and a German attempt to instigate Mexico into
armed action against the United States. The USA, under Woodrow Wilson, had
remained neutral in the two years since the highly provocative German
sinking of the great civilian liner, the Lusitania, on 7 May 1915.

United States Army troops did not arrive in Europe until late 1917 or early
1918 and were based in the UK or in non combatant areas of France
undergoing final training. At the time of the German counter-offensives in
Mar 1918, a dozen US divisions had arrived in France as the American
Expeditionary Force. Pershing, the US Commander in Chief was then
persuaded to relax his previous inflexible opposition to premature use of
US troops. Even then, Pershing only allowed their use as complete
divisions, taking over sectors of the front as required.

US Sources World War I - American Expeditionary Force

For unit information, consult the "Order of Battle of the United States
Land Forces in the World War" Vol. 2, pages 262-171 that is available from
local libraries on inter-library loan. For this, and other sources of
information on elements of the American Expeditionary Force and on the
individual 'doughboy', consult the Western Front Association website at
URL: http://www.wfa-usa.org/

The WFA website links to the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis
and the National Archives outside Washington, DC. The US National Archives
and Records Administration - Regional Records Services at URL:
http://www.nara.gov/regional/mpr.html

It helps in locating personnel records to have the army serial number of
the person whose records you seek. You should also search the State
archives in the state where your ancestor enlisted.

For more background on WWI and links to more WWI sites, see the Trenches on
the Web site at URL: http://www.worldwar1.com

Another web site that is mostly US WWI is at URL:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/ww1/

If your ancestor was killed or died in service, you could try:

The American Battle Monuments Commission at URL: Http://www.abmc.gov/abmc4.htm

Also the Civilian Draft Registrations at URL: http://data.ancestry.com

The World War I Honor Roll at URL:
http://www.americanwardead.com/searchw.htm seems to be the nearest thing
the US seems to have to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission "Debt of
Honour" Register.





Yours aye,

Iain Kerr in Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Web Page at: http://home.clara.net/iainkerr/index.htm
RootsWeb Sponsor and Listowner for the WORLDWAR2 Mailing List.

This thread: