Photo taken at Camp Funston Possibly by John E Schroeder who was taking photos of Fellow Soldiers (note there is a web page that has a bunch of people having their photo taken in front of this style of building
Map
I have been looking for a long time at the above 3 photos trying and hoping to see if one was Lloyd
Red lines are towns mentioned above
I had found a battle map and cycled the area (the yellow line) in 2005 and years later after I found the above statement I realized that in the trees near Flirey there is an old trench still there and I was about to go and take a look when I was spooked by sounds a rock falling and or something moving through the trees at the time I thought it was an animal but now I am not so certain. Because Beney was the place where I had eaten my lunch and was the only food establishment I found that day. I am amazed that when I needed food the most that day it was very close to where Lloyd was injured.
Lloyd was about to be shipped home from Brest France but passed away from his injuries and was buried in Hospital Cemetery (left) after the war as the it is the French tradition is to bring the dead back to one central War cemetery he was re buried in the American site near Fere-en-Tardenois (Right) Which is the cemetery for those that fought in the Oise-Aisne Offensive. There is a cemetery for the St Mihiel offensive in Thiaucourt so not certain why he was buried in the “wrong” one.
Eighty-Ninth Division (National Army)
Popularly known as the "Middle West Division." Insignia, a black "W" in a black circle. Different colors are placed in the lower part of the "W" according to the various branches of the service. Organized at Camp Funston, Kansas in Sept. 1917. The division was composed of National Army drafts mainly from Kansas, Missouri and Colorado. In May, 1918, the division moved to Camp Mills, L.I. On June 4th, division headquarters and the majority of the division embarked from New York and the last units arrived in France on July 10th. Upon arrival in France the division was ordered to the Reynel training area (Haute-Marne) except the divisional artillery which was ordered to the Camp Souge, near Bordeaux for training. The division remained in the Reynel area until Aug. 5th when it was moved by bus to the Toul front where it occupied the line between northeast corner of Bois de Bauchot to the middle of the Etang de Vorgevaux and was supported by the 55th Fld. Arty and 250th Regiment French Fld. Arty.
The division was placed under the 7th Corps of the 3rd Army and on Nov. 24th began its march into Germany. The division was assigned the area bounded by Kreise of Prum, Bitburg, Trier, and Saarburg with division headquarters at Kyllburg where it was joined by the divisional artillery which had been serving with the 28th Division. On May 19, 1919, the division sailed for the U.S. and debarked at New York. It was then sent to Camp Funston, Kansas, where it was demobilized shortly afterwards.
The division captured from the enemy the following, 5,061 prisoners, 127 pieces of artillery, 455 machine guns. The division advanced thirty-six pieces of artillery, 455 machine guns. The division advanced thirty-six kilometers against resistance. Battle deaths 1,419, wounded, 7,394; number taken prisoners 1 officer and 24 men. The following decorations were awarded to individuals of this division: Congressional Medal of Honor, 8; Distinguished Service Crosses, 119, Distinguished Service Medals, 2; Croix de Guerre, 55; Belgian Cross L'Ordre Leopold, 1; Belgian Croix de Guerre, 2.
Commanding generals: Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, Aug. 27, 1917 to Nov. 26, 1917; Brig. Gen. Frank L. Winn, Nov. 26, 1917 to April 12, 1918; Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, April 12 to May 24, 1918; Brig. Gen. Frank L. Winn, May 24, 1918 to Sept. 14, 1918; Maj. Gen. Wm. M. Wright, Sept. 14, 1918 to Oct. 24, 1918; Maj. Gen. Frank L. Winn. Oct. 24, 1918 to Nov. 11, 1918
The division was composed of the following organizations: 177th and 178th Inf. Brigs; 164th Arty. Brig. 353d, 354th, 355th and 356th Inf. Regts.; 340th, 341st 342d Machine Gun Bns; 340th, 341st, 342d Fld. Arty. Regts; 314th Trench Mortar Battery; 314th Engr. Regt. And Train; 314th Fld. Sig. Bn.; 314th Hqs. Train and M.P.; 314th Amm. Train; 314th Supply Train; 314th Sanitary Train (Field Hospital and Amb. Cos. Nos. 353, 354, 355, 356). http://www.newrivernotes.com/topical_history_ww1_oob_american_forces.htm
Organization and Employment of Divisional Machine Gun Units
Contributed By Wilson A. Heefner
The infantry divisions in the American Expeditionary Forces contained 260 machine guns, 36 of which were used as antiaircraft weapons within the division field artillery brigade. The remaining 224 guns were distributed among a machine gun company organic to each infantry regiment and among three machine gun battalions.
Assigned to each of the two infantry brigades within the division was one machine gun battalion, commanded by a major, and composed of four machine gun companies; these companies were identical in organization to the regimental machine gun companies. Each battalion had an assigned strength of 28 officers and 748 enlisted men and was authorized 64 heavy machine guns, divided equally among the companies.
The machine gun company, commanded by a captain, had an assigned strength of six commissioned officers and 172 enlisted men, and carried 16 guns, four of which were spares. Within the company there were three platoons and a headquarters section. A first lieutenant led the first platoon, while second lieutenants led platoons two and three. Each platoon with four guns was made up of two sections, each having two guns and led by a sergeant. Within each section were two gun squads, each with one gun and nine men, led by corporals. The gun squad had one combat cart, pulled by a mule, to transport its gun and ammunition as close to the firing position as enemy fire allowed. From there the crews moved the guns and ammunition forward by hand.
The third machine gun battalion was a division unit, under command of the division commander. The battalion had a strength of 16 officers and 377 enlisted men and was motorized. However, it had only two companies, identical to the other machine gun companies in terms of personnel and weapons. Each gun squad used a special motor car to transport its personnel, weapon and equipment. The battalion was generally in division reserve, ready to carry out missions as the division commander ordered.1
The machine gun units of the 5th Division entered combat with the 1914 model of the French-made Hotchkiss machine gun. The gun and mount weighed 88 pounds, fired 8-mm. Lebel Mle 1886 rounds from a 30-round metal strip, and had a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute. It was gas-operated and air-cooled, and had a maximum effective range of 3800 meters. The Hotchkiss served in both ground combat support and antiaircraft roles.2
In training and in combat each of the four machine gun companies within the infantry brigade was attached to one of the brigade's six infantry battalions; attached to each of the other two infantry battalions within the regiment was the regiment's organic machine gun company. In the 5th Division those attachments remained effective throughout the entire training period or campaign. In the attack, the attached machine gun companies accompanied their battalions by bounds, maintaining close liaison with the infantry battalion commanders. Machine gun companies that were attached to infantry battalions designated as division or brigade reserve for a particular mission were usually placed under direct command of their respective brigade commanders, to fill gaps of fire and to protect the brigade flanks.3
Since the usual plan of maneuver of an infantry battalion called for three of its four rifle companies to be used as the attacking force, with the fourth company serving as a reserve, the machine gun company commander would usually place one of his three machine gun platoons in support of each maneuver company.4
Machine guns were used for both indirect and direct fire missions. When in the former role, the guns were placed to cooperate with the field artillery units in neutralizing suspected enemy observation posts and machine guns during the attack and to sweep the approaches for possible enemy counterattacks after the capture of the final objective.5
The guns were most effectively used in overhead fire missions to support the infantry attacks. In this role the guns were placed 300 to 1000 meters to the rear of the front line. When they employed their guns in that fashion, the machine gun officers often ran into opposition from the rifle company commanders, who preferred to have the guns farther forward, fearing that their infantrymen would be at risk of stray low rounds as they advanced under the overhead machine gun fire. However, over time the infantrymen came to accept this arrangement as they saw the reliability of the machine guns proved again and again in combat. Furthermore, they soon discovered that the machine guns were high priority targets for enemy fire, and that it was advantageous to have the guns at some distance from the infantry positions.
Since enemy machine guns posed the greatest threat to the attacking troops, the machine gun crews made every effort to locate the enemy guns and to concentrate their fire upon them. As the attack moved forward and the overhead fire became less effective, some of the gun squads would carry their guns and ammunition forward either into or on the flanks of the advancing infantry. A proportion of the guns was held back as a reserve under command of the machine gun officer.6
Machine gun tactical doctrine dictated that in the defense the Hotchkiss guns should only rarely be located within 100 yards of the front line and that at least two-thirds of the guns should be echeloned back through the whole defensive position, located so that adjacent guns would be mutually supporting. From such positions all guns could fire in defense of the front line, and in the event of an enemy breakthrough the rear guns could continue to defend even if the enemy overran the forward guns.7
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/divmguns.htm
(Structure as of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel)(30 August to 16 September 1918)
First Army General John J. Pershing (10 August 1918 – 16 October 1918)
IV Corps Lieutenant General George Windle Read
89th Infantry Division Major General Frank L. Winn
178th Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Thomas G. Hanson
342st Machine Gun Battalion Major
Above is made of Led by a Guns Men
4 Company Captain 16 6 officer 172 men
3 Platoon Lieutenant 4
2 Section Sargent 2
2 Gun Squad Corporal 1 9 men
Below is notes from the Company D 342nd Machine gun Battalion 89th Division book that is in JPEG format.
-This Company was organized on Sept 7, 1917
-Colt Automatic Machine guns arrive Oct 5, 1917
-Field Maneuvers and occupied the divisional machine gun trenches on smokey Hill Flats near Camp Funston
-Left Camp Funston Kansas 3:40PM May 24, 1918 Arrived at Camp Mills via Canada May 27, 1918 6:00PM
-Sailed June 4 from New York Harbor on S.S. “Coronia” 6 officers, 166 Enlisted Men
- Arrived Liberpool June 15, 1918
- Disembarked June 17
- Knotty Ash Camp (rest Camp no 10)
- Depart for Southhampton June 19
- Crossed the English Channel night of 20-21 arriving at La Havre France
- Travelled by rail to the Reynel Training Area Vesaignes France June 23, 1918
Equipped with Vickers Machine Guns
Left Vesaignes for Toul first part of August 1918
Relieved the 82nd American Division in the Lucey Sector North west of Toul
Battalion occupied trenches opposite Mt Sec
August 6 to 20 occupied the Nauginsard Woods at Newton Cross Roads
This relieved the 342th MG Bn of the 82nd Division. 1st platoon at Mandres, 2nd at Bois de Chanot, 3rd at Nauginsard
Evening of Aug 15 was first casualties from shrapnel of a H.E. Shell
Aug 20 Company relived the MG co of the 355 inf at Bouconville (1st&2nd at Bois de Faux 3rd Raulecourt)
Aug 26 relieved 356 inf MG Co in the trenches at Bouconville and Rambucourt opposite Mt Sec. No casualties holding the lines at Bouconville although we were sniped at daily until relieved by the French Machine Gunners on the night of Sept 10-11
Proceeded to Bernecourt to spend the day getting all equipment in first class condition for the first big drive.
Sept 11-12 started for the trenches near Flirey France where the battalion was to fire a barrage on the morning of the 12th however the roads were so congested that we were unable to reach our position at the specified time.
When the rolling barrage began to lift we went over the top with the 2nd wave being in support of the 356th Infantry. The 2nd morning of the drive found us advancing from Bouillonville through Beney, Stopping for a short time near Beney woods, we were subjected to intence shelling, in which 5 of our men were wounded (1st sgt. Hennessy, Corp Miller, Pvts Holy, Harrell and Lamb)
Lloyd’s story in the Diary of the 342nd Machine Gun Battalion ends here the diary goes on to describe how they became an Army of Occupation in Germany. The last entry is March 6, 1919, The Company moved to Hermeskeil, Germany to establish the Division Agricultural School
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.3085078,-60.2314623,4z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!6m1!1s107m9e3oxSOyCozwTW3-qHRU6hLU?hl=en
Probable route after Injury
Field Hospital in Minorville
Evacuation Hospital in Royaumeix
Hospital in Toul
Train to Brest which was the base of major US Navy operations that would have transported troops home.
Aug 20, 1918 Base Hospital no 45 departs for Toul France
Sept 9, 1918 Most of the nurses arrive in Toul
Sept 12-16 The Saint-Mihiel offensive bgins and 8,000 wounded pass through the doors of Base Hospital No 45 in just 4 days.
Oct, 1918 Influenza epidemic strikes Toul area and base hospital 4 treats over 4,000 influenza patients
In the summer of 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I, a group of Richmond physicians, nurses, and enlisted men mobilized to form Hospital Unit E, Richmond’s first organized medical effort for the war. This unit would expand to become the United States Base Hospital No. 45 (Medical College of Virginia Unit). Commanded by Dr. Stuart McGuire, then-dean of the Medical College of Virginia, the hospital’s 17 officers and detachment of 200 men reached the shores of France on July 21, 1918. A contingent of 106 nurses arrived early in September.
The home of Base Hospital No. 45 was the converted infantry barracks in Toul, France. Located eight miles from the front, it had the distinction of being the first base hospital located in the zone of advance. There was rarely an empty bed at the hospital, and while 17,438 casualties were admitted during the war, only 350 lives were lost. Relieved of duty on January 29, 1919, the last personnel of Base Hospital No. 45 arrived in Richmond on April 26, 1919. Cited by the Army Surgeon General for their “Readiness for service, devotion to duty, and professional excellence,” Base Hospital No. 45 reflected the valor and resolution of those medical professionals to whom lives were entrusted.
In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the Great War, this online exhibition presents a glimpse into the operations of Base Hospital No. 45, as well as the lives of the men and women who composed the staff of the hospital.
https://gallery.library.vcu.edu/exhibits/show/basehospitalno45
https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_virginia/sets/72157608734378870/ Photo collection of the hospital
