doughboy ID

[mccooper]

Would appreciate any info available pertaining to this uniform: picked up a 91st Division, Co. F engineer collar disc, 316th Engineer's uniform, with a V Corps patch as well; the red flash in the V Corps patch would appear to be artillery. With the uniform came a Stockett, MT, high school diploma, dated May, 1918, for a John A. Milot. Checking into the 316th Engineers' unit history, Co. F lists an Andrew Milot from Stackett, Mont. I am assuming that to be a typo. Looking into the family name, I find both a John A. and an Andrew J. Milot in Stockett, MT about that time. The uniform has one overseas stripe - and one wound stripe.

 

All records checked indicate that the 158th FA Brigade was attached to the 91st Division during the Meuse-Argonne campaign, and the 91st was attached to the V Corps. The 316th unit history says that Co. F was detached to the 158th FA Brigade. That could well explain the artillery flash on the V Corps patch. The 316th history lists its wounded, but Milot is not named; no Co. F member is named as wounded.

 

The 91st history indicates that it did not list wounded detached to the 158th. Would that, then, also be true of the 316th history? I think the facts indicate that a member of Co. F, 316th Engineers, 91st Division could indeed wear a V Corps patch with artillery flash. Another assumption: it is a Milot, either John or more likely Andrew. Where would I find records for those two which would nail down the final ID?

 

Thank you for any additional light you could shed on this item, or any corrections/additions to what I have found to date. All the best,

 

mccooper

 

[zsmith]

Don't know if this helps...

 

[mccooper]

zsmith-

 

Boy, does it!! Thank you. Also helps to explain the typo in the 316th history. All the best,

 

mccooper

[Stahlberg]

mccooper,

I sent you a message with some information I was able to dig up on the two, John and Andrew. Hope it helps!

[mccooper]

Stahlberg-

 

Super! Thank you.

 

mccooper

[trenchbuff]

Here is Andrew (Andy) Milot's helmet. It's a British made example with the split rivets and rubber doughnut in the crown. It's been in my collection for many years. My family is from Stockett, MT on my grandfather's side and I used to know several members of the Milot family. The older members of the family, along with my grandfather were coal miners when the mines were active. I had no idea his uniform was out there. Small world and very nice to see it!

[mccooper]

Some updates, thanks to the great guys in this Forum: it is Andrew Milot; his brother was John. Andrew was wounded, so the info regarding the unit history and its wounded seems to be correct. No comments on the artillery angle yet, but it seems to be correct. Thank you all; it is a pleasure and an honor to have so much knowledge available. From my perspective, history revolves around the individuals who made it, and this Forum excels in providing that data. Thanks again.

 

mccooper