Post Your Span-Am to WW I Full-Length Soldier Photos

[world war I nerd]

I'm not 100% sure if this is military garb or not, but it looks as if it might be. If you-all have an opinion, or actual information, please post what you think. Anyway, a WW I era woman who (I hope) is a member or volunteer of a woman's charitable, military, or para-military organization.

 

Written on the reverse is: "Ruby Westphalen, Taken in 1918."

 

Close up of Ruby's campaign style hat.

[Salvage Sailor]

From Ears to Hooves

 

4th US Cavalry Mounted Trooper, Schofield Barracks, T.H. 1916 - note the US on the leather stirrup cover

 

4th US Cavalry Color Guard, Schofield Barracks, T.H. 1916

[world war I nerd]

Equipment inspection of the 74th Infantry Regiment, New York, National Guard at Camp Kenilworth, New Jersey in 1917. Most of these men would soon be a part of New York's 27th Infantry Division and later a part of the AEF.

 

A better look at some of the equipment issued to the New York Guardsmen. If you look closely, you can see that the obsolete 1910 pattern and the current issue 1916 pattern Bacon Can are both present in this close up.

[world war I nerd]

I'm not sure if this uniform worn in this image is that of an American Red Cross nurse or a American red Cross canteen worker.

 

Close up of the Red Cross uniform.

[world war I nerd]

The majority of the men in this image of an AEF heavy artillery crew appear to be wearing helmet lanyards.

 

Apparently a memo was generated by GHQ, AEF suggesting that front line troops tether the helmet to their person in order to prevent the helmet from being lost while donning a gas mask during the panic and subsequent confusion of a gas attack.

 

A closer look at some of the helmet lanyards, one of which is clearly anchored to the left upper arm of one of the men leaning on the wall of sandbags. The other men all seem to have coiled the lanyard and stuffed it inside the helmet to keep it out of their way.

 

other details worth noting are the fact that all but three of the men are garbed in the tan denim fatigue uniform, and that all of the visible gas masks have been stenciled with its owner's first name, service number and last name.

[world war I nerd]

Unidentified member of the 4th Infantry Division somewhere in Germany in 1919.

 

Note that in addition to the 4th Division shoulder patch, this 'Ivy Division" veteran is also wearing two wound chevrons and one service chevron.

[world war I nerd]

Doughboys from an unknown unit are boarding an unnamed troop ship for their journey back to the States in 1919.

 

It looks as if the men are either being inspected or questioned by sailors before they are allowed to proceed to their berths below decks.

 

Note the violin case carried by one of the men, the Red Cross ditty bags, and the bunk assignment tags fastened to a coat button.

 

A closer look at some of he heavy packs carried by the homeward bound soldiers. If the men were facing the other direction we'd likely be looking at a number of shoulder patches identifying to which AEF unit these Doughboys belonged.

[world war I nerd]

Excellent 1st Division photograph mounted on a hand decorated board of Floyd O. Shears who served from 1917 to 1919.

 

Floyd's photo minus the mounting board.

 

A close up, of Floyd and his shoulder patch and Victory Medal ribbon with four battle stars.

 

Too bad Floyd's service coat is void of collar discs and overseas service chevrons.

[world war I nerd]

Group shot of 26th Division artillerymen taken in Germany. Three different overcoat styles are worn. From left to right, 1917 pattern, Mackinaw pattern and 1918 pattern.

 

A better look at the 26th Division shoulder insignia as well as the twelve months worth of overseas service chevrons worn by each man

[world war I nerd]

Publicity photo of a recreation of James Montgomery Flagg painting his iconic WW I "Tell That to the Marines" Marine Corps recruiting poster. Flagg painted something like 77 WW I era posters for Uncle Sam.

 

I recall reading that the model taking off his coat in anger was a well know professional boxer, whose name I don't recall.

 

A close up of the poster, the pugilist and an actual Marine Corps sergeant.

 

The sergeant carries an Enfield rifle, is wearing a Lift-the-Dot cartridge belt, and he has a USMC cap badge mounted on the front of his steel helmet..

[world war I nerd]

The next pair of photos are two of a number I recently acquired of alleged German U-Boat prisoners in American captivity at Ft Mc Pherson near Atlanta, Georgia.

 

After a brief Google search, I turned up nothing about German U-Boats or U-Boat crews being captured by the U.S. In order to positively identify these German Navy POWs as being U-Boat men, more research is needed. Until then, here's the images ... By the way, if anybody knows if these are U-Boat men or what U-Boat they hailed from, please let us know.

 

German Navy POWs, arriving under U.S. Marine guard at Ft. Mc Pherson, Georgia.

 

A closer look at the POWs and guards.

 

Here the German Navy POWs are getting their first look at Ft. Mc Pherson's POW enclosure, the place where they will spend the duration of the war.

 

Close up of the German sailor's as they ponder the future at their new home away from home.

[world war I nerd]

Dress uniform of what looks to be an infantryman in the Pennsylvania National Guard ... Exact date unknown.

 

Close up of the PA national Guardsman.

[world war I nerd]

Officers on the pistol range circa 1917.

 

Close up of the two officers, both of whom are 1st Lieutenants as indicated by the cuff braid on the sleeves of the so called, "Officers' Short Overcoat".

[world war I nerd]

Army recruits wearing a less than complete set of 1910 Infantryman's Equipment.

 

Noticeably absent is either the pistol belt or rifle cartridge belt, as well as a shelter-half in which the woolen blanket should be rolled. Canteens have been hooked on the side of the haversack where the rifle bayonet's scabbard should be.

 

A closer look at the belt-less haversacks and pack carriers.

[world war I nerd]

AEF or 3rd Army troops receiving decorations circa 1919.

 

The soldier on the far right has just been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). The 89th Division man is already wearing a Croix de Guerre medal and is in the process of having a DSC pinned to service coat.

[world war I nerd]

Homeward bound AEF troops from an unknown unit are boarding an unnamed troop ship. Note that two of the men are wearing or carrying German helmets, while a third is sporting an American steel helmet that appears to have been camouflage painted.

 

Close up of the German spiked helmet and the American cammo helmet.

[Charlie Flick]

The next pair of photos are two of a number I recently acquired of alleged German U-Boat prisoners in American captivity at Ft Mc Pherson near Atlanta, Georgia.

 

After a brief Google search, I turned up nothing about German U-Boats or U-Boat crews being captured by the U.S. In order to positively identify these German Navy POWs as being U-Boat men, more research is needed. Until then, here's the images ... By the way, if anybody knows if these are U-Boat men or what U-Boat they hailed from, please let us know.

 

WW1Nerd:

 

I can help you with the identification on the circumstances. These POWs are sailors from the German submarine U-58 which had been sunk by the destroyer USS Fanning off Queenstown, Ireland on November 17, 1917. 36 of the 38 Imperial German Navy sailors survived the action which included the use of both depth charges and naval gunfire.

 

The image below shows the prisoners at the gate of Fort McPherson. The caption reads: Officers and crew of the German submarine U.58, captured by the U.S.S. Fanning, entering the War Prison Camp at Fort McPherson, Georgia. [Kptlt. Gustav] Amberger and [ObLt. Otto von] Ritgen [the Executive Officer of U-58] are in front along with Lt. Frederick Mueller, Lt. Paul Schroeder, Mathewson & Winn.

 

 

Regards,

Charlie

[world war I nerd]

Charlie, thanks for identifying the vessel and the circumstances under which the German U-Boat crew became prisoners. I have a few more images of these POWs in the camp en-route to me. I'll post a couple more after they arrive.

 

National Guardsmen from an unknown unit and their nurses circa 1912 - 1915 or so.

 

Close up of the reclining Guardsmen. The non-regulation shoes worn by the man on the right clued me in to the likelihood that these were National Guardsmen.

 

A better look at the nurses oval shaped Red Cross brassards.

[world war I nerd]

A nice image of drafted men from Buffalo, New York ... Most likely destined for the 77th Division.

[world war I nerd]

Army cooks or bakers at an unknown training camp. Note the medical sergeant's chevron worn by the man in the center.

 

Close up of the bread (or food) makers.

[world war I nerd]

Infantry soldier wearing an as yet unidentified, light colored narrow armband/brassard. Also, pinned on his overseas cap is some sort of non-regulation button insignia.

 

It's possible that the armband could be either a white or yellow 2 1/2 inch wide special duty armband as worn by AEF personnel. White was for "Trench Cleaners" (the men whose duty was to decontaminate the trenches and exposed equipment after a mustard gas attack). Yellow armbands were worn by members of a carrying party, i.e. the men who were detailed to go to the rear and bring up rations, ammunition, medical supplies, etc.

 

Close up. The only visible insignia is a Infantry/M Collar Disc.

[world war I nerd]

Homeward bound Doughboys aboard the "Leviathan". Center stage is a man with an 89th (at least I think it's an 89th Division insignia) Division shoulder patch and another with a II Corps SSI.

 

A closer view of the two shoulder patches.

[jprostak]

The soldiers in posts #826 and #827 are members of Battery F, 63rd Artillery, CAC.

[world war I nerd]

Men of Company I, 26th Infantry Regiment with a football at their mobilization camp near Texas City, Texas, circa 1913.

[world war I nerd]

Not the greatest photo, but it's another image from a large group of photographs of Company I, 26th Infantry Regiment men down in Texas circa 1913-1915. This one is obviously a ball player in the 26th regiment's baseball uniform.