A Kentucky Farm Boy “Over There” in WW1

[Geoff]

I'd like to show a WW1 AEF group I acquired and have been researching. The group consists of a wool service tunic, overseas cap, the soldier's original Pay Book, and his soldiers' War Risk Insurance form. I've been able to add additional copies of service-related documents from my research on Ancestry.com.

 

Christopher Phillip Jones, Jr. was born on July 20, 1894 to parents Christopher Sr. and Mollie. His father, Christopher Sr.,was 50 years old at the time of his son's birth. Christopher Sr. was born in 1844, served as a Union soldier with the 30^th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, and only married Mollie a year to Chris Jr.'s birth in 1893. It was his first and only marriage, and Christopher Jr. was their first child. Two years later the family would welcome another son named James. The Jones family farmed a piece of land in rural Green County, about 70 miles south of Louisville.

 

Christopher Jr. attended a local country school through the end of eighth grade in 1908, when he quit school to join his father working their farm.

 

In the spring of 1918, shortly before Christopher’s 24^th birthday, he was drafted and ordered to report to Camp Zachary Taylor, KY (an Army training camp outside Louisville). He reported at camp on April 27. This was probably Christopher’s first journey ever outside his home county. He was assigned to a depot brigade for basic training, but after only a few weeks of very basic training Christopher was reassigned to the 37^th Division, then training at Camp Sheridan outside Montgomery, Alabama.

When he reported to Camp Sheridan he was assigned to Company E of the 112^th Ammunition Train, 37^th Division. The division moved to the east coast on May 20 to embark for France. The 112^th Ammo Train sailed from Philadelphia, PA, on June 27, 1918 aboard the Army transport Ship “Rhesus”. The divisional artillery and 112^th Ammo train were separated from the 37^th Division after arrival in France. These two units trained at Camp de Souge and then were assigned as support to the American 28^th, 33^rd, and 92^nd Divisions at various times between September and November. He served in the Meuse-Argonne and Ypers-Lys campaigns.

 

Below: a photo of the jacket and cap, along with a close-up photo focusing on the "Train" collar disk and 37th Division patch on Private Jones' uniform.

 

 

 

[Geoff]

Here are the other original documents that came with the group. Private Jones' Army Pay Book with protective paper sleeve or cover, and his "War Risk" Insurance form.

 

[Geoff]

I found this on Ancestry.com. It's a record of Private Jones' Co E, 112th Ammo Train, 37th Division, embarking aboard the Army Transport Ship Rhesus on June 27, 1918 at Philadelphia Harbor, bound for France and the war. It's a long document, so I'm only showing the top section and the portion with Christopher Jones' name.

 

[Geoff]

The divisional artillery and 112^th Ammo train were reunited with the 37^th Division after the armistice at Le Mans, France. They sailed home to the United States in March, 1919, and the division was demobilized at Camp Sherman, Ohio on April 19, 1919.

 

Returning from the war without injury, Christopher rejoined his parents on the family farm. His father died in December of that year, leaving Christopher to become the primary provider for the family. (Christopher’s younger brother James was drafted in 1917 and reported to the 3^rd Division at Camp Greene, NC. He was a corporal with Company M, 4^th Infantry Regt, when the division went overseas in April 1918, and was subsequently promoted to sergeant in France. James was wounded in an enemy gas attack at some point in the summer or fall of 1918 and was invalided home to KY in April, 1919. He never regained his former health and died in 1927 from tuberculosis. His cause of death listed his gassing in WW1 as a contributing factor.)

 

Christopher Jr. lived a quiet life as a farmer while caring for his elderly mother and invalid brother. He married Dora Rose in December 1927 just months after his younger brother passed away. I’ve found no mention of any children. Christopher remained a farmer his entire life and died on May 13, 1969 at the age of 74. He was buried in a small private family cemetery in Exie, KY. His wife Dora followed him in death in 1995 and is buried beside him. His parents and younger brother James are buried in the same family cemetery.

 

 

[Geoff]

Here is the embarkation document for Christopher's younger brother James, when Co. M of the 4th Regiment, 3rd Division went overseas to France.

[Moonlight Gecko]

Great uniform and detective work!

[Geoff]

A copy of brother James’ transportation record back to the United States in April 1919. He was part of a Casual Company organized at St Aignan, composed of 150 hospitalized men, commanded by two officers. St Aignan was one of five Army Medical Department consolidation centers where wounded and sick AEF soldiers were collected for return to the United States. (The other four consolidation centers were St. Nazaire Blois, Brest, and Bordeaux.) All hospitalized and wounded soldiers and Marines were returned through one of these five centers in special Casual Companies, accompanied by medical attendants and sufficient medical supplies. Each returnee was issued a new “well-fitting” uniform prior to embarkation aboard the ship that would bring them home.

 

Below,: the AEF Army Medical Department record of James' embarkation with St. Aignan Casual Company #3495. This means that the St. Aignan consolidation center had sent 3,495 150-man detachments of sick and wounded soldiers back to the United States since the Armistice the previous November. On April 30, 1919, just after James Jones left France, the AEF still had some 50 Army hospital camps open in France.

 

[Geoff]

James Jones' 1927 death certificate, which lists his WW1 gassing as a contributing factor to his pulmonary tuberculosis and early death. (see the right column, about half way down - just under the cause of death.)

[Geoff]

Thanks for the nice comment, Moonlight! I've focused my collecting the past several years on named or ID'd items where I can research the story of the men or women who served. I believe that telling the story of the veterans who once owned these items is a way of honoring and remembering their service to our country.

[36thIDAlex]

That’s a great grouping there and some awesome research. I have a similar story with my great grandfather who lived in Grayson county, KY— only one county away, and ended up surviving a gas attack with the 89th ID. Love seeing my KY vets remembered in such a great way. Keep up the good work.

[American Heritage]

great research Geoff

[Ivydiv]

Really nice documented grouping. Love to see the groups with history. Dave