They All Wore the Wool-Portraits of Black Doughboys & Other Ethnic Groups

[cthomas]

I wanted to take a little break from researching the Williams grouping by starting this interesting thread. If you have WWI era Black doughboy portraits or other ethnic groups in your collection, this is your chance to showcase them. Let's take this opportunity to commemorate all those who donned the wool.

 

I'll start it off with a Buffalo soldier by the name of Manie Smith who served with Co C, of the 24th Infantry

 

-Chuck

[cthomas]

A wounded black sergeant with an unidentified SSI. It's hard to tell from this low res scan but on the original it looks like it could very well be a 369th 'Harlem Hell Fighters" patch. He's also wearing two ribbon bars & an AEF pin to his French OS cap

[cthomas]

An Asian doughboy posing in full kit, helmet & winter gloves.

 

 

OK. I've got this thread started. Let's see what you've guys got!

[Jeffrey Magut]

One from my collection: Victory McMillan, 505th Engineer Service Battalion. He has a French style overseas cap with unit numbers on one side.

[Charlie Flick]

OK, Chuck, I'll bite (and no watermarks either!)

 

This African American doughboy is probably still in a training camp. His name and unit are unknown to me. He is carrying a Model of 1917 rifle but no cartridge belt or other accoutrements.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

[jpgrl]

One from my collection: Victory McMillan, 505th Engineer Service Battalion. He has a French style overseas cap with unit numbers on one side.

 

Is he wearing gloves, or what's going on with the fingers?

 

Steph

[world war I nerd]

Here's the shoulder insignia of the "Harlem Hell Fighters", 369th Infantry, 93rd Division

[cthomas]

OK, Chuck, I'll bite (and no watermarks either!)

 

Yeah, that watermark is a little obtrusive. I've got a trial copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 Ultimate that supposedly has a watermark feature. I'm sure that one is better than the MS Paint feature I'm using here.

 

I'm glad to see the participation in this thread. Thank you Steph, Charlie & Jeffrey for sharing some of your images with us.

I'd also like to thank the 'Nerd' for posting the 369th SSI. Much appreciated!

[Charlie Flick]

You are welcome, Chuck.

 

Here is another one. These soldiers are seen in New York City in 1919. They are members of the 367th Infantry Regiment. They are also armed with US Model of 1917 rifles.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

[cthomas]

You are welcome, Chuck.

 

Here is another one. These soldiers are seen in New York City in 1919. They are members of the 367th Infantry Regiment. They are also armed with US Model of 1917 rifles.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

 

 

Another fine contribution. Thanks for the post!

 

Charlie, I've gotta say you live dangerously. These are top quality images. Aren't you the least bit concerned they'd be 'borrowed'?

[Charlie Flick]

Another fine contribution. Thanks for the post! Charlie, I've gotta say you live dangerously. These are top quality images. Aren't you the least bit concerned they'd be 'borrowed'?

 

Hi Chuck:

 

No, not really. I have been a collector for many years. I am one of those who believe in the free flow of information, and that includes images. (I do respect copyrighted material and believe everyone should as well.) I have picked up a lot of images over the years, some free and some not so free, and am happy to share what I have with other collectors and students of history. Much of what I have learned came from other collectors who were willing to impart their knowledge, including images, to me.

 

As for "borrowing" these images, heck, I don't care. Anybody on this Forum can borrow what I post. I hope they enjoy and can maybe learn something from it. That's sorta what this Forum is all about. Perhaps they will give me a credit if it gets published, but to me the important thing is to share in the knowledge. The body of knowledge can only increase when that occurs. And ultimately, isn't knowledge what we are all searching for?

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

[cthomas]

I can respect that Charlie. That's very magnanimous of you to think that way. I hope you or the other guys don't mind if I continue with my watermarking. I've had an experience in the past that's guided my actions as to whether or not to mark images as such.

 

Here's another neat image of a black doughboy somewhere in France...

[Jeffrey Magut]

Is he wearing gloves, or what's going on with the fingers?

 

Steph

 

I wondered if anyone else noticed the fingers. Yes, he has at least one badly misshapen finger (no nail). As the Engineer Service Battalions did lots of stevedore and construction work, I expect Mr. McMillan may have met with a crushing accident during his service.

[cthomas]

Now that I take a closer look at that finger, I agree-there's something odd about it. Looks like he may have lost the tip to it some where along the way...

[El Bibliotecario]

This is a good thread in that it reminds us the white guys who wrote the WW1 historys usually gave short shrift to thems as was differn't from them--such as black solders.

 

Here's a nitpick-earlier in the thread someone referred to these troops as buffalo soldiers. I've always defined bufflao soldiers as members of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. Have I been overtaken by political correctness?

[cthomas]

Here's a nitpick-earlier in the thread someone referred to these troops as buffalo soldiers. I've always defined bufflao soldiers as members of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. Have I been overtaken by political correctness?

 

You may be correct. The 9th & 10th were some of the first black troops to be labeled "Buffalo Soldiers". So were the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry Regiments. In 1869, the 38th & 41st Rgt's were merged to form the 24th Infantry Regiment & the 39th & 40th were merged into the 25th IR. The Britannica encyclopedia's definition of Buffalo Soldier defines the term to mean "Nickname given to members of African American cavalry regiments of the U.S. Army who served in the western U.S. (1867 – 96)." If I read the definition on Wikipedia correctly, the term 'Buffalo Soldier' has a broader definition. Here's the link:

 

Buffalo Soldiers on Wikipedia(click here!)

 

 

I'm sure one of our members more versed in their history could set the record straight. I don't mean to spread any misinformation on the term "Buffalo Soldier'. According to the various sources I've used, the definition has a much broader connotation than I initially thought. I too thought it related to black soldiers serving in particular 19th century Cav units. If someone can 'set the record straight', I'm all ears.

[General Apathy]

You are welcome, Chuck.

 

Here is another one. These soldiers are seen in New York City in 1919. They are members of the 367th Infantry Regiment. They are also armed with US Model of 1917 rifles.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

 

Hi Charlie, interesting photo you have here, can you tell from your original photo what is attached or happening with the rear of all the caps of the guys featured, they all have something there.

 

Also interesting to note that in the group of five or six guys there are three different styles of leggings.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

[teufelhunde.ret]

... I have been a collector for many years. I am one of those who believe in the free flow of information, and that includes images. (I do respect copyrighted material and believe everyone should as well.) I have picked up a lot of images over the years, some free and some not so free, and am happy to share what I have with other collectors and students of history. Much of what I have learned came from other collectors who were willing to impart their knowledge, including images, to me.

 

As for "borrowing" these images, heck, I don't care. Anybody on this Forum can borrow what I post. I hope they enjoy and can maybe learn something from it. That's sorta what this Forum is all about. Perhaps they will give me a credit if it gets published, but to me the important thing is to share in the knowledge. The body of knowledge can only increase when that occurs. And ultimately, isn't knowledge what we are all searching for?

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

Charlie, that is the spirit EVERYONE should have that participate here! Semper Fi, Darrell

[atb]

You are welcome, Chuck.

 

Here is another one. These soldiers are seen in New York City in 1919. They are members of the 367th Infantry Regiment. They are also armed with US Model of 1917 rifles.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

I have seen this image used on a commercially produced poster. Does anyone else think the caps look like winter caps being worn backwards to look like overseas caps?

[world war I nerd]

This is not strictly appropriate for this thread, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

 

Its a reconstruction of a Cpl. 369th Infantry, 93rd Division in October/November 1918. Showing the mix of A.E.F. service dress and French field gear.

[atb]

I have seen this image used on a commercially produced poster. Does anyone else think the caps look like winter caps being worn backwards to look like overseas caps?

I forgot to add that the use of several types of leggings (M1907, M1910 and M1917) instead of wrap leggings would seem to indicate that this image is from before these men went overseas or of men who did not go to France and the identification is incorrect as to date. This might also explain why they are possibly wearing backwards winter caps to resemble overseas caps like those worn by the troops "over there."

[world war I nerd]

I finally got around to going through my photos and found this. He appears tobe wearing a 1917 Woo Service Coat without any insignia.

 

On the "Buffalo Soldier" issue, my understaningd was that that was the name they gave to the African American soldiers by the plains Indians because their dark skin and curly hair resembled that of the buffalo, in their eyes.

[world war I nerd]

One more. I forgot about this one.

 

This was taken at one of the advanced camps in Mexico that were established to guard Pershing's lengthening lines of communication. In May or June of 1916 the expedition was reinforced by the 5th & 12th Cavalry and the 17th, 24th & 25th Infantry Regiments.

 

The soldiers posted to the semi permanent camps along the supply lines built temporary billets using whatever material was on hand, primarily 'adobe' mud bricks, scrap lumber and their shelter halves. Obviously, this infantry man posses a keen eye for architecture, his

[Bob Hudson]

My wife's great-aunt took these photos when she was an Army nurse in France in WWI. I don't know the nationality of these men:

 

 

 

 

 

One of Nurse Reid's letters home did comment on the multi-racial/multi-national makeup of patients at the America-run hospital:

 

[Charlie Flick]

Hi Charlie, interesting photo you have here, can you tell from your original photo what is attached or happening with the rear of all the caps of the guys featured, they all have something there. Also interesting to note that in the group of five or six guys there are three different styles of leggings. Cheers ( Lewis )

 

Hi Lewis:

 

Sorry, I don't have any additional information on the photo and I did not record its source. I am mostly interested in USGI small arms and accoutrements so I don't pay much attention to uniform details.

 

BTW, I recall that one of Hayes Otoupalik's early publications had a rather striking photo of an African American doughboy. I don't have access to that at the moment but maybe someone else can dredge it up.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick