WW1 Ambulance Service Grouping

[Patchcollector]

Here is a nice grouping that I picked up awhile back named to John Woodward,a member of the Ambulance

Service in WW1.The group includes his patches,a photo of John,a "duty card",and a commendation from a

French General,and newspaper clipping describing his commendation.

I made a similar post earlier in the patches section,but now I have a scanner,and have scanned everything,

which is an improvement over the prior photos.Enjoy!

[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

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[manayunkman]

Very nice group. I love the letter.

 

M

[Patchcollector]

Very nice group. I love the letter.

 

M

 

Thanks M,me too!I love the part where the General says,"Yesterday we were friends,today we are brothers"!

Nobody says it quite like the French!

[Patchcollector]

I forgot to post backside pics of the patches!

[BEAST]

Thanks for reposting! It's a great looking group!

 

Here is a little bit of SSU 509's history from Smuckers:

 

On their way to the new assignment, Section 509 spent one night evacuating wounded from a hospital at Betz. These men were from the 1st and 2nd U.S. Divisions which had stopped the advance of the Germans at Chateau-Thierry. The Section went on to Villers Cotterets and had postes at Vertes Feuilles and Longpont. They had seen the Scotties, in their kilts, going into the lines to relieve a French division. The postes were moved up to Hartennes, and they evacuated back to Pierrefonds.

 

The Section was transferred from this sector in the first part of August. They had four men wounded and two badly gassed, during their stay at Villers Cotterets. They moved to the Montdidier Sector where there was a big drive by combined Allied forces in the Somme area. Most of their "blessés" were Moroccans, Zouaves and Senegalese from one of the prize French shock troop divisions.

 

On August 10, the Section moved to Breteuil and evacuated to Crevecoeur. Their base was at Figueres. They moved on up behind the advancing troops and their new base was at Berlancourt. The Section was kept busy in this sector until September 22, when they moved north again to Zuydcoote, beyond Dunkerque, but remained here only a short time before being ordered to the front in Belgium. Here the Section was very busy evacuating from West Rosbeke, through Ypres. In late October, they moved up to Roulers and on to Iseghern. At an advanced poste in Wacken, they learned of the Armistice.

 

The Section was relieved at Maubeuge for work in carrying food to the towns and villages. This lasted through the winter, and an order sending the Section to Boulogne looked like they were homeward bound.

[Patchcollector]

Thanks for reposting! It's a great looking group!

 

Here is a little bit of SSU 509's history from Smuckers:

 

On their way to the new assignment, Section 509 spent one night evacuating wounded from a hospital at Betz. These men were from the 1st and 2nd U.S. Divisions which had stopped the advance of the Germans at Chateau-Thierry. The Section went on to Villers Cotterets and had postes at Vertes Feuilles and Longpont. They had seen the Scotties, in their kilts, going into the lines to relieve a French division. The postes were moved up to Hartennes, and they evacuated back to Pierrefonds.

 

The Section was transferred from this sector in the first part of August. They had four men wounded and two badly gassed, during their stay at Villers Cotterets. They moved to the Montdidier Sector where there was a big drive by combined Allied forces in the Somme area. Most of their "blessés" were Moroccans, Zouaves and Senegalese from one of the prize French shock troop divisions.

 

On August 10, the Section moved to Breteuil and evacuated to Crevecoeur. Their base was at Figueres. They moved on up behind the advancing troops and their new base was at Berlancourt. The Section was kept busy in this sector until September 22, when they moved north again to Zuydcoote, beyond Dunkerque, but remained here only a short time before being ordered to the front in Belgium. Here the Section was very busy evacuating from West Rosbeke, through Ypres. In late October, they moved up to Roulers and on to Iseghern. At an advanced poste in Wacken, they learned of the Armistice.

 

The Section was relieved at Maubeuge for work in carrying food to the towns and villages. This lasted through the winter, and an order sending the Section to Boulogne looked like they were homeward bound.

 

 

 

Thanks Beast,and thank you for the great info on the unit!

 

I found something interesting while searching online.In Google books,there is a copy of the Columbia Alumni news,Vol.10,No.2 for 11 Oct. 1918

that tells more details of the German attack,and subsequent rescue by the members of S.S.U 509!

I have part of the article here,telling about a S.S.U 509 member named William Leo Johnson,who participated in the rescue along with Woodward.

 

Here is an excerpt from the article:

 

William Leo Johnson (Col.'20) Ambulance Service on his way to take his two weeks permission at Aix les Bains called at the Bureau.As he was alone I was able to get him for dinner and what he recounted to me of his own experiences would furnish material for a dozen tales of terror and adventure.He received two citations one personal the other sectional which I quote.He would have received the Croix de Guerre but was ordered away before the occasion on which the decoration was to have been delivered.

 

 

(I left out the first citation because it is in French!)

 

Continuing on,he writes:

 

The other citation was personal and sent individually to Johnson and one or two companions who did splendid work in digging into a cellar in which a company of people had taken refuge during a heavy aerial bombardment.The house above the cellar was blown up by a bomb and fell over the cellar in a mass of rubbish that suffocated all but one of the cellar refugees. Johnson's rescue work was carried through in the midst of a terrific aerial bombardment in the course of which the planes flew low and dropped bombs with deadly effect.

 

Here is the second citation:(which is what I have a photo of the hard copy in my post)

 

March 24 1918 6ieme Region

Le General Commandant

 

To the members of SSU 509 Chalons-sur-Marne in connection with the rescue work done by them under aerial bombardment from the enemy during the night of March 23 1918.First of all excuse my bad English By want of practice I have nearly forgotten all of it but I feel most happy to be still able to congratulate you for your splendid conduct during last night and the hard work you have done.Yesterday we were only good friends but now we are more than that we are real brothers.General Gomaud,Commanding the 4th Army,has especially ordered me to express to you all his most sincere thanks.

Signed General Conneau

 

 

Here is a link to the info above info:

Columbia Alumni article describing the rescue here