96th Co. 6th Marines Quantico Oct.22,1917 yardlong

[Dirk]

Ancestry.com has the Marine Muster Rolls. If you want to do serious research on the image, the investment is worth it.

[GWS]

Ancestry.com has the Marine Muster Rolls. If you want to do serious research on the image, the investment is worth it.

 

Thank you. I will check into that. It seems a worthwhile project to me.

 

[Mtlh2010]

And it makes more sense he is a Gunny since he isn't carrying a rifle like the rest....

[GWS]

After searching the USMC muster rolls for that period (Oct1-31 '17) there should be at least 3(possibly 4) Gysgt.'s in the photo along with 1stSgt. Joseph A. Sissler who was KIA June 6, 1917, the same day as Capt. Duncan. One of those Gysgt.'s should be Fred W. Stockham, who died of wounds(gas) on June 22, 1918, several days after he removed his own gas mask to put on a wounded Pvt. from the Co. For his actions that day, he was reccomended by 2ndLt. Clifton Cates for a Medal of Honor but the submitted paperwork was lost and was resubmitted again by Cates in 1938 or 1939. He was awarded the MOH on Dec. 21, 1939, over 20 years after the action took place. Only 1 photograph of Stockham is currently known to exist. My research of the photo continues.

[teufelhund]

A couple of other tidbits of information found with the aid of a magnifier: All of the M1903 rifles held by men in the front row have the Kerr-NoBuckle slings attached, all except one that has a M1907 leather sling. Does anyone know if the Kerr sling was used in Europe?

 

For sure... I personnaly unhearted about 10 in the BW sector and the same amount in the Argonne region

This is a typical gear of the USMC in Europe during WW1.

Teufelhund

 

[teufelhund]

After searching the USMC muster rolls for that period (Oct1-31 '17) there should be at least 3(possibly 4) Gysgt.'s in the photo along with 1stSgt. Joseph A. Sissler who was KIA June 6, 1917, the same day as Capt. Duncan. One of those Gysgt.'s should be Fred W. Stockham, who died of wounds(gas) on June 22, 1918, several days after he removed his own gas mask to put on a wounded Pvt. from the Co. For his actions that day, he was reccomended by 2ndLt. Clifton Cates for a Medal of Honor but the submitted paperwork was lost and was resubmitted again by Cates in 1938 or 1939. He was awarded the MOH on Dec. 21, 1939, over 20 years after the action took place. Only 1 photograph of Stockham is currently known to exist. My research of the photo continues.

 

Joseph A Sissler

Enlisted 24 September 1914 KIA June 6th 1918.

Remains buried near wheatfield in a scall clump of trees SW of Bouresches, Aisne ( department equivalent of US State) France. On top of the hill.

Grave #3. Data- taken from grave location slip submitted by chaplain Mac Nair.

Jo Sissler was killed during the same action & day as well as Capt Duncan, killed by shell fire,and was buried at Triangle Farm ( grird 176.6-259.30 on ftrench maps).

Information from col Malone 23rd inf.

During the same action.. Lt Brailsford liaison officer was KIA but MIA until July 29 when he was officialy reported dead ( muster roll)

 

Lt Robertson entered the western part of the village and turned the few men left to lieutenant Cates- Future commander of the Corps.

(history of the 96th co by Clifton B Cates).

 

Fred Stockhan SN 122793, enlisted June7-1915 was awaded the MOH for action performed during the same action,

He died at the base hospital 30 Clermont Ferrand APO 723 on June 22 1918 from mustard gas exposition.

 

Semper Fi

 

Teufelhund

[teufelhund]

 

rned the few men left to lieutenant Cates- Future commander of the Corps.

(history of the 96th co by Clifton B Cates).

 

Fred Stockhan SN 122793, enlisted June7-1915 was awaded the MOH for action performed during the same action,

He died at the base hospital 30 Clermont Ferrand APO 723 on June 22 1918 from mustard gas exposition.

 

Semper Fi

 

Teufelhund

 

Sorry for the mistake... the 96th Cy and others Cys were heavily shelled with mustard gas on June 14th 1918, the day when Fred Stockam was gassed.

From the original 264 men of the 96th who entered the battle on June 1st 1918...only 4 men remained unharmed in the Cy on June 30th.1918

All the others were evacuated as gassed or WIA or KIA

( Muster roll USMC June 1918)

Teufelhund

[GWS]

Thanks for the additional info Teufelhund. I also printed a copy of June1-June301918 muster roll for the 96th Co. and found it contained a huge amount of info reflecting the bloody battle of Belleau Wood. I am now trying to identify individuals by facial recognition on the photo I have. Much easier said than done, but I have made some progress and hope to post close-ups of id'd individuals here soon. I want to be certain that the named individuals are in fact correctly identified before doing so. I know it won't be possible to ID every member of the Co. but I'd like to find as many as possible as time permits. If anyone has photos of any member of the 96th Co. from 1917-1919 please let me know and I will try to ID them on the photo I have. Thanks.

[teufelhund]

Concerning the 96th again ... à french friend of mine unhearted, 30+ years ago, a pair of dog tags named to PVT Reagan Tubb 122836 at " la Platrière" not far from Montreuil aux Lions , Bois Grosjean ( there were then many plaster carry in the area of BW).

If you drop me your perso email by pm, I can send you some interesting infos concerning James Mattson..96th co .killed in a train accident August 17-1918.

Mattson is now buried in the Surenes cemetery, near Paris;

Regards

Teufelhund

[Popo367]

Hello GWS I haven't been in the forum in quite sometime, I am glad I found this thread. I have the same yardlong and it is also a bid faded. I believe that this was the way it was developed. The pre-deployment yardlongs are pretty rare, that I know there were 2 versions this one and there is another one that was published in Leatherneck Magazine.

https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/2008/06/96th-company-bouresches

 

Really cool story about how one of the family members took the photo out of the frame and a listing of everyone of the members in the photo was on it. What made the photo even more special was the fact that this was the first official photo of Gunny Fred Stockham that had ever been located almost 90 years after his death. You happen to have the second known photo of Stockham. Here he is your photo.

[Popo367]

GWS your yardlong is a heck of a lot darker and clearer than mine could you post a better pic of Stockham please.

[GWS]

GWS your yardlong is a heck of a lot darker and clearer than mine could you post a better pic of Stockham please.

 

I am going to do an "update" on my photo and will certainly include a closeup of Gysgt. Stockham. Been trying to ID everyone in the photo but that is proving to be near impossible as there are no known photos of many that I can find. Even some of those I have photos of I can't positively ID on my photo. Will update soon.

[GWS]

Popo367----Tried to send a PM to you today, is your mailbox full?

[Popo367]

That sucker was all full, go ahead and send it now.

 

Enrique

[2ndTo None]

Here is the first known photo of GySgt Fred W Stockham. This is cropped from the Oct 1917 96th Co pano by Fred Schutz, from my grandfather's pano he bought in Nov 1917 at Quantico. In your Oct 22, 1917 pano, Enrique ID Stockham in your photo, the man 2nd to the left of Stockham is my grandfather, Noyes V Moore, a Cpl at this time. Also, the man you referred to as "Tiny" is Sgt Ernest W Wolf. Wolf was gassed at Belleau Wood June 14, 1918 but did survive the war. A correction about Cates. Cates served in the 96th Co from it's beginning August 28, 1917 through May 3, 1919. In May he was transferred to the 3rd Army Composite Regiment to parade in Paris, London, NY and DC. Pershing himself selected Cates for the job. The Muster Rolls on ancestry.com list many men of the 96th Co as being in the 80th Co but if you look at the actually pages, it says 96th Co on them. When the Muster Rolls of the 96th were scanned for ancestry, it must have been done on a Friday and they were anxious to get out of work that day!!

The GySgt first row 1st man - that is Edward C Fowler. He was transferred to the 78th Co I believe in May 1918. He would be awarded the DSC while serving with the 78th.

My copy of this Oct 22, 1917 pano is like this one, of very poor quality. Hard to believe there isn't a better copy of this anywhere. But, it's the best we have right now.

[2ndTo None]

The officers of the 96th Company in your photo are; 1st Lt George B Lockhart, 1st Lt James F Robertson, Captain Donald F Duncan, 2nd Lt John D Bowling, 2nd Lt Clifton B Cates and 2nd Lt Thomas R Brailsford.

Lockhart was transferred in May 1918, Robertson and Bowling were seriously wounded, each twice, and sent back to the states before the war ended. Duncan and Brailsford were both killed June 6, 1918 during the attack on Bouresches.

[C. Roelens]

Outstanding thread! Thanks for posting.

 

Chuck

[GWS]

2nd to None---Thanks for the additional identification, I had pretty well ID'd the officers on my photo but your additional info nails it down. I'll send you a PM soon and will try to find your grandfather on my photo. Thanks.

[GWS]

2nd to None---Thanks for the additional identification, I had pretty well ID'd the officers on my photo but your additional info nails it down. I'll send you a PM soon and will try to find your grandfather on my photo. Thanks.

[2ndTo None]

Right to left - Cpl Noyes V Moore, Cpl Stanley R Williams and GySgt Fred W Stockham

 

[GWS]

2nd To None---Wow! You already had him picked out, and here I was getting all geared up to "find" your grandfather on my photo! Just kidding of course, I have a copy of the Leatherneck magazine article "Until Now" but the photos reproduce very very poorly so I wouldn't have been able to ID him or anyone else for that matter. Thanks to your help I've added 4 more names of identified individuals to my photo. I''ll send you a PM a little later on this. Thanks again.

[Chip]

Hello all,

 

I'm new here and while looking around I found this thread. My great uncle, Walter Wehrle, was in the 96th in the attack on June 6th at Bouresches. He was wounded in the forearm by MG fire. I remember, as a kid, seeing the large gouge the wound left there.

 

Seeing these unit photos made me wonder if he might appear in any of them. I have a few photos of him, one during training, and a few when he returned home, still in uniform and and still with his arm bandaged up. If someone is willing to see if they can identify him in the photos, I could post the pictures I have.

 

Thanks,

Chip

[devildog34]

Hello all,

 

I'm new here and while looking around I found this thread. My great uncle, Walter Wehrle, was in the 96th in the attack on June 6th at Bouresches. He was wounded in the forearm by MG fire. I remember, as a kid, seeing the large gouge the wound left there.

 

Seeing these unit photos made me wonder if he might appear in any of them. I have a few photos of him, one during training, and a few when he returned home, still in uniform and and still with his arm bandaged up. If someone is willing to see if they can identify him in the photos, I could post the pictures I have.

 

Thanks,

Chip

 

Hey Chip I sent you a message to your inbox. I think I can help you.

Semper Fi

[teufelhund]

Walter WEHRLE #123011

Enlisted June 21st 1917

96th Co

Wounded in action June 6th 1918

Transfered on June 26th to a replacement Organisation.

Joined BD ( Base Depot ??) New York in December 1918

[scmcgeorge]

I second Teufelhund RE: Kerr slings in France, have seen metal parts come out of the ground in Argonne. Steve McG