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One of my American Field Service Groups


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Inside of the helmet. The helmet was orignailly horizon blue but had been overpainted mustard by the time it was issued to Gilger. I'm not a Francophile and am not familar with the histiory of the french divisions, Gilger's section came in contact with.

 

According to the summary of Section 69 from Volume II of the History of the American Field Service;

 

Section 69 came into being on July 13, 1917 at May-en-Multien, going to the French parc at Saint-Martin D'Ablois to get the French Fiat ambulances which were assigned to it. On july 23 it left via Saint-Dizier and Bar-le-Duc, for Issoncourt. On September 7 it moved to Glorieux, near Verdun evacuating to hospitals at Landrecourt, Souilly, Souhesme and Fleury-sur-Aire. From Sept. 14 to 19th it was at Genicourt in the Mouilly sector. Then it was at Mirecourt and Jussecourt en repos for eight days, from where it went back to posts at Verdun- Vacherauville, Bras, Carrie des Anglais and La Fourche. It left Glourieux on October 18 to en repos at Chardogne, near Bar-leDuc, were it was recruited by United States officeial. Subsequently it was amalgamated with Section 26 and renumbered Section 638 of the U.S.A. Ambulance Service.

post-3356-1213984362.jpg

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Croix de Guerre
AND...... you have a picture of the man! thumbsup.gif Excellent assortment. Museums eat your heart out. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks alot, I was hesitant to post at first but this has been fun!

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Another EXCELLENT group. And no, I don't say that often. These are groups I would love to add to my personal collection - just absolutely super, one of a kind groups!!!

 

Thanks for posting!

 

Dave

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Croix de Guerre

A guy emailed me and asked me to show all the items together so here you go, this is the best I can do for now, one day I'll try and get it all on one table,,,,,yes this is all ID'd to one man. And, thank you all for the wonderful comments. it certainly is a pleasure to share.

post-3356-1214064611.jpg

post-3356-1214064627.jpg

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River Patrol

One of the best American Field Service Groups I've seen!!

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Croix de Guerre

One of the benefits of research can be solving a mystery that leads to more research.

 

The second trunk that came with the Gilger group has the name "Florence McLaughlin" and under that "King Bee Company" painted on the lid. The "King Bee Company" has been painted over but you can still make it out. I quickly figured out that Florence was the wife of my AFS man, but the mystery was what was this King Bee Company?

After a little searching about I determined that the King Bee Company was the King Bee Film Company that made short comic films back in the silent picture days. A quick search of the Internet Movie database revealed that Lewis's wife Florence had starred in over 32 short films by 1918! Florence was a bit player at best but she had acted alongside a very young boy from Georgia named nicknamed "Babe"! This was before "Babe" Oliver Hardy went west with Mack Sennett and was teamed up with Stan Laural. My thoughts were how the heck did Lewis and Florence meet?

Well it turns out that at the time of the First World War, most American films were made in New York City, but in the winter months the film companies would relocate to Jacksonville Florida. Guess who was assigned to Camp Joe Johnston in Jacksonville Florida? You guessed it, our hero Lewis was!

 

Check out his link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0572317/

 

I have some photos of Florence much later on in life but I have not been able to find a photo of her as a young actress. I've posted inquires on some silent picture forums but no luck so far.

post-3356-1214411667.jpg

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Croix de Guerre
One of the benefits of research can be solving a mystery that leads to more research.

 

The second trunk that came with the Gilger group has the name "Florence McLaughlin" and under that "King Bee Company" painted on the lid. The "King Bee Company" has been painted over but you can still make it out. I quickly figured out that Florence was the wife of my AFS man, but the mystery was what was this King Bee Company?

After a little searching about I determined that the King Bee Company was the King Bee Film Company that made short comic films back in the silent picture days. A quick search of the Internet Movie database revealed that Lewis's wife Florence had starred in over 32 short films by 1918! Florence was a bit player at best but she had acted alongside a very young boy from Georgia named nicknamed "Babe"! This was before "Babe" Oliver Hardy went west with Mack Sennett and was teamed up with Stan Laural. My thoughts were how the heck did Lewis and Florence meet?

Well it turns out that at the time of the First World War, most American films were made in New York City, but in the winter months the film companies would relocate to Jacksonville Florida. Guess who was assigned to Camp Joe Johnston in Jacksonville Florida? You guessed it, our hero Lewis was!

 

Check out his link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0572317/

 

I have some photos of Florence much later on in life but I have not been able to find a photo of her as a young actress. I've posted inquires on some silent picture forums but no luck so far.

Here are Lewis and Florence in their twilight years.

post-3356-1214414088.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
Croix de Guerre
Hi, First time posting here. I've enjoyed looking at all the other groups I thought I might share one of mine.

These are a few photos of a two trunk group in my collection identified to a man who served as a volunteer ambulance driver in the American Field Service Section 69. He served through the spring/summer/fall of 1917 and then returned home to join the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the Motor Transport Corp and served out the majority of his time in Jacksonville, Fla and never made it back overseas, (hence the baby blue overseas stripe).

 

The group consisits of his AFS cotton uniform, converted US Army overcoat, french helmet, shoes, french made leather leggings, sewing kit, eating utensils, coin purses, letters, photos, Wilson Sporting Goods sleeping mattress, ect. ect. All in his AFS footlocker.

 

The second trunk has all of his US Army gear; Officers campaign hat, visor cap, helmet, overcoat, Five diferent uniforms, leather leggings, puttees, Sam Browne belt, etc., etc.

 

I just thought you all might enjoy seeing this stuff. There were only around 2000 or so men who served in the AFS so as you can imagine this stuff is pretty hard to come by.

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  • 1 year later...
Croix de Guerre

I just finished a bio on this man for a small publication and I thought I'd share it here.

 

A Brief Biography Of Lewis Chapman Gilger Volunteer Ambulance Driver with the American Field Service In

World War One

 

 

Lewis Chapman Gilger was born in Seattle, Washington on July 14, 1893. He was the first child of William and Sarah Carroll Gilger. Soon after his birth the Gilger family, relocated to Norwalk, Ohio where Lewis’s father opened a thriving jewelry business. The Gilger family grew again on November 20, 1895 with the birth of little brother William Carrol Jr.

After graduating from Norwalk High School and two years at Kenyon, Lewis enrolled at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Following his graduation in 1915, he then entered Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the spring of 1917, cutting short his second year of Law, Lewis along with his younger brother William who was attending Yale, joined the American Field Service to serve as volunteer ambulance drivers for the French army.

 

The American Field Service was an all volunteer organization comprised primarily of college educated young men who felt compelled to help defend France against German aggression and tyranny.

 

The American ambulance service were organized under the French abbreviation Section Sanitaire Units or S.S.U. and given a numeric designation. Each section would then be assigned to a French division. Field Service volunteers were strictly viewed as non-combatants although they were paid the same as French infantrymen and they were expected to follow military courtesy and regulations. The men had to pay for their own passage to France and to provide for their own uniform.

 

Lewis and William arrived in Bordeaux, France on July 3 and were initially attached to Section 21 before being permanently assigned to Section 69. According to Gilger’s diary, they received their baptism of fire on August 20, 1917 when the division to which they were attached moved forward toward the slaughter house at Verdun.

 

Although they served as non-combatant ambulance drivers, the men of the Field Service operated right up on the front lines, driving their ambulances through artillery barrages and poison gas attacks and many of these young men were killed in the service of France.

 

By the fall of 1917, the United States had finally been drawn into the war and the American volunteers were being pressured to either join the newly arriving American army or to leave France. At the same time Lewis had the unnerving pleasure of reading his own death notice that had been erroneously reported in a Boston newspaper.

Lewis resigned from the French army and sailed back to the U.S. aboard the S.S. Rochambeau in November, 1917. After spending the Christmas holidays with his family, he enlisted in the United States Army in February of 1918 and quickly rose through the ranks to receive a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. During his training period as an officer with the US Motor Transport Corp he was assigned to Camp Joe Johnston in Jacksonville Florida.

 

Jacksonville at this time was considered to be the “Winter Film Capital of the World” as the fledgling New York film industry would spend the winter months in the warm climate of Florida. It was there that Lewis; a young dashing Lieutenant met and fell in love with Florence McLauglin, a young comedic actress who by 1918 had 32 short films to her credit with the King Bee Film Studio. Florence appeared in many films opposite a young country boy from Georgia known as “Babe” that world would soon know and love as Oliver Hardy.

 

The First World War ended on November 11, 1918 with Lewis still assigned to stateside duties and by the spring of 1919 Gilger was discharged from the army and soon after married his sweetheart.

 

The newlyweds returned to Lewis’s hometown of Norwalk, Ohio where he resumed his studies at Western Reserve receiving his law degree in 1922. That same year he joined the Corporate Trust Department of the Union Trust Company and in 1933 changed to the City Bank of Cleveland, Ohio. He was made vice-president of the bank’s trust department in 1937 and served in that capacity until his death on November 30, 1959 at the age of 68. He was survived by his wife Florence, a son Dr. William Gilger, a daughter Mrs. Sara Barnes, his mother and his brother William. Lewis rests in the Gilger Family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Norwalk Ohio.

post-3356-1267095776.jpg

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Croix de Guerre
I just finished a bio on this man for a small publication and I thought I'd share it here.

 

A Brief Biography Of Lewis Chapman Gilger Volunteer Ambulance Driver with the American Field Service In

World War One

Lewis Chapman Gilger was born in Seattle, Washington on July 14, 1893. He was the first child of William and Sarah Carroll Gilger. Soon after his birth the Gilger family, relocated to Norwalk, Ohio where Lewis’s father opened a thriving jewelry business. The Gilger family grew again on November 20, 1895 with the birth of little brother William Carrol Jr.

After graduating from Norwalk High School and two years at Kenyon, Lewis enrolled at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Following his graduation in 1915, he then entered Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the spring of 1917, cutting short his second year of Law, Lewis along with his younger brother William who was attending Yale, joined the American Field Service to serve as volunteer ambulance drivers for the French army.

 

The American Field Service was an all volunteer organization comprised primarily of college educated young men who felt compelled to help defend France against German aggression and tyranny.

 

The American ambulance service were organized under the French abbreviation Section Sanitaire Units or S.S.U. and given a numeric designation. Each section would then be assigned to a French division. Field Service volunteers were strictly viewed as non-combatants although they were paid the same as French infantrymen and they were expected to follow military courtesy and regulations. The men had to pay for their own passage to France and to provide for their own uniform.

 

Lewis and William arrived in Bordeaux, France on July 3 and were initially attached to Section 21 before being permanently assigned to Section 69. According to Gilger’s diary, they received their baptism of fire on August 20, 1917 when the division to which they were attached moved forward toward the slaughter house at Verdun.

 

Although they served as non-combatant ambulance drivers, the men of the Field Service operated right up on the front lines, driving their ambulances through artillery barrages and poison gas attacks and many of these young men were killed in the service of France.

 

By the fall of 1917, the United States had finally been drawn into the war and the American volunteers were being pressured to either join the newly arriving American army or to leave France. At the same time Lewis had the unnerving pleasure of reading his own death notice that had been erroneously reported in a Boston newspaper.

Lewis resigned from the French army and sailed back to the U.S. aboard the S.S. Rochambeau in November, 1917. After spending the Christmas holidays with his family, he enlisted in the United States Army in February of 1918 and quickly rose through the ranks to receive a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. During his training period as an officer with the US Motor Transport Corp he was assigned to Camp Joe Johnston in Jacksonville Florida.

 

Jacksonville at this time was considered to be the “Winter Film Capital of the World” as the fledgling New York film industry would spend the winter months in the warm climate of Florida. It was there that Lewis; a young dashing Lieutenant met and fell in love with Florence McLauglin, a young comedic actress who by 1918 had 32 short films to her credit with the King Bee Film Studio. Florence appeared in many films opposite a young country boy from Georgia known as “Babe” that world would soon know and love as Oliver Hardy.

 

The First World War ended on November 11, 1918 with Lewis still assigned to stateside duties and by the spring of 1919 Gilger was discharged from the army and soon after married his sweetheart.

 

The newlyweds returned to Lewis’s hometown of Norwalk, Ohio where he resumed his studies at Western Reserve receiving his law degree in 1922. That same year he joined the Corporate Trust Department of the Union Trust Company and in 1933 changed to the City Bank of Cleveland, Ohio. He was made vice-president of the bank’s trust department in 1937 and served in that capacity until his death on November 30, 1959 at the age of 68. He was survived by his wife Florence, a son Dr. William Gilger, a daughter Mrs. Sara Barnes, his mother and his brother William. Lewis rests in the Gilger Family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Norwalk Ohio.

post-3356-1267095816.jpg

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Hi!! What to say except Your collection is outstanding!! Great material with great soldier's stories!

 

just amazing again, Yannick :thumbsup:

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Very nice grouping! Below is a picture of medals that came with a 1920s Army Medical Corps officer's uniform. He had served as an ambulance commander with the Field Service in WW-I. The Cd'G has, in addition to the typical French double pin back, a "dumbbell" type parade mount.

 

post-1107-1267201997.jpg

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Croix de Guerre
Very nice grouping! Below is a picture of medals that came with a 1920s Army Medical Corps officer's uniform. He had served as an ambulance commander with the Field Service in WW-I. The Cd'G has, in addition to the typical French double pin back, a "dumbbell" type parade mount.

 

post-1107-1267201997.jpg

 

 

WOW! :w00t: Great group of medals! Thanks for sharing them with us! :thumbsup:

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  • 1 year later...
Croix de Guerre
Very nice grouping! Below is a picture of medals that came with a 1920s Army Medical Corps officer's uniform. He had served as an ambulance commander with the Field Service in WW-I. The Cd'G has, in addition to the typical French double pin back, a "dumbbell" type parade mount.

 

post-1107-1267201997.jpg

 

 

Do you have the name of this AFS man? Thanks again for sharing the image with us.

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  • 1 month later...
Patchcollector

Magnificent stuff!From what I've read a lot of the personnel from these units were involved in the arts;writers,actors,musicians,etc..,

and they were INCREDIBLY brave.I could not imagine driving into the hell that was the WW1 frontlines unarmed,with machine gun nests,poison gas

and all the other stuff from that nasty war around me,wow...a salute to those brave souls who faced that day in and day out! :salute:

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Croix de Guerre
Magnificent stuff!From what I've read a lot of the personnel from these units were involved in the arts;writers,actors,musicians,etc..,

and they were INCREDIBLY brave.I could not imagine driving into the hell that was the WW1 frontlines unarmed,with machine gun nests,poison gas

and all the other stuff from that nasty war around me,wow...a salute to those brave souls who faced that day in and day out! :salute:

 

Thanks Patch! The WWI Volunteer Ambulance material is addicting! :lol:

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  • 5 months later...

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