Company “B”, 107th Machine Gun Battalion, 28th Division

[kanemono]

This is a group to Robert T. Chester who was born in Sunbury Pennsylvania on June 23, 1890. Chester worked as a Chauffeur before enlisting into the 28^th Division on July 19, 1917. He was assigned to serve in Company ”F”, 4^th Infantry, Pennsylvania National Guard which became Company “B”, 107^th Machine Gun Battalion “motorized” when the 28^th Division was called into Federal service for World War One. The Battalion trained at Camp Hancock, Georgia before being sent to Fort Upton, New York for final preparation to be sent overseas. Chester sailed with the Battalion from Pier 6, New York City on the City of Calcutta, a British single stack freighter equipped with a single 3-inch gun as protection against submarines. During a heavy storm the ship was separated from the convoy and arrived at Liverpool, England on May 16, 1918. After crossing the English Channel the battalion landed in Calais, France then proceeded to Longeville, France where they trained with the British. The battalion marched across France and at Gonnesse and on June 15th they were issued Ford trucks and Hotchkiss M1914 machine guns. Chester and the battalion received their first taste of German shell fire at LaMeulliers on July 6, 1918. The division took part in the battle of Battle of Chateau-Thierry where the main force of the Germans collided with the 28^th Division resulting in a decisive defeat of the German forces. Chester and the107th Machine Gun Battalion took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive with the American Expeditionary Forces. On October 1^st at Apremont the battalion took up defensive positions at 6:00 A.M., eight machine guns of Company A and two of Company B repulsed a heavy German attack inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Two men were killed and twenty-five were wounded and gassed. Apremont was a German railhead and bitterly contested. A savage counterattack was made by the Germans and for a time succeeded but was repulsed. On October 2^nd the battalion remained in position pouring heavy machine gun fire into the Germans. Chester was severely wounded along with thirteen other men. Chester recovered from his wound and continued to serve with the battalion in France until May 4, 1919 when they embarked on the mail boat USS Callameres at St. Nazaire, France and arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey, on May 14, 1919. The battalion was discharged from the service at Camp Dix, New Jersey on May 22, 1919. After the war Chester worked as a silk dyer at the Sunbury Converting Works in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Robert T. Chester died in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1959. Robert T. Chester's Purple Heart is officially engraved,numbered and has a slot brooch. The photograph with the Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun

is from the history of Company “B”, 107^th Machine Gun Battalion.

Dick

 

 

 

 

 

[kanemono]

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[mhalstead1950]

Awesome Group, that is going to display well. Nice find!

[Sully]

Amazing group and a bit dear to my heart as I collect 28th Division and I was born in Sunbury, PA.

[David D]

Beautiful group! Great history

[aerialbridge]

Well done. The photos are the icing on an already nice group. Thank you.

[BigJohn#3RD]

Dick,

 

Excellent story about one of our hero's who fought in the Great War; hard to believe that the US signed up 100 years ago last Friday, April 6th, 1917. Well executed display of the corporal's medals, pictures and insignia as well. Thanks for sharing with us and keeping the memory of one more veteran who shed his blood for our freedom and others.

John

[katieony]

Very nicely researched and presented.

[dramos]

Wonderful grouping. Thank you for sharing his story.

[jagjetta]

Dick,

I absolutely am THRILLED when I see you post something from your collection. Your level of research and commitment has often inspired me to "slow down" on acquisition and "speed up" on researching and writing.

 

Thank you, so much, for caring enough to write down the histories of these relics and to share them with all of us.

 

John A-G

[sgormley]

Dear Dick,

Thank you for posting this to this website where it is easy to find.  I was thrilled and brought to tears by Robert Chester's story and the photos.  The reason for my emotional reaction is that my grandfather, Charles Edward Newbury, was a member of Company B 107th Machine Gun Battalion during WWI.  He passed away before I was born so I never knew him and had only a few stories and a couple of photos.  Especially missing were any details about his WWI service,  When I became a family historian I found some documents, but nothing that brought his time with the 107th to life like your posting.

Again, thank you so very much for filling in some of his life for his family that we can pass onto more of his descendants.

Sincerely,

Stephany