Post Your Span-Am to WW I Full-Length Soldier Photos

[world war I nerd]

No date, place or name on this one of a soldier holding a Russian Mosian-Nagant rifle. At first I thought that maybe he was a Home or State Guard, but he's wearing U.S, and Infantry collar discs. State and Home guard units were not allowed to wear U.S. Army insignia.

[world war I nerd]

4th Balloon Company anti-aircraft machine gun emplacement, France, 1918.

 

Closer view of the men and MG.

[world war I nerd]

Another, or possibly the same, 4th Balloon Company MG and crew.

[world war I nerd]

I don't mean to belabor this point or dwell on the grisly nature of this type of photo, but I encountered another "human boneyard" image mixed in with a group of 4th Balloon Company photos. Without success, I'm really trying to understand what these so-called "boneyards" were and why American Doughboys seemed to visit them as if they were tourist attractions.

 

Does anybody have any theories on this unusual topic? If so, please expound.

[US Victory Museum]

No date, place or name on this one of a soldier holding a Russian Mosian-Nagant rifle. At first I thought that maybe he was a Home or State Guard, but he's wearing U.S, and Infantry collar discs. State and Home guard units were not allowed to wear U.S. Army insignia.

Re: Post # 693

 

Two American companies were contracted by Tsarists Russia to produce Mosian-Nagant rifles ( c. 1915 ):

Remington-UMC and New England-Westinghouse.

 

In Feb. 1917 the Reds overthrew the Romanov dynasty at which point all contract deliveries ceased.

The US Government, on the eve of our own entry into the Great War, bailed out these two arms makers

by purchasing remaining undelivered inventory.

 

Those firearms were subsequently issued to National Guard forces, State Guard forces, and US Army troops

for training purposes. After the war, they were surplussed and sold to American (civilian) buyers.

 

Msn

[RustyCanteen]

Another, or possibly the same, 4th Balloon Company MG and crew.

 

French 8mm Lebel Hotchkiss (used by many US units), UK gas masks, and the guy in the center with the overseas cap appears to be wearing a UK P-07 service coat! What an image!

[Dragoon]

Here are some artillery to start with.

 

 

[Dragoon]

Another artilleryman

[Dragoon]

Some unidentified infantry.

 

[Dragoon]

Another

[Dragoon]

All's Well

 

[Dragoon]

This is a great photo

[Dragoon]

13th Pennsylvania 1916.

 

[Dragoon]

Last but not least one of my favourite photos from my collection, again the 13th Pennsylvania. Not sure what the soldier on the left is hiding in his sweater, love his wooly chaps.

[world war I nerd]

Dragoon, great stuff! Thanks for posting.

[world war I nerd]

This photo of this mounted Coast Artillery officer is date May 30, 1905.

 

Close up of the officer's Coast Artillery collar brass, 1904 Officers 1902 0r 1905 Service Hat and 1904 Service Coat without the officer's cuff band, which was not adopted until 1907.

[world war I nerd]

WW I era Red Cross volunteer. Sadly, there is no ID for this photo.

 

A better look at the upper half of the Red Cross coat and cap.

[world war I nerd]

An unidentified 28th Division Engineer circa 1918 - 1919.

 

A closer view of the Engineer's insignia and shoulder patch.

[world war I nerd]

Homeward bound men of the 29th Division. No details on either the unit or the troop ship on which they sailed.

 

In this cropped view you can better see the blue and gray 29th Division shoulder patches worn by the troops.

[world war I nerd]

A very cool June 1918 dated press photo showing wounded German POWs receiving medical treatment. The image shows six German POW's, one of whom is a medic, and a number of AEF personnel.

 

A few of the interesting details visible in this picture are:

 

• The Yank standing behind the German on a stretcher is wearing the 1917 Mounted Slicker which has been modified by the addition of a matching belt.
• The German on the stretcher is wearing issued eye glasses which are held in place by springs looped around the ears.
• Three of the Americans are wearing cloth helmet covers, one of which bears the Latin cross of a Catholic or Christian chaplain.
• One of the American steel helmets appears to have the initials A.R.C. painted on the front. Presumably the initials represent the American Red Cross.
• Also of interest is the brimless campaign hat with extra ventilation holes worn by the kneeling soldier to the left of the chaplain.

 

Cloth helmet covers and the "A.R.C." painted helmet.

 

Cloth cover with the chaplain's insignia and the German's eye glasses.

 

Larger views of the chaplain and A.R.C. helmets.

 

I suppose I should stick in a close up of the 1917 Mounted Slicker with the non-regulation waist belt, along with the very well ventilated, cut-down campaign hat. The 1917 Mounted Slicker is easily identified by the large patch pocket below the waist on the right side of the coat. The patch pocket was omitted from the 1918 Raincoat that replaced the mounted slicker.

 

Take a look at the gasmask satchel worn by the guy wearing the mounted slicker. It has been inked with the name "J. Salmon". I think that he might also be a member of the American Red Cross, because he appears to be handing out cigarettes. He may have a party-size box of "tailor-made" smokes in his left hand and and several loose cigarettes in his right hand.

[jweitkamp]

The painted helmet is actually K of C- Knights of Columbus.

[teufelhund]

4th Division men guarding a railroad in Germany in 1919. One of whom is wearing a fully loaded cartridge belt for the Browning Automatic Rifle.

This is likely the REMAGEN BRIDGE ( Ludendorf Bridge), recaptured 26 years later by their sons in the 9th Armored division on March 7th 1945.

[teufelhund]

[teufelhund]

[world war I nerd]

Jweitkamp, before posting, I debated whether the initials on the helmet were "A.R.C." or "K.C." I probably should have posted that the helmet marking could have been either one.

 

Teufelhund, it looks like you nailed the location of the WW I BAR team ... Great detective work!