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Let's see some WW1 93rd Division items !!


Eric Queen
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I have always for this unit to be historically interesting. Four (4) African American infantry regiments (369/370/371/372) who were attached to the French 157th (Red Hand) Infantry Division. I only have a couple of related items but would love to see more. I think Bugme (Scott) picked up a super camo helmet at one point. 

93rd DIV.jpg

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This is my latest 93rd, found in France many years ago.  The fellow was from Michigan, and wounded at Bussy Farm (along with most of the officers and NCOs of Company I) in September 1918. 

 

image.png.61a0277598b65f8d6125313cc479cc5d.png

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This is not an item I have, but the monument to Elbert Curtis Baker, Co E, 371st Infantry, is something I have been looking after for sometime.  The cross is located in the Easton Cemetery, Easton, PA and about a 5 minute walk from my house. His grave was not marked with a bronze marker or flag, which is somewhat surprising since the local VFW is named after him.  After stumbling on his graveCapture.JPG.6cc0513b88472e0672064e5a10c4413e.JPG by accident, I acquired a marker and a flag to place on his grave.  Lt Baker is physically buried in France. 

 

This letter from another officer in Baker's company.

“I was not with Elbert when he fell — we were advancing across a field swept by artillery and machine guns, and he was on the right of the company while I was on the left, but his platoon sergeant reported to me that he had been instantly killed,” he wrote. “As soon as possible, I sent a patrol out to carry him to the aid station if he was wounded, or to bring his body if he was dead. He was found lying just as he fell, with only one wound, a machine gun bullet in the region of his heart — his body was not mutilated at all.  

Ardeuil Map.JPG

IMG_7240.jpg

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Bonjour.

Monument located in the vicinity of the former NATO base of Séchault. It's not me in the picture.

 

Monument du 371st Infantry Regiment 93rd Division

 

https://www.google.fr/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnicokubel.blogspot.com%2F2018%2F08%2Fmonument-du-371st-infantry-regiment.html&psig=AOvVaw2O0qk8Fiy6mVuS1EnCooSM&ust=1645732904843000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCOjH3v7OlvYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK

 

653123848_franckmonument.jpg.ead2815daf811d5758723675f7e08814.jpg

 

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  • 1 year later...

Greetings! 

 

Figure I would toss my 369th grouping in this thread for kicks, its been shared around in several forums but I really enjoy talking about it!

 

The uniform of 1st Lieutenant Otto Ade Arnston

acting Company Commander of

Company "F" 369th Infantry Regiment:

 

D64BBC76-C72E-4219-B46C-9466EC0F640C.jpeg.58157a4a1ff141dccaca0f390d3bdb72.jpeg

Otto's officer's uniform. I had to do restoration work on finding medals and insignia which was absent 

from the tunic. The award loops, patch and chevrons are original to the uniform. Everything else 

had to be outsourced

 

2122CE93-2855-43A4-BE7C-1865654FA8B8.jpeg.08e45ae72ad87339df02dc348d748303.jpeg

Otto's name on the inside of the tunic's liner

 

EAAD2324-DCEC-436C-952B-04C9E6E4D643.jpeg.0cbf97a9324139627fc0ab81a687d03b.jpeg

Lt. Otto's trousers. He was reported as having been 6'3" tall 

earning him the nickname "Honest Abe" by his Battalion Commander

 

I have quite a pile of information on Lt. Otto and I have shared his story in several threads previously so I will give a quick rundown of his service:

 

A Chicago native and the son of two Norwegian immigrants, Otto was born in 1885 and served in the Illinois National Guard as a private from 1908 to 1916. Otto was activated during the Illinois Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and the Mexican Border Intervention. Drafted in 1917 Otto was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the newly formed 15th New York National Guard Regiment and participated in every major action the outfit was involved in during World War One. 

 

32F9F3F0-F60B-441C-911F-9683970F27D4.jpeg.a4275134ecf3dcbd0d762e2128cb4acc.jpeg

The bullion patch on Lt. Otto's tunic. From my research this version of the "rattler" patch worn by the 369th was 

theater made due to very early photographic evidence of men wearing the patch immediately following the regiment's 

return from Europe

 

73CF41AA-27F4-4B82-B765-823307495CD8.jpeg.32f4152d1dc9a79e8e33291299b48c06.jpeg

Colonel Hayward, Commanding Officer of the 369th, and another officer sporting the 

bullion variant of patch immediately after returning from France, February 1919.

Note the similar attachment devices as on Lt. Otto's tunic

 

8B29D07F-B5D3-4E74-9B0D-A7817BB7C35F.jpeg.6482373f62b0786b417ce989ed18f76e.jpeg

A comparison between the previous photo and the patch seen

on Lt. Otto's uniform

 

During the 15th's (later designated as the 369th Infantry Regiment) taking of the French town of Sechault in September 1918, Lt. Otto was severely wounded in his right shoulder from a German machine gun burst and was taken off the line. While awaiting treatment for his wounds his hospital came under a German gas attack which worsened his condition. Thankfully Lt. Otto recovered from his wounds and was present for the 369th's Regimental awards ceremony in December 1918 where he was awarded the French Croix De Guerre with palm for his actions. 

 

IMG_1046.jpg.41fad4c09f27580e339f5d554246bfa0.jpg

"From Harlem to the Rhine" Pg. 372

Lt. Otto is second from the top and marked as a recipient

of the French Croix De Guerre

 

70D2DBC5-94A0-4119-A355-E8CAE81F6D05.jpeg.2cd796ac62d0f0fda7fbc51e9de3d8aa.jpeg

Otto Arnston in a 1935 dated image while he was Adjutant of

American Legion Post #15, Oak Park IL

 

After returning from France Otto worked as a lawyer in Chicago and had a son who served in World War Two. He would pass away New Years Eve of 1971 at the age of 86 in Oak Park Illinois.

 

Still actively doing research on this Hellfighter but it is truly an honor to own such a set. I have been in touch with Otto's relatives who still live in the Chicago area. Hope you all enjoy!

 

Best Regards,

-J.D.

 

 

 

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1st Sgt CES
On 2/20/2022 at 12:28 PM, Eric Queen said:

I have always for this unit to be historically interesting. Four (4) African American infantry regiments (369/370/371/372) who were attached to the French 157th (Red Hand) Infantry Division. I only have a couple of related items but would love to see more. I think Bugme (Scott) picked up a super camo helmet at one point. 

93rd DIV.jpg

Great Photos and patches !!!!!!!!!

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On 2/25/2023 at 12:20 PM, UnteroffizierFSAR9 said:

Greetings! 

 

Figure I would toss my 369th grouping in this thread for kicks, its been shared around in several forums but I really enjoy talking about it!

 

The uniform of 1st Lieutenant Otto Ade Arnston

acting Company Commander of

Company "F" 369th Infantry Regiment:

 

D64BBC76-C72E-4219-B46C-9466EC0F640C.jpeg.58157a4a1ff141dccaca0f390d3bdb72.jpeg

Otto's officer's uniform. I had to do restoration work on finding medals and insignia which was absent 

from the tunic. The award loops, patch and chevrons are original to the uniform. Everything else 

had to be outsourced

 

2122CE93-2855-43A4-BE7C-1865654FA8B8.jpeg.08e45ae72ad87339df02dc348d748303.jpeg

Otto's name on the inside of the tunic's liner

 

EAAD2324-DCEC-436C-952B-04C9E6E4D643.jpeg.0cbf97a9324139627fc0ab81a687d03b.jpeg

Lt. Otto's trousers. He was reported as having been 6'3" tall 

earning him the nickname "Honest Abe" by his Battalion Commander

 

I have quite a pile of information on Lt. Otto and I have shared his story in several threads previously so I will give a quick rundown of his service:

 

A Chicago native and the son of two Norwegian immigrants, Otto was born in 1885 and served in the Illinois National Guard as a private from 1908 to 1916. Otto was activated during the Illinois Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and the Mexican Border Intervention. Drafted in 1917 Otto was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the newly formed 15th New York National Guard Regiment and participated in every major action the outfit was involved in during World War One. 

 

32F9F3F0-F60B-441C-911F-9683970F27D4.jpeg.a4275134ecf3dcbd0d762e2128cb4acc.jpeg

The bullion patch on Lt. Otto's tunic. From my research this version of the "rattler" patch worn by the 369th was 

theater made due to very early photographic evidence of men wearing the patch immediately following the regiment's 

return from Europe

 

73CF41AA-27F4-4B82-B765-823307495CD8.jpeg.32f4152d1dc9a79e8e33291299b48c06.jpeg

Colonel Hayward, Commanding Officer of the 369th, and another officer sporting the 

bullion variant of patch immediately after returning from France, February 1919.

Note the similar attachment devices as on Lt. Otto's tunic

 

8B29D07F-B5D3-4E74-9B0D-A7817BB7C35F.jpeg.6482373f62b0786b417ce989ed18f76e.jpeg

A comparison between the previous photo and the patch seen

on Lt. Otto's uniform

 

During the 15th's (later designated as the 369th Infantry Regiment) taking of the French town of Sechault in September 1918, Lt. Otto was severely wounded in his right shoulder from a German machine gun burst and was taken off the line. While awaiting treatment for his wounds his hospital came under a German gas attack which worsened his condition. Thankfully Lt. Otto recovered from his wounds and was present for the 369th's Regimental awards ceremony in December 1918 where he was awarded the French Croix De Guerre with palm for his actions. 

 

IMG_1046.jpg.41fad4c09f27580e339f5d554246bfa0.jpg

"From Harlem to the Rhine" Pg. 372

Lt. Otto is second from the top and marked as a recipient

of the French Croix De Guerre

 

70D2DBC5-94A0-4119-A355-E8CAE81F6D05.jpeg.2cd796ac62d0f0fda7fbc51e9de3d8aa.jpeg

Otto Arnston in a 1935 dated image while he was Adjutant of

American Legion Post #15, Oak Park IL

 

After returning from France Otto worked as a lawyer in Chicago and had a son who served in World War Two. He would pass away New Years Eve of 1971 at the age of 86 in Oak Park Illinois.

 

Still actively doing research on this Hellfighter but it is truly an honor to own such a set. I have been in touch with Otto's relatives who still live in the Chicago area. Hope you all enjoy!

 

Best Regards,

-J.D.

 

 

 

Fantastic uniform! If I’m not mistaken was there 2 of Arnston‘s uniforms? 

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On 3/1/2023 at 3:11 PM, Lind007 said:

Fantastic uniform! If I’m not mistaken was there 2 of Arnston‘s uniforms? 

 

You would be correct! Here is a link to Lt. Otto's other tunic:

 

 

Kind of an interesting story, I had purchased this tunic out of the woodwork from a gentleman who had bought it directly from Lt. Otto's daughter in 1968 or 1969 but the gentleman had no recollection of the family name. Once I had the uniform in hand I discovered the name inside one of the liner pockets, my findings were discussed in the forum above!

 

Best Regards,

-J.D.

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