PFC Casper Probst grouping reunited after long years ! Co. C 111th Inf. 28th Div

[Robin v]

Hi guys, here's something I wanted to share, 

 

Long story short for those who don't know, I'm working for "France 40" museum in Fismes... France (of course), we're a WW2 museum but we are about to open a WWI floor focusing on the battle of Fismes and the American participation in the Great War.

 

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to get this grouping belonging to PFC Casper Lewis Probst from Lock Haven Pa.

It's composed of his engraved diary messs kit, helmet and id tags.

 

 

 

 

What's great for our museum is that Mr Probst engraved FISMES, our town, urban battlefield of the 28th Div 106 years ago during the month of August 1918.

 

 

 

Something really good about the 28th... is the existence of picture rosters of the units ! It may seems natural for american folks out there ... but for a french collector it's not ! We're not as lucky as you when it comes to archives and most of the time it's nearly impossible to find a picture of a french soldier.

So we're able to HUMANIZE, give a name to a face.

 

 

 

Casper Probst served as a runner in Co. C 112th Infantry regiment, he saw action arround Chateau-Thierry, The Vesle area, Fismette and then Meuse Argonne where he was knocked out by a mine and gassed... When coming back home in 1919, he was given 6 months to live.

He died in 1990, a bit later !

The story could have ended here with a cool grouping coming back to the battlefield a century after the battle, some pictures and cool history... BUT , BUT... I randomly found a Facebook post from November 2022 published by Russ from middleeastmilitaria.com ...

He was showing a gasmask pouch with a name on it ... "Casper Probst" ... I have to admit that I jumped.

The story keeps going with daily harassment on Russ (let's say I was highly motivated to reunit this mask with Casper's other items) and with extreme kindness he accepted to let it go.

 

As i'm writing these lines, the mask is getting ready to cross the pond, to come back on the battlefield one hundred and six years later.

 

 

Attached to the pictures, Russ posted the soldier's story and some informations given in The Express , Lock Haven's newspaper in 1973. 

Since I have a newspaper.com subscribtion, it was time to use it !

Here's the article for those who have time to read it, I found it to be a goldmine of cool infos !

 

 

 

I absolutely loved to see Casper holding items we now have in the museum's collection ! 

But what I disliked was to understand that more of his items might be somewhere as they were most likely sold separately after his death...

The Purple Heart he had in hands on that picture is somewhere, some news articles talk about his uniform ... all these items are somewhere, so I'm here, throwing a bottle in the Ocean hoping that it would cross the Atlantic (literally as I'm in France lol), maybe to reach someone who has Casper's other belongings in his collection.

If you see his name somewhere, please think about us !

 

 

Here is casper's stuff in front of Fismes city sign today... note the "Goons Up"  Mestrovitch sticker on it... I fight city workers who take it off every few weeks... only for me to come back stick a new one so our city stays under Sgt Mestrovitch protection !

Since it's August 10th today we can also have a thought for him who earned a Medal of Honor in Fismes, on August 10th 1918 by saving Cpt William's life.

 

 

For those who read until here, here's a small treat with some pictures of the soon opening WWI floor of the museum 

 

 

 

 

To end this post I really want to thank Russ for his cooperation and kindness. 

 

Robin

Musée France 40 

FISMES

[everforward]

Great story and the exhibit looks great as well. Congratulations..!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

An excellent exhibit, coupled with the in-depth back story and your persistent ‘detective work’. Thank you for your efforts in preserving French and American military history!

[Legion72]

Tres bien camerade. Bon Travail !

[Rhscott]

I’ll say that is the nicest tribute I have seen is a long while.  Well done.

[TMCA05]

My Grandfather was a medic with the 111th Infantry, 28th Division, Pvt. William (Bill) J. Nixon. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for action in Fismette- Fismes on 10-13 August 1918.

I'd love to visit your museum someday and will make it a priority.

[Robin v]

Super cool story !

 

Here is a picture of your grandfather ... from the sky ... you'll have to zoom to find him !

But he is somewhere in that picture as it was taken on August 13th.

 

He is hiding somewhere in the pocket circled in green.

And what is refered as "the enemy side of the street" is most likely the crossroad highlighted in red. (sorry the drawing is "hand"-done haha)

 

 

This is now "Rue Charles Ledru" in Fismette 

 

 

If you're ever in the area, I'd be super happy to go there with you and show you the battlefield !