Last November James Gregory came on the podcast to talk about “The Other Sixteen,” those other Doughboys who were with Alvin York on the day of October 8, 1918. In that interview we mentioned an article that would be coming out in the US Army’s Infantry journal.
As with everything else, the pandemic wreaked havoc on the publishing schedule, but that article has finally been released and is available via the link below:
“The ruins of Montfaucon were secured, and in a ruined house on the western side of the hill a massive periscope was located. The periscope was mounted on a carriage, and within the confines of concrete walls constructed inside the house the periscope could be extended some 85 feet. In the attic of the building was a map room of the surrounding area, all done to scale so the scope could be aimed at any point on the map. The observers could be in the basement of the building, or on other floors, and could use a complex system of mirrors to observe the terrain for kilometers around. This was the Crown Prince’s observatory, and the legend that Crown Prince Willy had directed the onslaught at Verdun from here was just that–a legend. The Verdun front was too far away for that. It was used instead to watch the south and southwest, from which the Germans expected a French attack throughout the war.”
“The whole scope mechanism was dismantled by the men of the 3rd Division, who would relieve the men of the 79th on the 30th of September (more next episode). The scope eventually made its way to West Point, where in the interwar period it was a popular backdrop for photos. After the Second World War, the scope apparatus slowly moved into the shadows until it disappeared altogether. It resurfaced in Fort Sill, the home of the US Army’s artillery branch, and it is displayed there today.”
Many thanks to listener Clark for sharing these photos with us!
Hey Folks, Mr. Jeremy Bowles very graciously came on the podcast to share his tour experiences with Robert J Laplander with us. Jeremy is a WW1 historian and reenactor, and the journey he had in the Meuse-Argonne with Rob was so moving it simply needs to stand alone as its own mini-episode.
Listen to Jeremy’s story about being in the Meuse, and know that the goal of Lost Battalion Tours is to provide you with the same experience in August of 2020. So come join us!
Jeremy closes his experiences with the poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michaels, which was the moving response to LTC John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields:”
Photos of Jeremy Bowles, the Poppies, and His Relatives Who Served in France
Jeremy Bowles standing in a field in the Meuse region, near where his grandfather served.
The poppy bush Jeremy found with Robert Laplander. Poppies do not bloom in the fall, when Jeremy was visiting France.
A close up shot of one of those poppies. Amazing.
Jeremy’s grandfather:
Andrew P Craig, B Co., 314th MGB, 80th DivisionJeremy’s Great-Great-Uncle:
PVT Franklin Ellenberger,
K Co., 128th Inf. Regt., 32nd Division.
KIA/MIA Oct. 7th, 1918 in the vicinity of Gesnes, France.
Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.
Operational map of 35th Santa Fe Division in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 26 SEP-03 OCT 1918. Map provided by Griffin Group Photos collection on www.meuse-argonne.com.
That red circle ⭕️ in the middle of the map will be the focus of the next BFWWP episode. This was the Small Pocket, where US Army MAJ Charles Whittlesey and men of his 1st Battalion, 308th Infantry were surrounded on 28-30 SEP 1918. Before Whittlesey and his men became the Lost Battalion, they experienced the very same thing due to orders telling all American units to ignore their flanks and advance. Episode coming out tonight!
The streambed where MAJ Charles Whittlesey and his 1st Battalion, 308th Infantry formed a hollow square defensive perimeter from 28-30 September, 1918. In the center left of the photo, the concrete bunker used as the perimeter command post. Photo taken January 1919. The German bunker in the Small Pocket in January 1919. The Small Pocket’s German bunker 90-some years after the end of WW1. Photo taken by Robert Laplander.Up close to the German bunker on l’Homme Mort. Photo taken by Robert Laplander.
