World War I Historians: Help!!

[Old 44 Guy]

Don't know much about WW1 but grew up during WW2. My grandfather Rumbaugh went to work in Kaiser ship yards in Richmond, Ca in 1940. The Govt. wanted proof of being born in America. Grandpa was born at home on a farm in Pennsylvania.as was his 7 siblings. Had to get a fore page out of the family bible recording births & deaths. The page is long gone now but I passed the bible to my son. It dated to 1798.

 

[cmort666]

Not to forget Adm. Chester Nimitz.

General Walter Krueger, who was actually born in Germany.

 

[Stevie]

There is a small town not too far from where I live that changed it's name from 'Kiel' to 'Loyal' during WWI....I guess just to prove their patriotism....

 

[THE PILGRIM]

By the time WWII came along, it was very clear who was on which side.
Very few folks in this country supported rhe Nazis.
But at the time of WWI, it wasn't nearly that clear. And during WWI, some German folks did espionage and sabotage in this country.
The effects were minimal but the memory of those events last for a long time.

 

[kaaskop49]

General Walter Krueger, who was actually born in Germany.

...and spoke English with a thick German accent. He served in the Pacific under MacArthur who felt Krueger was sent there simply because of his origins.

Good post, cmort! Happy Thanksgiving!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[THE PILGRIM]

WWI was a tank war, we had no tanks,
An airplane war, we had no airplanes,
A machine gun war, we had small numbers of marginal machine guns,
An artillery war, we had no modern artillery.
For some reason, the French didn't think we were prepared to fight.
They wanted our troops as replacements in their units.

Blackjack Pershing mostly held them off. He did transfer some Colored troops to the French.

 

[Cyrano]

WWI was a tank war, we had no tanks,
An airplane war, we had no airplanes,
A machine gun war, we had small numbers of marginal machine guns,
An artillery war, we had no modern artillery.
For some reason, the French didn't think we were prepared to fight.
They wanted our troops as replacements in their units.

Blackjack Pershing mostly held them off. He did transfer some Colored troops to the French.

A little more to it than that. My father's division, the 27, was put with the 30th (Pennsylvania NG, I think), to form the US 2d Corps. Pershing was an old fox, he got another three star position out of that. Then, to silence those who wanted his troops, he gave the 2d Corps to the British. They fought under the British 4th Army, General Gough commanding.

They were completely re-equipped with Rritish uniforms, kit, weapons and rations. My father didn't think much of the British rations, and he expresssed himself about British rifles in a diary entry: "Went to the range today. Shot a pretty good score considering I was shooting a Lee-Enfield". It worked out pretty well for him, despite having to carry a Mk III* Lee Enfield into battle; he was the corporal of a machine gun squad. If he had stayed with the American army, he would have had the abminable French Chauchat, or perhaps the even more abominable version in 30-06. Instead his squad had the Lewis in .303.

I still haven't found out more about those born in Germany being removed from positions of command.

 

[cmort666]

Blackjack Pershing mostly held them off. He did transfer some Colored troops to the French.

...including my great uncles.

 

[cmort666]

A little more to it than that. My father's division, the 27, was put with the 30th (Pennsylvania NG, I think), to form the US 2d Corps. Pershing was an old fox, he got another three star position out of that. Then, to silence those who wanted his troops, he gave the 2d Corps to the British. They fought under the British 4th Army, General Gough commanding.

They were completely re-equipped with Rritish uniforms, kit, weapons and rations. My father didn't think much of the British rations, and he expresssed himself about British rifles in a diary entry: "Went to the range today. Shot a pretty good score considering I was shooting a Lee-Enfield". It worked out pretty well for him, despite having to carry a Mk III* Lee Enfield into battle; he was the corporal of a machine gun squad. If he had stayed with the American army, he would have had the abminable French Chauchat, or perhaps the even more abominable version in 30-06. Instead his squad had the Lewis in .303.

My great uncles fought in segregated units attached to the French Army. If I'm not mistaken, they were mostly equipped with Mannlicher-Berthiers, Hotchkiss heavy machine guns and Chauchats. The first two of course were serviceable, if not great. That latter was needless to say, execrable, except for one small batch from a low volume contractor.

 

[shouldazagged]

In northern Kentucky, not too far from Cincinnati, are some little towns on the Ohio in Carroll County named Ghent, Warsaw, etc. Once before we became involved in WWII, when the Lightning War was in full swing and the Wehrmacht was storming through Poland, an old farmer stormed into a hardware store in the county seat and demanded every box of twelve gauge shotgun shells they had in stock.

"What are you gonna do with all those shells, Tom?", asked the owner.

The old man said, "I just heard on the radio that the Germans are in Warsaw, but by damn they'll play hell takin' Carrollton!"

 

[spad124]

My father fought in World War I as a corporal in the 27th Infantry Division, NYNG. They trained at Camp Wadsworth, SC. As they were leaving for the port of embarcation: Norfolk, VA, their company commander, Capt Louis Raecke and the first sergeant, Philip Harnischfeger, were removed from their position in the company because they were both born in Germany. Here is my father's diary entry:

"April 28 (1917), We heard very bad news yesterday ie. that Capt Raecke and the First Sergt can not go across with us because they were born in Germany. That's a War Dept Order. It sure has case some gloom over our company."

I'd never hear of this practice, except in this instance. If it was common, I think it would have been given some publicity. Has anyone else ever heard of this? Any details? Any idea how widespread was the practice, or low long it lasted?


Ca[pt Raecke ultimately resigned his commission. My father, who had pretty good judgement in these matters thought him a good commander. This took place at just the wrong time: the officer who led them through training was removed and a relative stranger would lead them into combat.

Sgtg Harnischfeger managed to get back to the division, although not in my father's company. He survived the war and after the war he was commissioned in the NG.

Cyrano,
Yep, it happened, and to my wife's great uncle Louis. As background, between 1870 and 1918 Alsace was part of Germany. Before 1870 and after 1918 Alsace was part of France. Throughout the centuries France and Germany both claimed and fought over Alsace and Lorraine.

My father-in-law's father's family, including my wife's grandfather, immigrated from Alsace to the US a few years before WWI. When the US entered the war my father-in-law's Uncle Louis tried to enlist at Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois as the US was now his country and his (new) country was now at war. The induction officers noticed his obvious accent and asked where he had been born. He said "Germany" and was turned away. A week or two later he tried again and when asked where he was born he responded "France" and was accepted. He was fluent in both French and German. Because Alsace had been "traded" between France and Germany for hundreds of years most Alsatians could claim either French or German citizenship and all spoke fluent French and German. Louis served as a machine gunner in the 33rd Division in France.

My father-in-law's mother's family was also from Alsace. However, they didn't immigrate until after WWI. So, while my father-in-law's Uncle Louis served with the US Army, his Uncle Ambros was a German Hussar. Ambrose died in a German field hospital on 7 November, 1918 and is buried in Belgium. Luckily the 33rd US Division was stationed a few hundred miles south of Belgium.