The 88th Division

 

 

 
     

 

 

        Following the passage of the Selective Service Act and the registration of approximately 10,000,000 men on June 5, 1917, the problem of housing had been solved, but only on paper. The War Department called for sixteen National Army cantonments having a capacity of roughly 40,000 men each, grounds for drill, maneuvers and target ranges which would be adequate for the training needs of such an encampment.

       A single track electric railway ran between Des Moines and Perry, Iowa, inadequate for heavy freight traffic and geared more for civilian passengers.

By November 24th the buildings that were authorized for Camp Dodge were completed, which included a base hospital with two officers' quarters, 129 individual heating plants, a 131,052 foot-long sewer system, water mains 170,355 feet-long, pumping stations, and a million-gallon water reservoir. The Civic Center, centrally located in the camp, was erected with the purpose of attending to the welfare of the soldiers, containing theatre with the seating capacity of 3,000. Within this complex was a Y.M.C.A., a hostess house, a Lutheran Brotherhood building, a Knights of Columbus auditorium, and a library which was erected by the American Library Association.

      In compliance with the War Department's order, the 88th Division commenced on August 25, 1917, with Major General Edward H. PLUMMER assuming command.

Major General PLUMMER was directed to organize the 88th as follows:

Division Headquarters

Headquarters Troop

337th Machine Gun Battalion

Maj. Wm. J. O'LOUGHLIN

175th Infantry Brigade

Bri. Gen Charles C. BALLOU (never joined the brigade)

 

349th Infantry

Maj. Peter J. HENNESSEY, Col. George E. HOULE, Lt. Col. John J. RYAN

MOTTO: "Liberty & Rights"   Campaign Credit: Alsace, France

 

350th Infantry

 Maj. Horace N. MUNRO, Lt. Col. Rush S. WELLS
MOTTO: "Fidelity & Service"   Campaign Credit: Alsace, France

 

338th Machine Gun Battalion

 Maj. George R. SOMERVILLE

176th Infantry Brigade

 Brig. Gen Wm. D. BEACH

 

351st Infantry

 Maj. R. B. ELLIS, Lt. Col. James F. McKINLEY
MOTTO: "Toujours Pret" (Always Ready)   Campaign Credit: Alsace, France

 

352D Infantry,

Maj. Henry A. MEYER, Col. Clyde E. HAWKINS

339th Machine Gun Battalion

Maj. Thos. H. CUNNINGHAM

163D Field Artillery Brigade

Brig. Gen. Stephen M. FOOTE

337th Field Artillery

Col. George R. GREENE
MOTTO: "Cedo nulil" (I Yield to None)   Campaign Credit: Steamer without inscription

 

338th Field Artillery

 Lt. Col Francis W. HONEYCUTT
MOTTO: "Deo et Patria" (God & Country)   Campaign Credit: Steamer without inscription

 

339th Field Artillery

Col. Samuel C. VESTAL
MOTTO: "Expugnare" (To Conquer)   Campaign Credit: Steamer without inscription

 

313th Trench Mortar Battery

313th Engineers,

Lt. Col. Robert P. HOWELL

 

313th Train Headquarters & Military Police

313th Ammunition Train,

Lt. Co. Robert R. WALLACH
MOTTO: "Haec Manus ob Partiam" (This Hand for my Country)   Campaign Credit: Alsace, France

 

313th Supply Train, Co.

James P. HARBESON (division trains)

 

313th Sanitary Train

 

163D Depot Brigade,

Brig. Gen. Robert N. GETTY,

Brig. Gen. Harrison J. PRICE,

Col. Girard STURTEVANT

 

       All incoming drafted men came through the Depot Brigade before being permanently assigned to the division. Here, as applicable, the men saw specialists such as chemists, psychologists, doctors, and so on. The Depot Brigade also took care of men physically unfit for combatant branches of the service prior the discharge.

 

      The Division had been organized by September 5, 1917, almost complete in officers but without enlisted personnel. On September 5th the first drafted men began to arrive at Camp Dodge, coming from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and central Illinois. They came without any concept of military life.

Initial training focused on physical drill.

 

      On July 22, 1918, the War Department sent a telegram containing instruction for the movement of the Division to the Port of Embarkation. Two detachments left Camp Dodge on the night of July 28, headed for Camp Upton located at Long Island, New York. On August 3rd, the Advance School Detachment sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving at Brest on August 11th, and from there proceeded to Chatillion-sur-Seine, site of the 3d Corps School. The Advance Detachment and Billeting Party sailed about the Cunard Liner "Aquitania" on August 6th, arriving in Liverpool, England on August 12th. After a four days rest, they landed at Cherbourg, France on August 16th, and proceeded to Semur, Cote d'Or where they established their headquarters.

The 349th Infantry sailed on the White Star Liner "Olympic" on August 9th, arriving at Southampton England on August 16th, then proceeding on to Le Havre.

 

      The Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company, the 1st Battalion, Medical Department, and the 350th Machine Gun Company and 350th Supply Company sailed aboard the H.M.S. "Delta" on August 11th, arriving at Tilbury- on-Thames August 25th, and Cherbourg on August 29th. On August 15th, the 1st Battalion Headquarters, Company M of the Supply Company, the Medical Detachment of the 352D Infantry, and the 337th Machine Gun Battalion sailed from New York aboard the "Ascanius" of the Blue Funnel Line, arriving at Liverpool on August 28th, and at Cherborg on September 1st.

The 339th Machine Gun Battalion sailed from Philadelphia on August 14th aboard the Blue Funnel Line "Phens", arriving in Liverpool on August 27th, and at Le Havre on August 30th.

 

       On August 15th, the 3D Battalion and Company G of the 350th Infantry, and the 338th Machine Gun Battalion sailed from Hoboken aboard the H.M.S. "Kashmir." The remainder of the 350th Infantry sailed the same day aboard the "Messanabie." The "Messanabie" and H.M.S. "Kasmir" arrived at Liverpoor on August 28th, and arrived at Cherbourg on September 1st.

 

       The U.S.S. "Ulysses" sailed in a convoy with "Ascanius" from Philadelphia with the 2nd Battalion and the the 3D Battalion of the 351st Infantry [minus Co. M of the 352D Infantry], landing at Liverpool on August 28th and on to Le Havre on August 30. Company M of the 352D Infantry sailed from Philadelphia aboard the "City of Exeter" on August 14th, arriving in Manchester, England on the 29th and then at Le Havre August 31st.

The remainder of the 88th Division embarked as follows:

 

       The remainder of the 351st Infantry sailed aboard the "Saxon" and the "Scotian", arriving at Liverpool August 28th, then proceeded on to Cherborg. The 313th Ammunition Train and the 313 Sanitary Train sailed August 18th aboard the "Vedic", arriving in Liverpool August 31st and at Le Havre September 5th. The 313th Field Signal Battalion sailed August 17 aboard H.M.S. "Bohemia", arriving in Liverpool August 31st before proceeding to Le Havre. Division Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment and Headquarters Troop sailed from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, August 21st aboard H.M.S. "Demosthenes" and arrived at Liverpool August 21st and then at Le Havre September 4th. The 313th Supply Train sailed aboard H.M.S. "Empress of Britain" on August 23th, arriving at Liverpool September 4th and at Le Havre on September 7th.

 

       The 163D Field Artillery Brigade and the 313th Trench Mortar Battery arrived in France [date not provided], but those units did not join the 88th in France. The 163D Field Artillery Brigade went into training at Clermont, Ferrand, and Bordeaus, France, destined to never be sent to the front, and returned to the United States soon after the armistice was signed.

 

       The entire front was approximately 19 kilometers long with "No Man's Land" ranging in width from a kilometer at some points to less than 300 meters at others. This territory had been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting however both sides had come to a standstill - facing one another and content to maintain a defensive stance by the time of the arrival of the 88th. The German troops were Divisions of the Army Detachment "B" under the command of General V. GUNDELL who maintained headquarters at Colmar, the 30th Bavarian Reserve Division under the command of Lieutenant General BERG, and the 44th Landwehr Division under the command of General D. Inf. KRAUSE.

       When the 88th arrived, the entire sector was traversed with abandoned trenches partially filled with water, caved-in revetments, and a labyrinth of barbed wire. No Man's Land was a maze of shell holes and old fortifications, overgrown with brush and weeds. Upon their arrival, the entire 313th Engineer Regiment went to work rehabilitating and strengthening the essential parts of the trench system. The infantry cleaned up the sector and made the dugouts and trenches habitable.

        The first casualties in action occurred during the night of October 12th-13th when the Germans launched a raid on the 2D Battalion of the 350th Infantry. During the attack, Captain Peter V. BRETHORST, Sergeant J. A. HORA, Privates Fred G. EKSTROM and Clinton F. LESAN of Company F; Privates Willie LEROY, Fred R. CRESWELL, and Pat MORRIS of Company G were fatally wounded when they were struck by shrapnel. Eight enlisted men along with Captain Henry A. HOUSE of Company E and Captain Orren E. SAFFORD of Company G were captured in No Man's Land. Approximately eighteen Americans and three Frenchmen were wounded.

       On October 18th the Germans attempted a raid on the 351st Infantry stationed in Schnoholz Woods, located on a steep hill. The German raid was completely repulsed within twenty minutes. During this action Private Edgar L. McCORD of Company I was killed at his post, and Private Harley MILLER, also of Company I, was wounded.

      The 88th was retired from front line duty in November. The morale of the troops was excellent, and their fighting ability had been amply demonstrated in four raids against the enemy.

The Armistice went into effect at 11 o'clock on November 11th, 1918. The 88th Division was demobilized in June of 1919, Camp Dodge.

 

Soldier

Rank

88th Division

Comments

 Last Name

First Name

 

Company & Unit

 

Anderson

Carl

Private

Hradquaters Company, 351st Infantry

Resdence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Anderson

John

Private

Co. H, 349th Infantry

Mount Ayr, Iowa

Baker Harold D. Cook Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 14 Mar 1896
died: 24 Jun 1981
buried: St. Paul's Cemetery, Crawford Co. Iowa

Residence: Knowlton, Iowa

Ball Carl V. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 1893

died: 1952

buried: Tingley Cemetery

Residence: RFD 4, Diagonal, Iowa

Ballard Lee F. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

died: Colorado?

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Bayless

Earl

Private 1st Class

Co. A, Machine Gun Company

born: Seattle, Washington

Residence: Kellerton, Iowa

Black Glen J. Private 1st Class Co. E, 351st Infantry Residence: Diagonal IA
Borrusch Clyde William

Private

Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 36 May 1890
died: 30 Jul 1989,

burial: Tingley Cemetery, Tingley, Iowa

Residence: Tingley, Iowa

Bunner

Charles Oscar

Captain

351st Supply Company

born: 01 Feb 1873, Indiana

Residence: Evansville, Indiana

died: 06 Dec 1952, Leesburg, Florida

Burch Hiram Adelbert Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 26 Jan 1896
died: 12 Sep 1989
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Creston Iowa

Residence: Diagonal, Iowa

Coffey Alva John Corporal Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 1891

died: 1976
burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Bend Oregon

Residence: Knowlton, Iowa

Frazee Herman Private Co. B, 313rd Supply Train

born: 1898
died: 21 May 1935
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Creston Iowa

Residence: Knowlton, Iowa

Hall Roy R. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

Residence: Kellerton, Iowa

Hayes Grant L. Bd. Sergeant Co. E, 351st Infantry

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Huggins Asa W. Private 1st Class Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 1891

died: 1976
burial: Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr ,Iowa

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Hunt Raymond R. Private 1st Class Co. E, 351st Infantry

Residence: Beaconsfield, Iowa

Jacobs William M. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

King Merrill Stahl Sergeant 1st Class Co. D, 313rd Engineer Regiment

born: 18 May 1893
died: 04 Jul 1968
burial: Bethel Cemetery, Diagonal, Iowa

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Leo Bryan M. Private 1st Class Co. A, Machine Gun Company Residence: Diagonal, Iowa
Michael Ennis

Private

Co. E, 351st Infantry Residence: Kellerton, Iowa
Millikin Jesse Joshua

Private

Co. E, 351st Infantry born: 18 Jul 1891
died: 24 Nov 1958
burial: Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno CA
Residence: Diagonal, Iowa
Murphy Fred

Private

Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 02 Sep 1892
died: 30 Jan 1955
burial: Oakland Cemetery
Ringgold Co., Iowa

Residence: Diagonal, Iowa

Newton Alvin O. Private Co. F, Machine Gun Company

born: 1895

died: 1979
burial: Maple Row Cemetery, Kellerton, Iowa

Residence: Kellerton Iowa

Payton Lewis L. Sergeant Co. E, 313rd Ammunition Train Residence: Kellerton, Iowa
Rusk Earl H. Corporal Co. A, Machine Gun Company

born: 23 Dec 1896
died: 08 Nov 1956
buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr, Iowa

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Scott Charles T. Private 1st Class Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 22 Feb 1896
died: 04 Jun 1982
burial: Benton Cemetery, Ringgold Co., Iowa

Residence: Benton, Iowa

Stephens Thomas J. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry Residence: Benton, Iowa

Stuck

John M.

Private

351st Supply Company

Residence: Mount Ayr, Iowa

Ticknor James L. Private Co. E, 351st Infantry

born: 30 Dec 1888
died: 27 Jun 1962
burial: Union Cemetery, Diagonal, Iowa

Residence: Knowlton, Iowa

Tillotson Albert M. Corporal Co. A, 313rd Field Signal Battalion Residence: Tingley, Iowa

Treichler

Cyril H.

Private

351st Supply Company

born:28 Feb 1890
died: 03 Oct 1972
Buried: Oliver Cemetery, Ellston IA
Residence: Kellerton, Iowa

Willy

Walter M.

Captain

Co. A, Machine Gun Company

Residence: Flandeaus, South Dakota

Woods

Harry F.

Private

Co. M, 349th Infantry

Mount Ayr, Iowa

 

 

 

An 88th Division Cemetery, Alsace, France

~~ SOURCE:  Official History of The 88th Division in the World War of 1914-1918. Pp. 27-29, 35-37, 41-42, 49-50, 162-67, 171-73.

                         Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co. New York. 1919

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, http://iagenweb.org/ringgold/   February of 2009