Unit Citation

[PKeating]

It just goes to show that real treasures can still be found if you're prepared to do the study and the legwork. Here is a Croix de Guerre citation I picked up here in Paris a while ago. The chap who sold it didn't really understand its significance, first of all that it is a Croix de Guerre unit citation and, moreover, to an American unit.

Below is an extract from a history of SSU 8/SSU 628, mentioning the gas attacks of April 17th and 18th and the unit citation. It also mentions that Lt Bollaert, the French liason officer, was later KIA. What is interesting is the name of the American OC, Lt Appleton J Miles, who has also signed the document across the unit stamp. He was surely a relative of the Indian Wars general and CMoH recipient Nelson Appleton Miles. A grandson, perhaps? Can any of you US Army history buffs help me with this?

PK

SSU 8/628

Section 8 of the American Field Service left Versailles on May 25th 1916, going directly to Champagne in the Mourmelon sector. It remained there but a few days when it moved on to Dugny for the great battle of Verdun. It next served in the region of Les ?parges. Reward came in the form of an extended repos in the Moselle region, followed by a long journey to the Somme where it spent part of the winter of 1916-17. From there it went to the Meuse, thence to Sainte-M?nehould and the Argonne in the early spring of 1917. In April of the same year the Section went again to Verdun. From there it moved to Champagne, remaining until August, then returning once more to Sainte-M?nehould. It was while here that Eight was taken over by the Army in the autumn of 1917, becoming Section 628 of the U.S.A. Ambulance Service.

After it was enlisted in the United States Army, Section 8/628, remained in the Argonne, with front-line postes at La Haraz?e, Saint-Thomas, and Le Four de Paris untilFebruary 28, 1918, having during this time very little work. From February 28 until March 28, it was en repos at Saint-Ouen, Corbeil, and Herpont, small towns in the vicinity of Vitry-le-Fran?ois. From April 2 until June 9, it was in the Oise and Somme sectors in Picardy. It was cantoned at Coivrel, a small town south of Montdidier, and had postes at Dompierre, Domfront, Godenvillers, and Le Ployron. It sustained a gas attack April 17 and 18, for which the Section was cited to the order of the Division. The work was very heavy. Jack Keogh was wounded by a shell at Coivrel, and was in a hospital for two months.

From June 9 until August 19 it remained in the Oise sector, being cantoned at Ravenel, south of Montdidier. The French offensive here began on the 9th of August. The 169th Division, to which the Section was attached, advanced from Le Ployron to Fescamps, approximately twenty kilometres. The front postes during the attack were at Domfront, Rubescourt, Le Ployron, Assainvillers, Fescamps, and Bus. The Section's French Lieutenant, Lieutenant Bolla?rt, was killed, and Henri Werlemman, his French driver, was very gravely wounded in the leg at the poste at Rubescourt. The Section was cited for its work here.

From August 19 until September 7, the Section was en repos at Froissy, near Beauvais. It went back to the front again on September 7, and from this time until October 16 had some of its hardest work. It went into line just behind Ham at a town called Vilette. Its Division attacked and advanced from Ham to Saint-Quentin, and beyond to Mont Origny --- a distance of over thirty-five kilometres. In this advance the Division broke the Hindenburg line just in front of Saint-Quentin. The Section was here again cited for its work. During the advance from Ham to Mont Origny, it worked postes at Ham, Ollezy, Saint-Simon, Avesne, Clastres, Lizerolles, Essigny-le-Grand, Urvillers, Itancourt, Mesnil-Saint-Laurent, and Regny.

From October 16 until November 1, it was en repos at Cr?vec?ur-le-Grand, near Beauvais. On November 11, at the signing of the Armistice, the Section was at Guise. After the Armistice it proceeded with the French Army of Occupation into Belgium, passing through Le Nouvion, La Capelle, Trelon, Chimay, as far as Mariembourg. The Division was demobilized at La Nouvion January 22, 1919, and the Section went to Cr?py-en-Valois, outside of Paris until it was ordered to Base Camp in February.

From "Memorial Volume of the American Field Service in France, Friends of France, 1914 - 1918"

Edited August 1, 2005 by PKeating

[Chris Boonzaier]

Nice indeed... The CdG docs are often way better than German ones with nice citations... wanna trade :-)

[Guest Rick Research]

From

Herbert T. Johnson, compiler: "Roster of Vermont Men and Women in the Military and Naval Service of the United States and Allies in the World War 1917-1919," The Tuttle Co., Rutland, VT, 1927:

MILES,____APPLETON TRAIN

Res: Brattleboro. Born at Brattleboro. 23 5/12 yrs. (at enlistment--unspecified)

Com: 1st Lieut., Amb. Corps., Nov. 13, 1917.

Org: 638th Sec., U. S. Army Amb. Serv.

Prin. Sta: France.

Overseas: Nov. 13, 1917 to Apr. 2, 1919.

Disch: Apr. 7, 1919, Cp. Lee, Va.

Remarks: Awarded Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor.

===================

U.S. Social Security Death Index (which does not list middle initials or "Junior" etc) shows ONE (and how many can there have been?)

Appleton Miles, born in California June 27, 1921 (presumably "Jr.") died in either Woodway or Edmonds, Snohomish County, Washington April 3, 2001. A possible lead to the Lieutenant's post-war movement.

Although both the Miles (Medal of Honor winner General Nelson APPLETON Miles was born in Massachusetts in 1839) and Train families are of ancient Massachusetts and Vermont lineage, cannot find where their "tracks" cross to have produced the above circa 1893/4. Presumably a side branch of that ilk but not directly descended FROM the General (who seems to have had only a single 10 year old daughter in 1880).

[PKeating]

Thank you, Rick! So I was misreading the 'T' as a 'J'. Now that I look at it again, of course I was! Thanks, old chap. I owe you one.

PK

[The Capstone]

Very nice group, Prosper. I always enjoy your contributions.

Thank you,

Capstone

Edited August 2, 2005 by The Capstone

[Bob Hunter]

Prosper, congratulations on the find and to Rick for expanding on same.

[Stogieman]

Superb set. There's quite a few guys over here that would cheerfully kill for a group like this!

[Chris Boonzaier]

Is there a name bottom left just above Appletom (where the stamp is?)

Am doing a bit of a Unit citation study at the moment...

[PKeating]

There is indeed, Chris. The name is Marcel Doeschler. The stamp is extremely sun-faded and hard to make out. Here is an adjusted detail from the high res scan. This is about as sharp as I have been able to make it. Miles signed the document as Commanding Lieutenant and Doeschler is referred to as "M", for Monsieur. No reference to a military rank there, which is logical as many SSU members were civilian volunteers. I wonder if this means that every member of the unit received a document and a cross. I do not believe that unit citations entitled unit members to wear the decoration but could this have been an exception to that general rule, given the specific nature of the reasons for the award?

PK

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Difficult call. I would guess it did not give the right to wear the CDG.

So far all the documents I have examined show an individual citation for the croix de g.

The unit citations fall into 2 catagories, either it can simply be an initial unit citation where the unit was cited and a document was issued saying "Private Smith was present at the action" or it could be an action that qualified them for a Fourrageres, where it also mentions he was there and in this case mentions "Does not give the right to wear the cross".

(Fourrageres were not awarded for each citation. ie. first unit citation there was none, second one got the unit a Fourragere, see bottom for the "points")

As this kind of unit could (I dont think) win a fourragere (Think only at Regt level) I would assume that it is a doc issued by the unit as a keepsake. Lt Miles got the GdG at Divisional level, and the unit citation certificates went to the rest of the unit,

You can see the silver star on the pic on the doc, but the framed one has a bronze one. I assume a proud Doeschler mounted it with a cross. Somewhere on another thread there was a mention about American soldiers groups being seen on occasion with a CdG when in fact they were simply in units that had recieved a unit citation.

Ainsi, si le r?giment est titulaire :

- de 2 ou 3 citations, il recevra une fourrag?re verte (couleurs de la Croix de Guerre 14/18),

- 4 ou 5 citations, la fourrag?re jaune (couleur de la M?daille Militaire),

- 6 ? 8 citations, la fourrag?re rouge (couleur de la L?gion d'Honneur),

- 9 ? 11 citations, double fourrag?re verte et rouge (Croix de Guerre + L?gion d'Honneur),

- 12 ? 14 citations, double fourrag?re jaune et rouge (M?daille Militaire + L?gion d'Honneur),

- 15 citations et plus, double fourrag?re rouge.

credited to....

http://perso.numericable.fr/~semoeric/deco...ntroduction.htm