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100 Years Ago This Week: If one can live through this school they can live through anything.

 Background:  It is December of 1918 and  WWI has been over for almost a month.   It has been more than one year since my grandfather, John Rodney Jamieson, who we later called ‘Poppa’, enlisted in the United States Army’s 20th Engineers.  In November, 1917 he sailed to France aboard a troop transport ship.  He was assigned to the headquarters unit of Company A based at a camp set up inside a bull ring in Dax, France.  However, on November 7, 1918 he travelled to Langres France and enrolled in Army Candidate School (A.C.S.).   Here are the journal entries he wrote one hundred years ago this week.

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From the Journal of John Rodney Jamieson

Sunday December 8, 1918– Walked to Langres today.  Found barracks bag awaiting us at station.  Just like a lost friend at last found.  Packed some things on my back.  Balance will be sent tomorrow.

Monday  December 9– Every few days some of the fellows are notified that their old outfits are booked .  They are sent to them in time to go back with them.

Tuesday December 10– Weather has been quite warm but wet and sloppy for past two weeks.  If one can live through this school they can live through anything.

Wednesday December 11– Nothing special today.  Rain, mud, drill work and study.  But not half as bad as it sounds.

Thursday December 12– Kraft has “lucky night” cleaning up about 2750 francs.

Friday December 13– Another unlucky day.  Heard that first bn of (?) is liable to start for home soon.  Now to try and get back.

Saturday December 14– Supper at the same old place in Rolampont.  Rather of a wild night for the boys. Mail today.

Found Luggage!

“Sunday December 8, 1918- Walked to Langres today.  Found barracks bag awaiting us at station.  Just like a lost friend at last found.  Packed some things on my back.  Balance will be sent tomorrow.”

Poppa arrived at training school in early November but his belongings which were in his barracks bag did not.  Over one month later he was finally reunited with his bag.  He must have had a rather large bag because he carried only some of his possessions on his back as he walked from the station in Langres back to his camp.  He wrote that he expected the rest of his things to be delivered the next day.

WWI era soldiers with their barracks bags.

Gambling Luck?

“Thursday December 12- Kraft has “lucky night” cleaning up about 2750 francs.”  

Poppa did not say how Kraft ‘cleaned up’ but it was presumably a  gambling activity that netted him 2750 francs.  According to historicalstatistics.org  2750 French francs would be worth about $488 in 1918 dollars.  Seems like big stakes considering that Poppa often mentions that money was tight.

Kraft was apparently another soldier in training school with Poppa.  In his journal Poppa  listed the address for E.B. Kraft as “Aberdeen, Washington”.  Aberdeen has a long history of logging and currently claims to be the  “Lumber capital of the World”.  Like Poppa, many of the soldiers he served with were associated in some way with the lumber business as civilians.

This is a page from Poppa’s journal on which he wrote some addresses. His gambler friend E. B. Kraft is the last one on this page.  

Is this the grave marker for the soldier who was in training with Poppa?  Apparently the grave is in Massachusetts but the information on the stone seems correct.  It says he was from the state of Washington and that he was in the 20th Engineers during WWI.  According to the stone Kraft had the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.  Does that mean he did receive the commission for which he was training in France with Poppa?

Grave marker for Edward B. Kraft located in Northfield Massachusetts

Going out for dinner

“Saturday December 14- Supper at the same old place in Rolampont. “

Poppa previously mentioned that he often went to the YMCA “hut” for meals.  Is that what he meant by the “same old place in Rolampont”  or is there a restaurant the he frequented?

This pass was found in the back of Poppa’s 1918 journal. Is this the permission he needed to go out to dinner in Rolampont on December 14th?

Terms of the Armistice

The war has been over for about a month.  As part of the armistice the German Government was told that the American military would occupy Germany.  On December 13th  as Poppa is feeling unlucky but hoping to be sent home soon some sections of the U.S. Army crossed the Rhine River and entered Germany to begin the  occupation.

Next Week:  Drilling in Rain and Mud

 

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100 Years ago this Week: Thanksgiving Dinner in Rolampont.

 Background:  It is November of 1918 and two weeks after the end of WWI.   It has been more than one year since my grandfather, John Rodney Jamieson, who we later called ‘Poppa’, enlisted  in the United States Army’s 20th Engineers.  In November, 1917 he sailed to France aboard a troop transport ship.  He was assigned to the headquarters unit of Company A based at a camp set up inside a bull ring in Dax, France.  However,  on November 7, 1918 he travelled to Langres France and enrolled in Army Candidate School (A.C.S.).   Here are the journal entries he wrote one hundred years ago this week.

 

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From the Journal of John Rodney Jamieson

Sunday November 24, 1918– Hung around camp today.  Thought ?? might come over but has not as yet.  Spent today writing letter and studying.

Monday November 25- No mail for a month.  Must be lots “somewhere in France” for this soldier.

Tuesday November 26– The Y.M.C.A. has started a canteen here, the line is miles in length every night.  Buy lots of cakes, keeps me from near starvation. One year in France today. Won’t be another, now.

Wednesday November 27– Mud and rain every day.  Today especially bad, wet all day but work goes on just the same.  

Thursday November 28– Thanksgiving dinner in Rolampont.  Bought pork chops, bread, jams ole and French fried(?).  Certainly got filled up with this very unique dinner.

Friday November 29– Wet feet all the time, this is an endurance test more than anything else, little to eat with poor living conditions, wet feet and much work.  Can you beat that.

Saturday November 30– Two examinations and inspection today.  Afternoon off.  More rumors again.  Hope some of them are true and this closes soon.

On Tuesday November 26th Poppa wrote that he had been in France for one full year.  He had arrived  on the troop ship Madawaska and until recently was living and working as a member of the 20th Engineers in Dax France. Since November 7th he had been at the A.C.S. or Candidates School, presumably working toward a commission as a Second Lieutenant.

The army worked frantically beginning in 1917 to set up this and other training schools in France.  Only months after opening, with the end of the war, Poppa wrote that there are many rumors that the school will be closing soon.

Poppa has not written about the specific location of the camp where he is living and training.  On November 17th he wrote that he went to Langres to look for his barracks bag.   On November 28th he wrote that he went into Rolampont for Thanksgiving dinner.   Records mention both of these towns as well as several others nearby as settings for the army’s training centers.  The 2 communities are about 7 miles apart.  Perhaps Poppa is living somewhere between the 2.

On Monday November 26th Poppa used the phrase “somewhere in France” and put it in quotes.  Due to censorship soldiers were not supposed to identify their locations when writing home. Soldiers commonly used the phrase “somewhere in France”  when writing home to friends and family.

According to a book called “The American Spirit” the Candidates School was in the Turenne Barracks which are located in or near Langres.

Turenne Barracks

On November 27th Poppa wrote that “The Y.M.C.A. has started a canteen here, the line is miles in length every night”.  Hopefully he is exaggerating when he wrote  that the YMCA hut “keeps me from near starvation”.

Throughout World War I, the YMCA provided morale and welfare services for the military. By war’s end, the YMCA,  had set  up 1,500 canteens in the United States and France;  and 4,000 YMCA huts for recreation and religious services.

The YMCA ‘Hut’ in Langres France

Here is a video of U.S. soldiers training in Rolampont during 1917-18.

Next Week: Still Walking in Mud…With Wet Feet

Sources:

Historical report of the Chief Engineers 1917-1919.  Washinton Govern,ment Printing Office.  1919

History -1900 to 1950s.  “The Y: YMCA of the USA, 12 June 2018, www.ymca.net/history/1900-1950

“The American Spirit.” Google Books, books.google.com/books

Scribner’s Magazine.” Google Books, books.google.com

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100 Years ago This week: Many rumors about this school closing

 Background:  It is November of 1918 and one week after the end of WWI.   It has been more than one year since my grandfather, John Rodney Jamieson, who we later called ‘Poppa’, enlisted  in the United States Army’s 20th Engineers.  In November, 1917 he sailed to France aboard a troop transport ship.  He was assigned to the headquarters unit of Company A based at a camp set up inside a bull ring in Dax, France.  However,  on November 7, 1918 he travelled to Langres France and enrolled in Army Candidate School (A.C.S.).   Here are the journal entries he wrote one hundred years ago this week.

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From the Journal of John Rodney Jamieson

Sunday November 17, 1918– Spent forenoon taking bath and writing letters.  In afternoon went to Langres to infantry school trying to locate (?).  Was unable to find mine but enjoyed the day anyway.

Monday November 18– Much work but it is interesting but very hard.   Have to be on the job every minute.

Tuesday November 19– Many rumors about this school closing and everyone anxious to see it close.  The work goes on just the same all day.

Wednesday November 20– Our instructor taken sick so today we have been having different ones.  Several fellows sick with bad colds. Some just sick of this place.

Thursday November 21– Good morning M. Candidate with your chances just as slim as mine —etc.  Very appropriate song and expresses the thoughts of everyone.

Friday November 22– Had live grenade practice today .  One poor fellow had misfortune to pick a defective one which went off in his hands.  Blew off both hands and injured him otherwise. (?) …very, very good.                               

Saturday  November 23– ??

(?) .Had good supper in Rolampont tonight.  ? buying stuff…(?)

Poppa spent nearly a year with the 20th Engineers in Dax France.  His work there involved drawing blue prints and planning wood structures needed by the soldiers.  He complained several times in his journal that he was tired of that type of work and applied to go to A.C.S.  Apparently, this is ‘Army Candidate School’ where he could earn an officer’s commission upon completing some classes such as   bridging, camouflage, flash and sound ranging, mining, pioneering, topography and searchlight.

However, he has been at the school in Langres, France only 10 days and already appears to be regretting his decision to enroll.  In his journal he complains about the lack of food and the living conditions which are worse than what he experienced in Dax.  The war has been over for a week, and there are rumors that some soliders are returning home.   Wet weather and the loss of his luggage on the way to camp has added to his misery.

Mr. Zip Zip Zip

On November 21st Poppa writes “Good morning Mr. Candidate with you chances just as slim as mine… etc” .  He implies that this is a  song lyric.

One popular song in 1918 was Mr Zip Zip Zip which included the lyrics:

Good morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
With your hair cut just as short as mine,

It appears that Poppa adapted the lyrics from this popular song of the time to apply to his own situation when he wrote:

Good morning Mr. Candidate,

with you chances just as slim as mine…

Live Grenade Practice

On November 22nd Poppa wrote that he had live grenade practice and told about a poor fellow who had a defective grenade go off in his hands and was seriously injured.  Poppa does not write that he experienced this incident or if it happened previously.

In another soldier’s journal Phillip H. English wrote of a grenade training accident that happened at Langres in January of 1918, prior to Poppa’s arrival.  It’s possible that Poppa is referring to this prior accident in his own journal.

Here is a Youtube video about the types of hand grenades used in WWI:

Next Week:  Thanksgiving dinner in Rolampont.

Sources:

World War I Diary of Philip H. English (*D 570.3 26th E64 Vol. 1)

“Good Morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip!” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Morning_Mr._Zip-Zip-Zip! Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.