Category Archives: World War 1

Ramsey County War Dead, World War I

free-vector-poppy-remembrance-day-clip-art_106032_Poppy_Remembrance_Day_clip_art_smallThe following residents of the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County, Minnesota, gave their lives in the First World War. These names are taken from Volume 2 of Soldiers of the Great War, published in 1920.

If I’ve been able to locate the serviceman’s grave or other information, it is linked below.  Please let me know if you have any additions or corrections to clem.law@usa.net.

  • Pvt. George Abdalla
  • Pvt. Louis Ackerman
  • Pvt. Alfred W. Anderson
  • Pvt. Clarence J. Anderson
  • Pvt. John G. Anderson
  • Pvt. Oscar Nels Anderson
  • Pvt. Charles Aussant
  • Pvt. Frank J. Bannick
  • Pvt. John Belland
  • Pvt. Leonard Bergren
  • Pvt. John Binder
  • Pvt. Tomas L. Blacik
  • Pvt. Albert J. Blaschka
  • Pvt. Alfred H. Bornemann
  • Pvt. Arthur Lindsay Broderick
  • Cpl. A.L. Brown
  • Pvt. Fred T. Carlson
  • Pvt. John Chartter
  • Sgt. Charles H. Chatterton
  • Pvt. Arnold F. Christenson
  • Sgt. John S. Christie
  • Cpl. Dean C. Clark
  • Pvt. Frank W. Cochrane
  • Pvt. John M. Connelly
  • Pvt. William F. Connelly
  • Lt. William Cowper
  • Pvt. Wilbert W. Crocker
  • Pvt. Claude Curry
  • Pvt. John Daley
  • PVt. Henry De Loy
  • Pvt. Adolph Demel
  • Pvt. Richard W. Dingle
  • Pvt. Bernard Dittman
  • Lt. John Nealls Donohue
  • Pvt. John Dordan
  • Pvt. Frederick C. Duberge
  • Pvt. John Eischens
  • Pvt. Joseph A. Erwin
  • Pvt. Chrles J. Eue
  • Pvt. Hubert Fallon
  • Pvt. Humbert Fallon
  • Pvt. Patrick J. Feeney
  • Pvt. Edward Flaherty
  • Pvt. Michael J. Ford
  • Pvt. Joseph C. Francois
  • Sgt. Eugene Frankel
  • Pvt. Clarence R. Gatrell
  • Pvt. Thomas Gaughn
  • Pvt. Alfred Edward Gieson
  • Pvt. Raymond A. Goeke
  • Pvt. Nathan Goldstein
  • Sgt. Jacob J. Gorgoschilitz
  • Pvt. Louis F. Graff
  • Sgt. Alfred C. Hainlin
  • Pvt. Harry J. Haessly
  • Pvt. James G. Hewins
  • Pvt. Glenn L. Howard
  • Pvt. John Hanson
  • Cpl. Robert B. Hess
  • Pvt. George Jackson
  • Pvt. John Arnold Jelm
  • Pvt. Conrad G. Jensen
  • Pvt. Carl E. Johnson
  • Pvt. Ferdie Mild Johnson
  • Pvt. George H. Johnson
  • Pvt. Herman Johnson
  • Lt. Scott M. Johnson
  • Pvt. James Allen King
  • Pvt. Maurice Kerr
  • Pvt. Lewis N. Kiesel
  • Pvt. Joseph H. Kipp
  • Pvt. Frederick Klanska
  • Pvt. Ward L Knoder
  • Pvt. George C. Koernig
  • Pvt. Edward J. Kunz
  • Pvt. William Laidlaw
  • Pvt. Charles W. Langerdorf
  • Pvt. Axel Larson
  • Pvt. Leslie Lawrence
  • Pvt. Edward F. Lundholm
  • Pvt. James F. McCann
  • Pvt. Len R. Machovec
  • Pvt. Clarence S. Manthe
  • Cpl. Alphonse J. Meidinger
  • Pvt. Clarence M. Merrill
  • Pvt. Walter Metz
  • Pvt. Lorenz Milli
  • Pvt. Oscar M Moline
  • Pvt. Eco H. Mullier
  • Cpl. David W. Neary
  • Pvt. Carl E. Neilson
  • Pvt. William A. Nelson
  • Pvt. Emil F. Neuman
  • Pvt. Gustaf A. Newman
  • Pvt. Peter Niemczyk
  • Pvt. Johan Nilsson
  • Pvt. Thomas Collins O’Leary
  • Pvt. Bernard J. Paddock
  • Pvt. George J. Panuska
  • Pvt. Albert E. Peterson
  • Pvt. Axil Jullus Peterson
  • Pvt. Nick M. Phillips
  • Pvt. Frank Podgerski
  • Pvt. John W. Richardson
  • Sgt. Paul W. Robinson
  • Cpl. Arthur W. Rock
  • Pvt. John Roddewig
  • Cpl. Elmer A. Roessler
  • Pvt. John Romocky
  • Pvt. George E. Root
  • Pvt. Frank Sager
  • Pvt. Frank J. Scharfbillig
  • Pvt. John R. Schillo
  • Pvt. Lawrence O. Schmidt
  • Cpl. Rudolph R. Shockey
  • Pvt. Charles T. Smith
  • Pvt. Charles S. Skweres
  • Pvt. Frank L. Steiner
  • Pvt. Isidore J. Stameshkin
  • Pvt. Louis F Steber
  • Pvt. George Stewart
  • Pvt. George W. Stocking
  • Pvt. Paul E. Swanson
  • Pvt. Oscar M.L. Thorson
  • Pvt. Ruben O. Tibbling
  • Cpl. Thomas J. Tierney
  • Pvt. Luke Toner
  • Pvt. Emil Truhler
  • Pvt. Benjamin H. Warner
  • Sgt. Fred H. Warwick
  • Pvt. Louis Weiner
  • Pvt. Tomas J. Wilkins
  • Pvt. Stanley B. Zabroki



Uncle Sam & Kaiser Bill Novelty, 1918

1918OctTalkingMachineWorldA hundred years ago this month, the October 1918 issue of Talking Machine World showed this amusing yet patriotic accessory suitable for use on the phonograph when patriotic records were being played.

The figures of Uncle Same and the Kaiser were mounted on the tone arm, and when the music started, Uncle Sam would commence kicking the Kaiser, who was busy playing with his U-boat.

The magazine included the following quote, taken from the New York Sun:

UNCLE SAM KICKS KAISER TO MUSIC

Canned Chastisement Amusing to Sidewalk Crowds.

Uncle Sam, in front of a large and enthusiastic audience, spent most of yesterday kicking Kaiser Bill where such kicks belong. The kicking kept time with martial airs played on a phonograph. The little “Kaiser kicking toy” is for attaching to phonographs so that when songs which have as their theme the “canning” of the Kaiser are play.

Alas, the Armistice came the next month, so it’s difficult to know how many were ultimately sold for $1.50.  But they were available from the National Company, “mechanical specialty manufacturers,” of 281 Congress Street, Boston.

 



1958 Portable Phonograph

1958SeptEEThe young woman shown here on the cover of the September 1958 issue of Electronics Illustrated is listening wistfully to some music courtesy of the portable phonograph she constructed according to the plans contained in that issue.

She was able to put the project together in just a few hours, and it allowed her to listen to music wherever she pleased, thanks to the fact that the set ran entirely on batteries. Both the motor (three speeds–45, 33, and 16 RPM) and the amplifier were powered by four flashlight batteries, and the completed phonograph was no larger than a small overnight bag, light enough for a child to carry.

The circuit consisted of two CK722 transistors, as well as a 2N255 mounted on a heatsink, which provided enough power to drive the speaker. Volume was said to be adequate for dancing and mood music, although the article pointed out that it was not a high fidelity instrument.

1958SeptEE2

While there’s no way of knowing for sure, it’s likely that she is being entertained by a former Vice President of the United States.  Topping the charts that month was “It’s All In The Game” performed by Tommy Edwards, which you can listen to in the video below.

Chas G Dawes-H&E.jpg

Charles Dawes. Wikipedia image.

The melody of that song, originally unimaginatively entitled “Melody in A Major,” was composed in 1911 by Charles G. Dawes, who went on to become Vice President under Calvin Coolidge and earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925.  Under President Hoover, Dawes served as ambassador to the United Kingdom.  The song has the distinction of being the only number one single to have been composed by a Vice President of the United States.  The Wikipedia entry for the song incorrectly states that the song is the only one to have been composed by a Nobel laureate, but the Dawes biography points out that this distinction is now shared with Bob Dylan.  Dawes shares with Sonny Bono the distinction of being the only members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives to be credited with a number one hit.

In addition to being a banker, composer, diplomat, soldier, and politician, Dawes was a rather prolific author, as can be seen at his Amazon author page.  A 2016 edition of his Journal of the Great War is still available.



Bastille Day, 1918

Wikimedia Commons photo.

American and other allied troops parade through Paris on the occasion of the final Bastille Day of the First World War, July 14, 1918.

July 4, 1918

File:4th of July in Paris, France, 1918 (7466415374).jpg

USMC photo, via Wikimedia Commons.

In what would be the final Fourth of July of the War, American Marines parade through Paris a hundred years ago today, July 4, 1918.



Listening In On Enemy Trenches: 1918

1918MayElecExpThis diagram appeared a hundred years ago this month in the May 1918 issue of Electrical Experimenter, and explains why users of field telephones in the trenches had to maintain security in their communications, even though there was no possibility that the line was tapped.

The diagram shows the Germans listening in on the Americans’ telephones, but it could just as easily be the other way around. By running a line parallel to the other side’s line, it was possible to pick up the conversation inductively. A powerful amplifier might be used, but in many cases, it was possible to listen in with an ordinary telephone receiver hooked to both ends of the line.



1918 Train Dispatching

1918AprElectricalExpA century ago, with much of the labor force off to war, American industry turned to women to fill many jobs traditionally held by their male counterparts. Shown here is one of the hundreds of young women being trained to be train dispatchers. The article, in the April 1918 issue of Electrical Experimenter, pointed out that the job was exacting, and in the real world, mistakes could easily mean death or dismemberment. Therefore, the women were trained on the model railroad shown here, before being unleashed on the real rails. The dispatcher would set signals and switches, with the model trains responding.



1918 Boys’ Life Looks at Wireless

1918MarBLA hundred years ago this month, the March 1918 issue of Boys’ Life magazine included this article by F.A. Collins (probably Archie Frederick Collins) about the state of radio, especially as it related to war.  He starts by explaining that “the thing that was impossible yesterday, today is indispensable in commerce and war, wireless telegraphy.”

And he makes clear that the radio section of the Signal Corps was something especially within the grasp of scouts:

Probably no country in the world can recruit men for this exciting service in such numbers as the United States. There are already tens of thousands of boys throughout the country who have had valuable training as amateurs. It has been estimated that this army of amateurs exceeded over 100,000 boys and girls. Thousands of Boy Scouts, for example, have an excellent working knowledge of wireless and have learned to transmit at a rate of twenty words a minute or faster. The Government does not accept operators under eighteen years of age and many of these boys are practical wireless operators by the time they reach this age ready to enlist in this interesting branch of service.

 



Women’s Machine Gun Squad Police Reserves, 1918

WomensMachineGun

If the Kaiser had met these women, he would have realized that he didn’t have a chance.   And any miscreants in New York would have known that policing the city wouldn’t suffer when the men were overseas at war.  Shown here are three members of the Women’s Machine Gun Squad Police Reserves, New York City.

In this International Film Service photograph dated August 1918, Capt. Elise Reniger is shown at the ready with the machine gun, reported to have a killing range of two miles and be able to fire 500 shots per minute. Miss Helen M. Striffler is in the rear seat, and Mrs. Ivan Farasoff is driving the Harley-Davidson.

This and other photos of the role of women on the home front of World War I can be found at the National Archives.



Sinking of the Tuscania, 1918

SS Tuscania (1914)

SS Tuscania. Wikipedia Image.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Tuscania, February 5, 1918. The ship was a luxury liner of the Cunard Line, and was serving as a troop transport, carrying American troops to Europe. The ship left Hoboken with 384 crew and 2013 army personnel aboard. On the morning of February 5, a German submarine sighted the convoy and stalked it until darkness. At 6:40 p.m., it fired two torpedoes, one of which sent the ship to the bottom of the Irish Sea. 210 men were killed in the attack.

Color picture; An elderly man holding a glass and wearing a hat stands in front of a wooden lodge.

Harry Truman. Wikipedia image.

One of the notable survivors was 20-year-old soldier Harry R. Truman (not to be confused with the President), notable for becoming a victim of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.free-vector-poppy-remembrance-day-clip-art_106032_Poppy_Remembrance_Day_clip_art_small