The Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 26th – November 11th, 1918), was the largest battle in U.S. military history as measured by either the casualty rate or the number of ground forces involved.
Twenty-two divisions saw action, about 1.2 million soldiers were deployed, 26,277 were killed and 95,786 were wounded.
It appears we’re getting closer to the anniversary of the Armistice. The C-SPAN networks are piling on the World War I programming. Let’s hope it keeps up!
As usual, all times are Central, and we’re not responsible for schedule changes (not that anyone is really blaming us . . . )
Medal of Honor recipient Erwin Bleckley was remembered in his native Wichita on October 6, 100 years to the day when he lost his life on the Western Front.
A video and story an be seen here:
From the Flint Hills Discover Center Foundation, Manhattan:
In the eleventh month (November), on the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, which occurred in 1918. On Monday, November 12, in observance of Veteran’s Day, the Flint Hills Discovery Center will provide free admission to all military personnel active duty, retired and their families. FHDC has honored military personnel and families with free admission on Veteran’s Day since 2013. This is made possible from a grant secured by the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. Additional funding will be used to continue honoring our military family and friends. If you are active military, retired or family come by on November 12, and spend some time with us at FHDC! More details here
The last post was about the North Staffordshire regiment. Click here to read an article about an amazing WW1 artifact – the N Staffs Tapestry.
Riqueval Bridge May 2011
Many have seen this iconic image of British soldiers lining the bank of the St. Quentin Canal in France, listening to the words of their Brig. J.V. Campbell, who must have had quite a loud voice, especially considering that after long exposure to artillery the soldiers probably didn’t have keen ears.
A dictionary definition of a straggler is ‘a person in a group who is moving more slowly or making less progress than the others’. In a military setting there can be a fine line between a straggler and a deserter, who is a person who has demonstrated by his actions or the passage of time that he has no intention of rejoining his group. There are also associated with straggling or deserting the additional concepts of ‘shirking’ or ‘skulking’, which mean avoiding difficult or dangerous situations.
This week’s World War I viewing on C-SPAN3. As usual, all times are Central.
–Reel America: The Lost Battalion – 1919. Airs at 7:00 a.m. Saturday, October 6th.
–American Artifacts: U.S. Army World War I Posters. Airs at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 7th. Repeats at 9:00 p.m. Sunday, October 7th.
We have a fair number of World War I themed films appearing on Turner Classic Movies this month, including several on the morning and afternoon of the 24th. All times are Central.
–The Lost Patrol (1934). Directed by John Ford, and stars Victor McLaglen, Boris Karloff, and Wallace Ford. Airs at 6:15 a.m., Thursday, October 4th.
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Somme American Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is located between Bony and Le Catelet in the modern region of Hauts-de-France. During the Great War this region was called by its ancient name, Picardy.
The site is actually located on the battlefield of September 29th – 30th , 1918 where the American 27th and 30th Divisions, backed by the Australian 2nd and 5th Divisions, attacked over the Bellicourt Tunnel and broke through the Siegfriedstellung, which the Allies called the Hindenburg Line.
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