Saturday, October 30, 2010

The 78th and 96th Companies Destroyed, June 13-14th, 1918.

The respite, punctuated by such occasional tragedy, was pitifully short for Holcomb's men. At 12:40 AM on June 13, the major received and order to move at once to the woods northwest of Lucy as the brigade reserve. Holcomb promptly had his companies on the road and arrived before 4:00 AM.

Just before dawn General Harbord received a false report that a German counterattack had wrested Bouresches from 3/5. He ordered Holcomb to move two companies to the woods southeast of Lucy to be in position to retake the town. As daylight broke across the wheat fields, Holcomb led his 78th and 96th Companies across the two miles of open ground at the double, directly under the watching eyes of three German balloons. Midway through this dash, a runner from regimental headquarters caught up with Holcomb and informed him that the earlier report was false. No doubt frustrated, the major immediately veered for the cover of a small wood to his right.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

For the record...

According to Marine Corps muster rolls, Chester Frank (Fritz) Lancaster, enlisted (or swore in) on 5 May 1917. He was attached to Company E at Mare Island, CA for basic training, which he completed in July 1917. He was then attached to 78th Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in Quantico, VA.
The 78th Company embarked, 19 January 1918, on the USS Henderson at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and arrived at St. Nazaire, France, on 5 February 1918.

Chester was with the 78th Company until 13-14 June when most of the Company was injured or killed in a mustard gas attack. 


Chester was evacuated to Juilly, also know as Army Red Cross Hospital No. 6. He stayed in France until 26 December 1918 when he was brought back to Quantico, VA on the USS North Carolina.