New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Andover

Posted on 14 September, 2018 by Janice Brown

Andover New Hampshire’s town green, photo showing location of war monument.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917.  On the 5th of June following that announcement the first of three registrations took place, and many of those registrants entered military service.  These documents included personal details and their signature.  Besides those serving in various branches of the military, no doubt the entire town became involved in supporting “the boys over there.”  There would have been great activity in Red Cross work, YMCA organizations and the local fraternal societies.  The town of Andover NH would not have been immune to the terrible influenza pandemic that raged through New Hampshire. Continue reading →

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100 Years Ago: United States Naval Schools of WWI

Posted on 12 September, 2018 by Janice Brown

U.S. Navy Recruitment Poster,
Lithograph, 96×63 cm. 1910-1920.
Library of Congress Prints and
Photographs Division, Washington DC.

Although much of my focus has been on those who served in the United States Army during WWI, there were other branches of the armed services equally involved, including the marine corps and the navy.  The Sextant, a web site maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command states that starting in 1916, “the United States began a gigantic six-year program of naval expansion … from 1916 to 1922, the Navy added 10 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, 287 destroyers and 88 submarines to the fleet…”

Once WWI was declared in the U.S., it became a necessity to set up camps to train those would would soon staff these ships for the United States Navy, and the Portsmouth Navy Yard Camp was among these.  In addition, several of the above mentioned ships and submarines were built at the Portsmouth Navy yard.  That topic will involve a great deal of research, and so for now I will just list the primary U.S. Naval Schools  and their locations, as found in the Nashua Telegraph newspaper of Wednesday September 18, 1918 page 5. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Private Alfred J Cote of Warren

Posted on 10 September, 2018 by Janice Brown

Headstone of P1c Alfred J. Cote at Arlington National Cemetery. Photograph from ANC website.

Private Alfred J. Cote is a bit of a mystery, though his military service in WWI and his death is not. In various records he is shown as being of Keene NH (the NH Adjutant General’s List of WWI Casualties) and of Warren New Hampshire (from his U.S. Military Transport Records).

What is known is that Alfred J. Cote was a Private in the U.S. Army who served in Company B, 314th Infantry, U.S. Army. His service number was 2886471. On 8 July 1918 he departed the United States at Hoboken NJ aboard the ship Leviathan bound for military service in Europe. At that time his next of kin was a “Mrs. Alice Contois” of Child Street, Warren New Hampshire. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire in WWI: Heroes of Raymond

Posted on 8 September, 2018 by Janice Brown

Dudley-Tucker Library, Raymond, NH. From Wikimedia Commons. Photographer John Phelan, taken on 21 April 2014.

The year 1917 was an especially difficult one for the Town of Raymond in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  A month before the United States declared war the town hall burned down (13 March 1917). According to the book, Images of America: Raymond by Kristin Ozana Doyle, “the town offices were moved to the upper floor of the library, and remained there until 1974 when a new town hall was built.”

This incident did not dampen the town’s patriotism and they sent their full quota to service (2 to 2-1/2% of the town’s total residents of around 1200 people.).  Within the decade of World War I (1910-1920), the town’s population would decline by about 150 residents.  Two residents, Sergt. Dudley Gilman Tucker and Private Emerson Maple made the supreme sacrifice. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire in WWI: The Phelan Sisters of Milford

Posted on 6 September, 2018 by Janice Brown

Upper Row, Left to Right — Maurice Phelan, John Phelan, William Phelan, All in the United States Navy. Below–Katherine Phelan and Mrs. Alice Keefe.

 

This is a short story about the Phelan Family of Cambridge MA who spent summers on their Milford, New Hampshire farm.  The men mentioned served from Cambridge MA not Milford NH.  One of the women in the story, Katherine Phelan, married a Milford man, Leo D. Flanagan and lived in the town for many years.  My interest started with this newspaper story and photograph demonstrating how women often had the “men’s tasks” during wartime.

Boston Sunday Globe 22 September 1918, page 140
THREE SONS IN SERVICE / TWO SISTERS RUN FARM Continue reading →

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