New Hampshire WWI Military: Brigadier General Charles Doyen of Concord

Posted on 12 July, 2018 by Janice Brown

Brig. General Charles A. Doyen from the Boston Globe of 26 April 1918

Much as been written about Brigadier General Charles Doyen of the United States Marine Corp. I will try not to repeat what other people have stated about him, but rather mention the more personal events that are not as well known.

Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen had a long and varied career, but perhaps is best known for having commanded the first detachment of Marines to land in France during World War I. He also was the first person to receive the Navy’s Distinguished Service Award. It had been newly created and was posthumously awarded to him on 7 March 1919 at Washington D.C.. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Sergt. Herbert H. Bell of Concord

Posted on 10 July, 2018 by Janice Brown

I have written about the men and nurses of Concord New Hampshire who served in various branches of the U.S. military during World War I. In this article I will focus on Herbert H. Bell.  He  was born 5 May 1887 on 5 May 1887 in Ellenburg, Clinton Co., New York, son of Peter & Sophia (Lafontaine) Bell. Peter Bell died in 1899 and his wife Sophia remarried in 1909 to Henry “John” Rollo. Herbert H. Bell had siblings: Irwin, Ella, Cora, Augustus, Fredrick and William. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: MM1 Francis “Frank” Beggs USN of Concord

Posted on 8 July, 2018 by Janice Brown

U.S.S. Dixie, Naval Review, Oct 1912, from a Glass Negative. National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

I must admit that the elusive Frank Beggs was one of my more difficult research projects. All I had was a name on the Concord and New Hampshire Rolls of Honor. His name does not appear on the New Hampshire Adjutant General’s List of WWI Casualties. Finally after an exhaustive search I discovered a death certificate.   Frank Beggs was born “Francis Beggs” on 19 April 1871 in Concord New Hampshire, son of Irish immigrants Michael Begg & Ann Farley.

In the 1880 Census the family is shown living in Peterborough NH with siblings including Delia, James, Martin, Anna, Malachi, Thomas and Joseph. [Editor’s note: recently I wrote a story about Frank’s niece, Anne Beggs, daughter of his brother Martin Beggs]. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Derry

Posted on 6 July, 2018 by Janice Brown

On Armistice Day of 1923 public ceremonies were held by the Town of Derry New Hampshire, under the auspices of the Lester W. Chase post No. 9, American Legion to dedicate a monument to those who served from Derry in the World War (later called World War I).  The ceremonies included a line of march from Legion Hall to the Adams Memorial building where the ceremonies were held. Bands played, prayers were offered, music sung, remarks and addresses given. Rev. Donald Gerrish, 11th Army Corps chaplain of Lawrence, MA urged the audience “to never forget the sacrifice the boys of 1917 and 1918 made…”   Continue reading →

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100 Years Ago: The Tidal Wave Ships of July 4th 1918

Posted on 4 July, 2018 by Janice Brown

Lithograph Poster advertising
The Tidal Wave, July 4,
1918–95 ships launched.
Library of Congress.

On the Fourth of July 1918 the United States celebrated the holiday with a Tidal Wave of ships.  From both coasts–Portland, Maine to Portland Oregon and at Great Lakes ports a virtual tsunami when ninety-five new ships were launched. It was a remarkable Independence Day celebration, and a milestone day of great achievement for the Emergency Fleet Corporation for this action established the new United States merchant marine as a formidable war time and maritime organization.

These ships were built as part of a merchant fleet desperately needed to transport goods, people and to aid communication.  From April 1918 to July 1918 a tremendous effort was expended in order to build and launch the 95 ships.  These totaled nearly 500,000 tons, a figure which exceeds the tonnage lost by American shipping since the war began by 150,000 tons. Of the ninety-five ships, forty-one were wooden. Continue reading →

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