AEF - Henly, Keech, Stern (The White Lyres)

[SJHenley]

Just sending up a flare here on the off chance someone might stumble across something in their own research while investigating personal in the AEF, American Hospitals, or the Red Cross. 

 

My great uncle Will (Bill) Lewellyn Henley (2671079, 325th Infantry) met up with Kelvin Keech (1724521, 321st Field Signal Battalion), and Daniel (Danny) Stern (1698978, 305th Infantry) after they were wounded, possibly ending up together at the 18th General Hospital. They started doing some gigs for the Red Cross in early 1919, then managed to get themselves a contract over in London after they were de-mobbed, spent some time in Paris, and toured through Europe and the Middle East when Istanbul was still Constantinople.

 

I believe that Danny Stern was the last one to get out of hospital in April of 1919, and the only one who actually had a music related role during his service - he was a bugler.

 

Two other band member names are Thomas (Tommy) Townsend from Rhode Island and Bob Dole, neither of whom I can confirm any service information for at this time. Bill spelled his last name Henley or Henly at different times. The military and his passport records seems to have him on all records as Henly.

 

I figured this is just strange enough it might stick in someone's head if they see something on one of these fellows while they are meandering through other records one day. 

 

Thanks all.