Asking for help with uniform, cap, medal and insignia ID

[Don Geidel]

The attached picture is one I recently discovered of my grandfather. It was taken in 1919, per a date written on the back. I have been told, but cannot verify, that he served in the AEF overseas, was wounded by mustard gas, and received the same medal twice for his actions. Any help identifying his medal, cap insignia, sleeve chevrons, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Suggestions on where to search for possible info about him and his unit (if identified, would be welcomed. Thanks!

[aim]

Welcome to the Forum!

It would really help if you could give us a name and some other details about your grandfather (date and place of birth are often useful, was he Australian or American?). I can't help, but I'm sure someone can!

aim.

[Don Geidel]

His name was Adolph Geidel and he was American, born in the northeast US. His uniform has a "US" button on the collar. He looks to be in his early 20s in the photo, so perhaps born around the late 1890s.

 

[Don Geidel]

I was also curious about the chair he is sitting in. It appears to be European and quite fancy, so maybe the photo was taken in Europe.

 

[PRC]

Hi @Don Geidel and welcome to the forum

I’ll kick things off with whats freely available on the familysearch website.

The Veterans Administation has an index card for a Private 1^st Class Adolph Geidel, born 29^th May 1898. He enlisted on the 20^th April 1917 and was discharged on the 3^rd February 1919. I believe his service number  was 65 557. The address held for him was 124 Miller Street, New Britain, Connecticut. The date of death has been added – 11^th December 1947. I’m not familiar with the abbreviated title for his unit “Hob Cas Co #90”. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPF-M3K3

Fortunately the familysearch site also have some muster rolls and rosters.

The Muster In Roll records him as Adolph “Geidels”. He is recorded as aged 20, stood 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair - in case you ever want to colourise the picture! He was born at an unknown place in Russia. He was an unmarried machine operator, resident in New Britain. His person to contact in the event of an emergency was his uncle Mr. Frank Mazuk(?), of 6 Skeyton? Street, New Britain, Connecticut. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6DLQ-V8J7

He was appointed 1^st Class Private on July 3^rd 1917. He forfeited $3.20 for an unstated reason on the 30^th July 1917. By scrolling back through the images it is possible to see this relates to a muster roll of  “I” Company, 102^nd U.S. Infantry covering the period 30^th June 1917 to the 31^st August 1917.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WBT3-9X6Z

An Adolph Geidel  who joined up on the 20^th April 1917 appears on this one which covers the period 31^st August 1917 to the 31^st October 1917. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZNMG-C72M
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H5-J331-R?i=463&cc=3346936

Adolph is listed as a First Class Private with “I” Company 102^nd U.S. Infantry for the period 31^st October 1917 to the 31^st December 1917. From the entries against some of the other names the unit now appears to be in France. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZF23-YMW2

The return covering 31^st December 1917 to the 28^th February 1918 includes his service number as 65557, but has no notes against his name. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZFLP-F8PZ

He is shown on “D.S.” in the Base Hospital from the 16^th – 28^th March 1918 and again from the 7^th to the 8^th April 1918 on the muster roll covering 28^th February 1918 to the 30^th April 1918. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W1HY-DW3Z

The entry from the “I” Company muster roll for 30^th April April 1918 to 30^th June 1918 has no notes against his name. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WBT3-7Z6Z

Private 1^st Class 65557 Adolph Geidel is simply shown as being in hospital on a monthly roster for “I” Company, 102^nd U.S. Infantry dated 1^st August 1918. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WBT3-WWT2

Private 1^st Class 65557 Adolph Geidel was still in hospital on a monthly roster for “I” Company, 102^nd U.S. Infantry dated 1^st September 1918. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZFPD-35W2

He was still in hospital on the monthly roster roll dated 1^st October 1918. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZFVR-SR6Z

Private 1^st Class 65557 Adolph Geidel is on a list of men being transferred in their present grades from the Classification Camp to St. Aignan Casual Company in an order that was dated December 16^th 1918 and which was issued by the Headquarters of the 1^st Depot Division. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L5G-YGMM

An “Adolphe” Geidel, an infantryman with service number 65557 was discharged on the 3^rd February 1919. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XDX-17BF

Apologies if I have missed any of the documents or failed to pick up all the salient information that may be available if you scroll back and forth through each return.

And hopefully that is the right man!

Wikipedia has:-

The 102nd was stationed at the Neufchateau, Vosges Training Area during the fall and winter of 1917 with the 26th Division also known as the Yankee Division which included the 101st, 103rd and 104th infantry regiments.

They were then deployed in March 1918 to the Chemin des Dames area where the men had their first experience with defensive and offensive operations and with poison gas.

Next they were deployed in April 1918 to the Toul Sector in the American sector near the Beaumont Zone. They fought at Seicheprey.

Next the 102nd was deployed in July 1918 to the Chateau Thierry area and were involved in the battles of the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne and the Second Battle of the Marne (15 July – 6 August). They fought at Trugny, Épieds, and the La Fere Forest.

Next the 102nd was deployed to Saint-Mihiel fighting at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel,then the Troyon Sector and finally at Verdun.

After completing its war service in France with the 26th Division, the Regiment arrived at the port of Boston on 7 April 1919 on the U.S.S. Agamemnon and demobilized at Camp Devens, Massachusetts on 29 April 1919. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

Hope that gets you started,
Peter

[Don Geidel]

Peter, This is fabulous! Far more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you so much!

 

[PRC]

53 minutes ago, Don Geidel said:

Peter, This is fabulous! Far more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you so much!

Learning experience for me too Don - I didn't realise it was possible to pick up the story via the muster rolls

Looking at the picture I belive on his lower left sleeve he is wearing three overseas service chevrons. There is a lot, (perhaps to much!) information on this thread on another forum. https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/197992-ww1-us-army-sleeve-insignia-regulations/

As he was discharged at the start of February 1919 and the photo has been dated to 1919 then the odds are that it was taken in the states. Judging from what has been posted in the forum at least one of the subscription genealogy sites has the ships passengers lists which includes troopships. Adolph obviously came home before his regiment so most likely he was medically repatriated. If you can establish when he sailed from Europe or landed back in the States then that may potentially help decide on which continent the picture might have been taken.

Cheers,
Peter

[FROGSMILE]

Superb work in your usual style Peter and admirable to see and read through.

The name Adolph Geidel seemed quite Germanic to me and elementary searches suggest it is Bavarian in origin.  Interestingly the Bavarians were staunch allies of Napoleon and a substantial Bavarian force formed part of his Grand Armee during the March on and Retreat from, Moscow in 1812.   https://www.napoleon-series.org/military-information/organization-strategy-tactics/the-germans-under-the-french-eagles-our-allies-the-bavarians-chapter-v-part-vi-campaign-of-1812/

During the retreat large numbers of wounded and sick were left behind in Russia and some of them are known to have survived and settled there.  Of course it might also have been a later Bavarian diaspora and my comments are mere conjecture.  I recall that coal miners in particular received incentives to emigrate to Russia.

Subject soldier has the typical flat cheek bones of a Slavic or Central European face that chimes with his origins.  As well as typical U.S. collar discs and overseas service chevrons, he wears early infantry insignia of crossed rifle muskets on his overseas cap. https://hglanham.tripod.com/usinfantry/infantry1.html

The latter type of headdress did not exist when the U.S. entered the conflict and was emulated from the French during the course of the war.  It subsequently typified the look of a U.S. veteran and matches with your suggestion that the photo was likely a commemorative portrait taken stateside upon his return.

Edited 31 July , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[Don Geidel]

You guys are awesome! Many thanks!

[PRC]

Going through that muster roll that ends 30th April 1918 there are a number of men recorded at a Base Hospital since the 23rd, with some recorded as wounded in action. Presumably it may have taken a day or two for them to get there.

The Wikipedia page for the 26th Division adds:-

"In late April (1918), German infantry conducted a raid on positions of the 26th Division, one of the first attacks on Americans during the war. At 0400 on 20 April, German field artillery bombarded the 102nd Infantry's positions near Seicheprey before German Stormtroopers (German: Stoßtruppen) moved against the village. The artillery box barrage, continuing 36 hours, isolated American units. The Germans overwhelmed a machine gun company and two infantry companies of the 102nd and temporarily breached the trenches before elements of the division rallied and recaptured the village. The Germans withdrew before the division could counterattack but inflicted 634 casualties, including 80 killed, 424 wounded, and 130 captured, while losing over 600 men, including 150 killed of their own." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

There is a little bit more on the action here https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/4321-the-yanks-of-seicheprey.html

And here https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2020/04/23/seicheprey-crucible-of-the-26th-division-part-ii/

The latter has some contemporary documents but there is no mention of I company.

This book "When Connecticut stopped the Germans" was published in 1919 and so is likely to be fairly bullish, However might be worth checking through as it may have more to say about the Companys that weren't initially in Seicheprey or the nearby woods. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft6931hg23&seq=7

Hope that is of interest.

Cheers,
Peter