From the middle of July, 1917, to the latter part of September. 1917. the Fifth
Regiment (less the 3d Battalion. less the 8th Company) was stationed in the Gondrecourt
Training Area, which was the First Division Area, while the Third Battalion (less the 8th
Company in the Gondrecourt Training Area and the 16th Company at Nevers) was performing
duty in the Line of Communications (Services of Supply) at St. Nazaire, France.
Training was carried on in this area under the direction of the Chasseurs Alpins, from
July 23 to September 7, 1917. This instruction with Chasseur Alpins troops was started
by a demonstration at their camp, some miles distant, of the various phases of attack
and defense trench work."
Training and instruction in this early period consisted of various phases of attack and
defense trench work; practice marches with full packs; tracing and constructing first-line
trenches; assembling and dismounting machine guns and their nomenclature and repair;
machine gun drills; Hotchkiss guns; automatic rifle instruction; pistol and rifle target
practice; range finding; lectures on sanitation of billets and troops; first-aid
instruction; grenade instruction; signal drill; close and extended order drills;
swimming; wire entanglements; constructing dug-outs and all types of trenches;
obstacles, barbed-wire revetments, facines, hurdles, etc.; night attacks; bayonet
exercises; combat formations; and combat. approach and attack.
Very soon after the Fifth Regiment arrived in the Gondrecourt Training Area, officers were
sent as observers to various parts of the front.
The weather during this early period of training is illustrated by the following notations
in the War Diary dated July 31, 1917. "Drills suspended during the afternoon due to the
steady rain", on August 1, 1917: "Weather fair and warm"; and on August 2, 1917: "Weather
cold and showery."
McClellan, Maj Edwin N., USMC, Officer-in-Charge, Historical Division, Marine Corps,
"The Fourth Brigade of Marines in the Training Areas and the Operations in the Verdun
Sector", The Marine Corps Gazette; also McClellan, The United States Marine
Corps in the World War (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1920). Hereafter: McClellan
The dated entries which follow are all from McClellan, except for the entries from
the "Log of a Battalion Surgeon" which are from The Medical Department of the United
States Navy with the Army and Marine Corps in France in World War I, Its Functions and
Employment, by Lieutenant George G. Strott, Hospital Corps, USN.
(Washington, DC: Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, US Navy Department, June, 1947). Hereafter: Strott.
July 15, 1917(from the Log of Battalion Surgeon
Lt Strott):
15 July (0430): The Headquarters and Supply Companies, First and Second Battalions and the
Eighth Company, struck tents and marched into St. Nazaire for entrainment. The regiment is
about to experience its first voyage in French freight cars, each conspicuously boasting
accommodations for 40 Hommes or 8 Chevaux. The trip across France to the training area was
pleasant.
Weather was ideal; men were in good spirits and the countryside was pretty with the
ripening wheat fields dotted with splashes of red poppies. The troops were hailed all
along the line by the French as though we were returning from victory instead of green
troops untrained in modern warfare.
July 17, 1917(from the Log of Battalion Surgeon
Lt Strott):
17 July: Arrived at destination. In the billet towns, arches of welcome were
erected. Citizens
out to meet us in gala attire.
Peaceful Vosges hills now scarred with practice trenches, for position warfare to
be studied from
all angles, both by day and by night. Alpine Chaussers find Marines apt pupils.
Social relations with French cordial. Marines cleaning up villages and entertaining
villagers with band concerts. Women do our washing and sewing, sell milk, eggs, and
fruit, and cook many wonderful meals.
August 1, 1917
Genera1 Pershing inspected the battalions at the two towns where they were billeted.
August 6, 1917
One-half of the signal section of Headquarters Company left for Harville to receive instruction and to remain there until September 2, 1917.
August 6, 1917
General D'Arman de Pouydraguin, Commanding General of the 47th Division Chasseurs Alpins; Colonel Zerbini, Commanding Officer of the Sixth Group Chasseurs Alpins: the Commanding General of the First Division (American) : Colonel Charles, A. Doyen; and Lieutenant Colonel Logan Feland, inspected the drills of the Second Battalion. consisting of trench building, grenade throwing, and attack formation.
August 13, 1917
Steel helmets issued.
August 15, 1917
A review of the First Division, including the Fifth Regiment of Marines, by the Commanding General of the Division, was held at 11.00 a.m., August 15, 1917, on a plateau twelve miles from Fifth Regiment headquarters. Troops left at 5:30 a.m. and returned in trucks about 2:00 p.m.
August 19, 1917
At about 5:00 p.m., August 19, 1917, General Pershing and General Petain inspected the Marines of the Fifth Regiment and billets in Menaucourt and Naix. The result of the inspection is summed up in a memorandum dated August 20, 1917, issued by the Commanding Officer of the fifth Regiment, reading as follows:
“Yesterday, at the inspection of the Regiment by General Petain, Commander in Chief of all the French forces; General Pershing, Commander in Chief of All the American forces in France; the Commanding General of the First Division, American force, and General Pouydraguin, the Commander of the 47th Division, Chasseurs Alpins, who are instructing our men. General Petain congratulated the Colonel of our Regiment on the splendid appearance of the officers and men, as well as the cleanliness of the towns.
General Pershing personally told Colonel Doyen that he wished to congratulate him on having such an excellent Regiment. The representative of the General commanding our Division, congratulated the Colonel on the military bearing and splendid appearance of our troops when they received the French and Army Generals, and finally General Pouydraguin came over personally and through his interpreter said to Colonel Doyen: “Colonel, I wish to say to you that your regiment corresponds in your Division to the position occupied by the Chasseurs in the French Army. That is the highest complement I can pay you.”
August 21, 1917
The following notation in the War Diary dated August 21, 1917, describes the first death of a Marine officer, and possibly the officer of the American Expeditionary Forces:
A report was received this day from the Army Base Hospital No.6, to the effect that Second Lieutenant Frederick Wahlstrom, while riding in a side-car motorcycle, driven by Cpl Glenn J. Knupp, en route from his company’s station [Menaucourt] to his instruction station, at Horville, had met with serious accident [between Baudignecourt and Houdelaincourt] by colliding with a French Army wagon about 10:00 p.m., August 20, 1917. He died this day at 6:00 p.m. It was reported that Cpl Knupp, although seriously injured, had a fair chance to recover.
Lt Wahlstrom was buried in the military cemetery near Neufchateau, France, on August 23, 1917, a Squad of Marines firing the volleys over his grave.
A “special program of night attacks on Hill No.348" was held on August 22, 1917, “from 7:00 p.m. until 11 p.m.”
August 22, 1917
The Eighth Company entrained on August 22, 1917, to rejoin the Third Battalion which wa performing Line of Communications duty at St Nazaire, France.
August 24, 1917
Major General Robert L. Bullard inspected the trench drills of the Second Battalion on August 24, 1917.
August 26, 1917
The following schedule of lectures, at 4:30 p.m. each day, for the week beginning August 27, 1917, was announced on August 26, 1917, including the following subjects, and shows the scope of training at this time: “Automatic Rifle and Machine Gun; Field Fortifications; Gas and Flame; Musketry and Bayonet; Grenade; Trench Mortar; and Lines of Information.”
September 1, 1917
A demonstration of the effect of artillery fire by the French Division was held on a plateau about twelve miles distant from the towns where the Fifth Regiment was billeted on September 1, 1917, by a more extensive artillery demonstration held at the same place, which “included preparation of the assault, advance of infanty, and rolling barrage”; aeroplanes also participated.
September 4, 1917
On September 4, 1917, the Fifth Regiment. although in the training area. heard and saw the enemy, for "about 10.30 P.M. enemy aeroplanes flew over the district. Two explosions were heard in the immediate vicinity, although no damage resulted. Our anti-aircraft stations fired at the planes and French machines gave chase. Enemy aeroplanes returned, bombarding a town closer to the front."
September 9, 1917
On September 9, 1917. the Machine Gun Company of the Base Detachment of the Fifth Regiment arrived in the Gondrecourt area and was sent to General Headquarters at Chaumont for guard duty on September 10, 1917. .
On September 9, 1917. the 18th French Infantry Division arrived for the purpose of instructing the troops. the instruction starting on September II. 1917.
September 19, 1917
The 15th and 23d Companies of the First Battalion, under command of Captain George H. Osterhout, left at 3.30 A.M., September 19. 1917, and marched to Division Headquarters at Gondrecourt for detached duty at the Specialists School there. These two companies were later assigned to the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion.
September 20-22, 1917
In addition to the Third Battalion on detached duty at St. Nazaire. many officers were ordered to special and detached duty Captain Frederick A. Barker left the Regiment for duty in Paris as Assistant Provost Marshal on September 20. 1917. Then, on September 22, 1917, the 67th Company of the First Battalion with Major Julius S. Turrill commanding, consisting of 5 officers and 199 men, left at 2.00 P.M. this date for Southampton, England, for Line of Communications duty."
September 23, 1917
Orders were received on September 23. 1917. for the Fifth Regiment to proceed to Damblain and Breuvanncs. two towns in the Bourmont or Second Division Training Area about two miles apart. and approximately fifty miles in a southerly direction from Gondrecourt. Sunday' routine was disregarded and the day was spent in packing and in preparation for the move.
Signal Corps photos, top to bottom, left to right:
~ Menaucourt in the Gondrecourt training area where the 5th Regiment was billeted.
~ Members of the 5th Regt arriving by truck in Menaucourt.
~ With flowers and cries of 'Soyez les bienvenus!', the children of Menaucourt greet the Marines.
~ A French Chasseur Alpin, "Blue Devil", teaching a Marine how to shelter himself in the open.
~ Marines standing inspection, either in Menaucourt or Naix.
~ Blue Devils & Devil Dogs (though not yet known by that name) on the firing range. The French
were astonished by the marksmanship of the average Marine, but considered it a decorative
talent, more suitable to the parade-ground than the trenches..
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