On July 15, 1918, the German Army began a summer offensive known as “The Second Battle of the Marne” in which Soldiers of numerous Allied units became Prisoners of War. The following is a time line set by excerpts taken from an article written by CPT William C. Truxal of the 110th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division A.E.F. published in “The History of the 110th Infantry”. The reason why I am trying to do research on this is because my family found an American flag that was supposedly flown over the
15 July- They were fighting along the Marne near Courthiezy along the road from Dormans to Chateau Thierry leading to Paris when they were captured.
16 July- They were moved to the town of Treloup in which they passed by a cemetery in Courcells along the way.
17 July- They were moved towards the town of Fismes where they stayed in a corralled field and later in a barn.
18 July- Arrived in Laon in the late afternoon where they stayed at a camp for three days. There was a train station 500 yards away. On the 20th, they were loaded into box cars and travelled for four days.
24 July- They arrived in Rastatt, Germany in the morning where they stayed in old barracks for five days. The buildings were round with thick walls covered by earth. The windows were barred and surrounded by high walls, except where the buildings ran even with the street.
29 July- They were moved to Karlsruhe where they were put into an old hotel.
2 August- Moved by train to Villigen, Baden in which they changed cars along the way in Offenburg and put up in a small camp.
3 August- Arrived in Villigen. The camp consisted of low buildings or barracks, and office, a kitchen, and an assembly room. It was surrounded by two high barbed wire fences in which a ditch ran between them, and barbed wire along the ditch. Sentinel boxes were at intervals of 25 yards.
Mid October- An escape attempt was made in which five got out, but 2 were recaptured. The two who were recaptured were to be moved to Berlin during the 1st week of November. They got as far as Cassel, where the guard was disarmed by revolutionaries and the men set free. Having no food not money, and not knowing how to get out of Germany, they got on a train and went back to the prison camp.
12 November- With the signing of the Armistice, the prisoners were given the freedom to roam the town of Villigen.
23 November- Taken out of the prison camp in the morning and arrived in Konstanz around noon, where they stayed through Thanksgiving.
25 November- Moved through the Swiss mountains to France.
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