WW1 Victory Medal - US
This is my Great-Grandfather's WW1 Victory Medal with 3 battle clasps. Corporal Frederick Woodhull fought with L Company - 3rd Battalion - 108th Infantry Regiment - 54th Brigade - 27th Infantry Division - II Corps. The 27th ID was made up of New York State National Guardsmen.
The II Corps was unique because it was separated from the AEF and subordinated to the British 4th Army fighting in Belgium during the Ypres-Lys Campaign. Later they fought in the Somme Offensive, including the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, made famous for "Breaking the Hindenburg Line" on 29 SEP 1918. The Defensive Sector Clasp is for the artillery and gas attacks that they experienced while they were marching between sectors from Belgium to France. He was wounded on 18 OCT 1918 at the Battle of Jonc de Mer Ridge near St. Souplet, France. I hope this thread will help to provide some meaningful context about why we preserve these medals.
Here is his WW1 Service Card - note that the date of wounding is incorrect, it is listed as 3 NOV 1918, however, this is actually the date when he arrived at an American hospital in the UK. Prior to that he spent a few weeks at a British hospital located in Bristol after he had been evacuated from Rouen, France. I also added two newspaper articles, I discovered them in the Chemung County Historical Society archives while I was researching him. The first shows his correct date and location of wounding, the second article describes some of the battle activities of the 27th ID and his returning home on Christmas Day 25 DEC 1918. Wounded soldiers were initially shipped directly home without returning to their unit first, I believe the policy was changed in early-1919.
These are his Purple Heart and WW1 Victory Medal:
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by Rakkasan187
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