Help with the 355th Bakery Co. (AEF)

[joeddelozier]

I'm trying to build a display of my great-grandfather's medals/badges from WW1. Unfortunately his records were destroyed in a fire at the archives. Family history (foggy memory of my great-aunts) says that he served in Lorraine, France, an unverified genealogy note states that he was overseas from September 1918 to June 1919, and his helmet from the war has his name (Frank Simon) and "355th Bakery". He was a baker by trade before and after the war.

I know he would be eligible for the WW1 Victory Medal, and at the very least the "France" clasp. Also, he would have earned the gold overseas chevron.

Does anybody know where the 355th Bakery served? What unit it was attached to/SSI badge? Was it eligible for the "Defensive Sector" clasp?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Phill Lockett]

Hi can't help with where the 355th were , however as a general background Bakery Companies were under the Quartermaster Corp and were assigned to all parts of the Army. This was that they could be put where ever the QMC decided: Div. Corp, Army Service of Supply etc.. Fresh bread was one of the delights of the "doughboy" and they sprang up all over France, so its quite hard to track a company movement if records were destroyed.

I would look at where he was born and the city or state for records of enlistment , then contact US Army Quartermaster Museum Fort Lee Virginia for record of 355th Bakery Co.
Not to sure of SSI as he could come under any units from Division-to Service of Supply and they would of been locally made SSI.

Check USMF:

ww1 advanced service supply patch - ARMY AND USAAF - U.S. Militaria Forum

Phill

[joeddelozier]

Thanks for your response and help.

[aicusv]

You may find this of interest https://archive.org/details/H-1515. I remember my Uncle had some not too kind words about Army bread.