World War I Series - Russel W. Bolley

 

RUSSEL WILLIAM BOLLEY

Born in Highland Township, Defiance County, on March 27, 1896, Russell was the son of Theobald and Carrie (Demland) Bolley. His address was R.F.D New Bavaria, as Highland Township touches Henry County on the east side. His father was a longtime farmer in Highland Township.

On June 5, Russell filled out his World War I draft registration in Highland Township.  He waa a single farmer and claimed exemption as he said he had a father and mother, brother and sister to support.

His father's obituary noted that the father was a diabetic and often sickly which may be the grounds for Russell's plea for an exemption. In the end, he was not exempted, but instead called to duty and assigned as a Private in Company G, 28th Infantry Regiment, First Division.

He left for France on the ship "Grampian" on June 11, 1918.

"Grampian - Canadian Shipping Lines

The First Division, where Bolley was assigned, really took much of the front line fighting in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Russell Bolley was killed on October 6, 1918, in the midst of a terrible battle.  As described in the History of the First Division compiled and published by the Society of the First Division:

"There was never a more trying period for the First Division then October 6, 7,8, when it waited for the Army to renew the assault.  The men dug, as best they could, shallow holes for protection.  In these, they lay under a downpour of shell, gas and bullets.  Frequently, the Montrefage looked like a veritable volcano.

For hours at a time the smoke from bursting shell in the Exermont raine and in the depressions north of it, resembled forest fires.  Every valley was drenched with gas.

The casualties among the burial parties...were so numerous, they were discontinued.  All batteries were shelled in their exposed positions.  Streams of wounded flowed from every part of the zone of action. Ambulances could not operate forward...and the ever increasing groups of bodies about their receiving stations told of the wounded who died on stretchers while being brought from places where they fell.  

Corpses lay in the trails and at night one constantly avoided stumbling over them.  ...So effectively was their fire maintained that, during this period, the occupants of the hill were cut off from food and water, and, as it was afterward learned, the commanding officer of the position could neither receive nor issue orders."

Funeral Service first held in 1919 at home.

Russell W. Bolley was first buried near his place of death on the battlefield near Exermont, and then disinterred on June 7, 1919, and buried in the Argonne American Cemetery. Then, at last, on July 25, 1921, he was disinterred and sent home, shipped out to Hoboken, New Jersey and then home to Defiance where he was trusted to the hands of E. W. Hoffman, Undertaker, Defiance, Ohio. 

 

Russell Bolley rests in Section 23, Riverside Cemetery, Defiance, OH.

In Memoriam

Russell W. Bolley

World War I Series - Dallas D. Hamilton

 

DALLAS D. HAMILTON

John Franklin Hamilton, Sr. and wife, Aerobyne (Keezer) Hamilton welcomed their eighth child, Dallas Delore Hamilton on 17 August 1890 in Defiance, Ohio. Dallas was the fourth son to be born to the large Hamilton clan of nine children. The family lived in the 4th Ward of the city of Defiance from the 1870s until both parents died in the 1920s.

Dallas took a job in 1913 with the B&O Railroad and moved to Garrett, Indiana. By June, 1917, he and older brother, Edward, were living in Flint, Michigan. Dallas was an acetylene welder with the Buick Motor Company.

Dallas registered for the draft as required. He was called to serve and placed in Company F of the 338th, assigned to the 169th Infantry Brigade of the 85th Infantry Division, also known as the "Custer Division, named after the cavalry commander, George Armstrong Custer.

The regiment was formed 5 August 1917 at Camp Custer, Michigan. In this regiment, there were 3,755 officers and enlisted men. On 22 July 1918, Corporal Dallas D. Hamilton left New York City on the "Carmania," heading for France. The Doughboys of the regiment deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces and were billeted in the cities of Nevers and Cosne. The regiment didn't participate in any named campaigns during the war. Its infantrymen were used as individual replacements to the fighting divisions.

In a letter home to his sister, dated 12 November 1918 (one day after the Armistice was signed in Europe), Dallas expressed his relief at being spared. He wrote of his hopes to be home by Spring, 1919, and longed for news of the family. Ten days after Dallas penned this letter, he was was listed as missing in action. His letter arrived in Defiance and was published in the Crescent-News on 2 December 1918.

"Dallas Hamilton of East Defiance, who is in the service in France, and who was reported 'missing' has written the following letter to his sister. The letter is dated November 12th which is since the day he was among the missing.

'France, November 12th, 1918

Dear Sister and All,

Things have made quite a change in this country lately. From war to peace certainly cheered people up. I'll bet they celebrated in the States  Would like to have been there to help.

It came in time to make a very pleasant Thanksgiving for some and of course the loss for others will make it very much different. I consider myself lucky to getting thru alive and if God permits will be home by spring.

Did you notice the peace came on the eleventh hour, the eleventh day, eleventh month? I think that by the time I write again, I will be able to tell a little more and tell you almost where I am located.  Mail service should be better now since the boats can make the trip across in six days instead of twelve or thirteen. There is one thing that I am anxious to know and that is to hear about you people for it seems as tho my mail fails me. Am transferred around so much, it makes it impossible to get it, but from now on, I think I will be pretty much settled.

Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner.

Love to All,

Your Brother'"

In the 11 January 1919 issue, the Sandusky Register listed Dallas as being wounded, previously reported MIA. Then on 17 January 1919, Dallas was listed as dying from his wounds. Actually, Dallas had succumbed to his wounds on 8 December 1918 near Bourgoyne, France.

Communication was sometimes slow to get back to the U.S.

The Hamilton family had suffered another tragic loss. John and Aerobyne had already lost four children before they received news of Dallas' death in 1918. To make matters even more difficult, they had to wait over two years to finally lay their son to rest in Defiance.  His remains arrived at Hoboken, NJ aboard the "Wheaton" on 15 December 1920. His body was interred at Riverside Cemetery in Defiance on 13 January 1921.

In Memoriam

 Dallas Delore Hamilton

 

Guest Blogger - Rhonda Casler

 

 

 

World War I Series - Sergeant Edgar "Gray" Swingle

 

Edgar Gray Swingle

Gray Swingle was born in Hicksville, Ohio, on July 27, 1894, to Albert (Bert) and Mary Edith Gray Swingle.  By 1900, the family had moved to Newark, Ohio, where they were found on the census. Gray was eligible for placement on the monument because of his beginnings in Defiance County.  

Gray grew up in Pickering County and later attended Wittenberg College at Springfield, Ohio. He was an excellent student, and upon his graduation, he decided to enlist in 1917.

On May 13, 1917, he reported to Fort Thomas, Kentucky at the age of almost 23. He was made Private First Class on July 6, 1917 and quickly worked his way up through Corporal to Sergeant.  Soon Gray was overseas in the Defensive Sector in France in the Somme as part of the American Expeditionary Forces.

As he was leading his patrol in the spring of 1918,they came under mortal fire from the Germans. Gray didn't make it; the day was March 28, 1918.

With his Distinguished Service Cross was this anecdote:

"For extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 6th Engineers, 3rd Division, AEF near Bois-es-Tailoux, March 28, 1918.  The patrol came under hostile machine gun fire and Sergeant Swingle was mortally wounded.  He gave instructions to the patrol to return to their company commander and ordered them to leave him, as the patrol was under fire and would all probably be wiped out."

He also was awarded the Purple Heart and the World War I Victory Medal. Word did not travel back to the United States until almost two weeks later.

The Hicksville Tribune carried this poignant message:

"Telegrams received here bring news of the death of a former Hicksville boy, Gray Swingle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Swingle, residents here until a few years ago when the family moved to Zanesville, Ohio.  The young soldier, aged 23, was killed in action.  This is the first death of a Hicksville born soldier on foreign soil and is the first to bring to our very doors the horrors of this war..."

Sergeant Gray Swingle was buried in the Somme American Cemetery in France, Block D, Row 16, Grave 15.  

His mother, Mrs. Mary Swingle, also applied to go to France on the Mothers' Pilgrimage in 1930.  It is not known if she did go.

The Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio printed a lengthy obituary for Gray on April 12, 1918 on page 3. It supplies more insight into his service, so sections of it are here:

"SERGEANT GRAY SWINGLE OF THIS CITY KILLED IN ACTION ON THE FRENCH BATTLE LINE MAR. 28.

OUR FIRST SACRIFICES...

Just a few hours before the casualty lists from 'over there' were made public Thursday, a telegram was received by the family of Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Swingle of 20 North Street, telling of the death of their son, Sergeant Gray Swingle, 24, who was killed in action in France on March 28.

The telegram from Adjutant General McCain stated: 'Deeply regret to inform you that Sergeant Gray Swingle, Engineers, is officially reported as killed in action March 28.'  The message was filed in Washington at 2:24 o'clock Thursday afternoon and was addressed to Mr. Bert Swingle...  It was received at the Munson Music Company where Mr. Swingle is a salesman, and as he was out of the city, Mr. E. H. Frame of the company intercepted the telegram as he did not wish Mrs. Swingle to receive it while she was alone at her home.

Her daughter, Miss Mary Swingle, of the Public Library was located in Granville, and with her father, assisted in softening the blow to the mother...

...The Sixth Regiment of Engineers, which was stationed at Washington D.C. A splendid body of troops, they did guard duty at the White House for a time and were known as the 'President's Pets."

Sergt. Swingle left this country about the third of December with the Engineers and from the first, the regiment has been in the thickest of the fray.  A few days ago, a rumor was prevalent that he had been captured by the Germans, but the fact was discredited by his family, who continued to receive letters from him.  The family knew he was in a precarious location, as he called on Mrs. Andrews of the Smith College Unit, and she wrote the family from Nesle in the Somme country saying he had called.  Just on Wednesday this week, Mrs. Swingle received a cheerful letter from him which had been written on March 18.

He was killed while in action when his regiment of engineers joined Canadian and British troops in repulsing the Germans.

He visited his home here in November while stationed at Washington and proved himself as thoroughly a soldier as he had been a student.

His brother, Robert F. Swingle, followed his brother's example and enlisted shortly afterwards and is now a member of Battery B, 61st Coast Artillery Company..."

Kent Miller, local historian from Hicksville, gave an account of Swingle's last day in an article published on October 22, 2018, in the Bryan Times. It reads in part: 

"...On March 27, 1918, Swingle was leading a patrol to scout enemy positions near Hamel, right after U.S. forces occupied the front lines in that section of the Somme. They heard a German patrol pass by at about 2 a.m. 

'There's something over there and we must know what it is,' Swingle said, according to Miller's account of the day's action. 'You fellows can stay here if you wish, but I'm going to find out.'

He crept out alone and immediately came under fire. His squad fell back to the line and reported him captured. The next morning, a Captain Harris, spotted him on the other side of No-Man's-Land within 50 yards of the German line, trying to crawl back with two broken legs.

Private Frank J. Goldcamp and Wagoner, Carl G. Duncan volunteered to go get him and ran out without weapons while three others provided covering fire.

'Boys, why didn't you bring a stretcher?' Swingle asked, according to Miller's account.

Goldcamp responded, 'We'll get in Sergeant, if you can stand it.'

Swingle gritted his teeth and growled, 'I'll stand it, you boys should never have come out after me.'

They dragged him by his arms for about 15 yards before the Germans opened fire again. They hit all three men.  Goldman died on the spot and Duncan fainted with two broken ribs.

They laid still and played possum for about two hours, waiting for stretcher bearers to come out after dark. 'If they don't come for us soon, we'll freeze to death,' Swingle is reported to have said, so Duncan decided to go get one himself.  He stumbled about 400 yards before he passed out again. His own brother came out after him with a doctor in tow. The brother carried him back, while the doctor crept forward and found Swingle dead next to Goldcamp.

Duncan spent 10 months in the hospital before he was medically discharged.  Swingle and Goldcamp were among the first Americans killed in action. They were buried in Somme and posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest honor for heroism."

Posthumously, Gray appeared in War Bonds advertisements to support the cause.

In Memoriam

Edgar Gray Swingle

The Tales of World War I Soldiers on the Monument

The impressive war memorial honoring our Defiance County soldiers who lost their lives in any war where the United States was involved is worth studying. As they sacrificed their lives, families were left at home mourning their loss.

This begins a series of blogs dedicated to each soldier listed on the World War I section of the memorial. These soldiers were either killed in action, missing in action, executed or taken as prisoners of war. As much research as is possible will be completed to tell their story and personalize their experiences.

If you are related to any of these soldiers and would like to bring forth a story or photo to add, please contact us. We welcome your assistance. Even if the post has already been published, more can be added later.

defiancegenealogy2002@yahoo.com  (email)

PO Box 7006, Defiance, OH 43512 

Russell W. Bolley - Charles Butler - Tracy J. Clark - Clarence Cooley - Donel G. Cottrell - Glen Crowe - Ellis Dull - Charles H. Fockler - A. C. Gecowets - Dallas D. Hamilton - George D. Jackson - Edward Wilson - Ralph Mabrey - Roma W. Mansfield - Fred McFeters - Steven G. McKinley - Earl R. Myers - Alfred Prigge - Francis T. Rath - Edward C. Smart - Hollie J. Smith - Gray Swingle - Frank R. Vollmer

Defiance College - World War I

"DEFIANCE COLLEGE NOW ARMY TRAINING SCHOOL

(Special to the News.)

HICKSVILLE, O.  Sept. 14 -

By government action, Defiance college has been made a unit of the students army training corps, and will now be under the direction of the war department.  A regular army officer will be stationed there, and the students will wear the khaki uniform of Uncle Sam.

Sisson Hall has been converted into a barracks and a portion of the new Tenzer science hall will also be utilized for that purpose.  Over 100 young men have already registered there for military training, and prospects that the number will be doubled before the month ends."

Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana - September 14, 1918

Defiance College, 1918.  Photo from the digital archives of the Defiance Public Library Ohio Memory Project.