WW1 US ARMY TANK CORPS 344TH BATTALION XMAS MENU + XMAS CARD

Description: ORIGINAL! WW1 US ARMY TANK CORPS 344TH BATTALION XMAS MENU + XMAS CARD - BOURG FRANCE 1918 WW1 US ARMY TANK CORPS 344TH BATTALION XMAS MENU + XMAS CARD - BOURG FRANCE 1918 THIS LISTING INCLUDES 4 ORIGINAL ITEMS. THE CHRISTMAS MENU AND CHRISTMAS CARD ARE BOTH FROM SERGEANT JOHN E. MURPHY CHRISTMAS WITH THE U.S. ARMY TANK CORPS 344TH BATTALION (HEAVY) COMPANY "B" WHILE IN FRANCE DURING WW1 WITH THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES : CHRISTMAS MENU 4 PAGE + COVER COVER - COVER WEIGHT CREAM COLORED PAPER TEXT - TEXT WEIGHT CREAM COLORED PAPER 6 5/16" x 8 7/16" STRING BINDING IN RED WHITE AND BLUE ON THE 8 7/16" EDGE VERY FINE WITH MODERATE HANDLING, DAMP STAINS, FROM ITS 106+ YEARS. =========================================================================CHRISTMAS CARD 4 PAGE 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (FOLDED) COVER WEIGHT CREAM COLORED PAPER VERY FINE WITH SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING FROM ITS 106+ YEARS. THE CHRISTMAS CARD DRAWING IS SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE INSIDE LOWER RIGHT AND PASSED BY CENSOR T.C.(TANK CORPS) 2nd LT. E.W. KEEVER ON THE INSIDE LOWER LEFT. ===========================================================NEWS CLIPPING ARTICLE ABOUT SERGEANT JOHN E. MURPHY 2 1/4" x 6 1/2" NEWSPRINT PAPER VERY FINE WITH SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING FROM ITS 106+ YEARS. =========================================================U.S. ARMY TANK CORPS SERGEANT JOHN E. MURPHY PHOTO POSTCARD 3 3/8" x 5 3/8" VERY FINE WITH SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING AND SPOTS OF PERIOD ALBUM RESIDUE ON THE REVERSE AND SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING FROM ITS 106+ YEARS.================================================================ Brigadier General Samuel D. Rackenhech, as the Chief of Tank Corps for the American Expeditionary Forces under Pershing, organized, trained, equipped and then deployed the first American tank units to the Western Front of 1918 Europe. An initial plan for 2,000 light Renault FI tanks and 200 heavy British Mark VI tanks was changed to 20 battalions of 77 light tanks each and 10 battalions of 45 heavy tanks each. A total of eight heavy battalions (the 301st to 308th) and 21 light battalions (the 326th to 346th) were raised, but only four (the 301st, 331st, 344th and 345th) saw combat Captain George S. Patton, the first officer assigned to the unit, set up a light tank school at Bourg, France, starting on 10 November 1917. In the first half of 1918, the 326th and 327th Tank Battalions were organized at Patton's school, while the 301st Heavy Tank Battalion was raised at Camp Meade, Maryland, USA and transported to the British Tank School at Bovington Camp in southern England, for training. The 326th (under the command of Sereno E Brett) and 327th Tank Battalions (later renamed the 344th and 345th and organized into the 304th Tank Brigade, commanded by Patton), were the first into combat, beginning with the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, as part of the U.S. IV Corps on 12 September 1918. The small French Renault FT tanks they were equipped with found the going hard and many were lost or ran out of fuel crossing the battlefield - the Germans, forewarned, had largely retreated from the salient. The tanks then took part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive as part of the US V Corps on 26 September. Major Brett assumed command of the 304th after Patton was injured on 26 September, the first day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive near Sheppy, France. During the war, two members of the Tank Corps (both from the 344th Battalion) were awarded the Medal of Honor; Donald M. Call and Harold W. Roberts. (please see pictures) THESE ARE NOT A COPIES OR A REPRODUCTIONS. PLEASE SEE MY 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND BUY WITH CONFIDENCE.

Price: 1250 USD

Location: New York, New York

End Time: 2025-01-29T18:26:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.99 USD