D 
 
 570.33 
 
 324th 
 
 .V663 
 
 1919 
 
ci.i^.fzf7^k.\L 6 A7 
 
 Trinity College Library 
 
 Durham, N. C. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pictures of the Battlefront 
 
 of the 
 
 324 th INFANTRY 
 
 Meuse-Argonne, November 9-11, 1918 
 
 rJ o fo 
 
 Photographed by 
 CHAPLAIN T. G. VICKERS 
 April 28 -May 2, 1919 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/picturesofbattle01vick 
 
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 ©eiiication 
 
 To the memory of those brave men of the 324th Infantry, United 
 States Army, who went “ over the top ” on the right wing of 
 the Meuse-Argonne battle November 9-11, 1918, in the 
 Great War, and gave their lives performing their duty, 
 and whose life-blood has forever hallowed the soil 
 where these pictures were taken this little col- 
 lection of views is dedicated with abiding 
 admiration for their courage and self- 
 sacrifice by the amateur who 
 photographed the 
 scenes. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To Ex-324th Infantrymen 
 
 Greetings : 
 
 collection of pictures displayed on the fol- 
 lowing pages was made April 28 — May 2, 
 1919, while the undersigned was on leave, and 
 are the best of about 190 exposures. Some of 
 them are not very satisfactory, but are included to make a 
 complete series from Bouee — where regimental head- 
 quarters was located — to Ville-en-Woevre — the regiment’s 
 objective in the advance of November 9-11, 1918. It will 
 be seen that most of the shell holes are nearly filled with 
 water — but what wouldn’t get full of water in France from 
 October to May? The sky was cloudy, and when some of 
 the pictures were made snow was falling. It was therefore 
 very difficult to get sufficient light for good results. The 
 collection is sent out, however, with the idea that every 
 member of the regiment may see some familiar scenes to 
 remind him of that battlefield where every man faced death 
 and knew not what moment would be his last. The volume 
 is far from perfect, but the views were made under great 
 difficulties in a country at that time still deserted and deso- 
 late, and I am glad to be able to make these reminders 
 available to the men with whom I was associated during 
 those terrible days of November, 1918, and for whom I 
 cherish an undying admiration and affection. 
 
 Following the above statement about the pictures I 
 turn to another matter of greatest importance. I make no 
 apology for what I am going to say, for I believe it to be 
 more important to us who are just out of the army and to 
 our country than anything else in the world. No worthy 
 man could sustain the relation which it was my privilege 
 (with the other chaplains of the regiment) to sustain 
 toward all the members of the organization without de- 
 
veloping a genuine affection for them and a friendly interest 
 in all that pertains to them, whether in the army or in 
 civil life. Such a body of men assembled for battle makes 
 a serious situation for the enemy. Such a body of men 
 scattered throughout the country in their homes and home 
 communities makes a leavening element that will go a 
 long way toward helping to make America an invincible 
 force for right in the world, or a selfish, money-grabbing, 
 power-drunk giant which will not only consume others, 
 but must certainly come to destruction itself. All experi- 
 ence since Adam transgressed in the Garden of Eden has 
 shown without exception that no nation or individual can 
 come to any safe and sound maturity if the Lord God is 
 left out of account. No life reaches a high level of man- 
 hood without the elements which obedience to Him alone 
 can supply. On the battlefield, in the camp, on the hike, 
 everywhere, we in the army in the Great War saw examples 
 of manly unselfishness and heroic self-sacrifice in some of 
 the men we knew. How did we feel toward those men? 
 We were drawn to them and gave them our unstinted ad- 
 miration and respect. We felt honored to associate with 
 them. In time of crisis we naturally gravitated toward them 
 and made them our leaders. There was something about 
 them which we trusted and believed in instinctively. They 
 were sincere, up-standing, unaffected men. They never 
 boasted, but were always humble in the things they did. 
 Often perhaps, those men did not themselves realize what 
 they were and did not know, according to the names usually 
 applied in ordinary civil life, what they set forth in what 
 they were. I want to tell you. Such men v/ere simply 
 living examples of what loyalty to the Right makes of men. 
 In many cases such men were, without knowing it as church 
 people speak of it, followers of Jesus, the Man of Galilee. 
 Their unconscious obedience to Him inevitably made of 
 them men admired and respected by everybody. Some such 
 men recognized what it was they followed. In all such 
 
cases such men showed those fine qualities as a result of the 
 habit of setting Right and Truth ahead of everything else in 
 their lives. 
 
 Now, I want to say that the Christian Churches in 
 America stand for and foster just those qualities. Nothing 
 connected with mortal man is perfect in this world, and 
 the Church is not without her faults. She has many. Many 
 of her people have disobeyed and are sadly in need of 
 repair as followers of Jesus. It has always been so and 
 will always be so. But the central thing is this. Jesus 
 Christ, the highest type ever clothed in Besh, Saviour of 
 the world, is in the Church. Whatever of good there is in 
 the world is found at its best in the Church. The imperfect 
 and bad sometimes hide the good, but it is there and has 
 kept the Church alive and will keep her alive forevermore. 
 The very things which we so admired in men in the army 
 are the things which belong more perfectly to Christ than 
 to any man who ever lived. Do we admire courage, fear- 
 lessness, self-sacrifice? With matchless courage and utter 
 fearlessness He sacrificed Himself freely for others. He 
 never grovelled or acted in a manner unbecoming to the 
 manliest spirit that ever drew breath. Always He was the 
 master of every situation, because He was perfect Master 
 of Himself. He is all any man could desire in the Leader 
 he chooses to follow. He is in the Church. Tie up with 
 the church of your choice and get to work in it. You will 
 find Him, and He will bring to you more of manhood and 
 of the power to live your life satisfyingly than any other 
 companion or leader you ever saw or heard about. Try it. 
 
 America needs manly, unafraid, unselfish men every- 
 where as she needs nothing else. Politics needs to be 
 purged of its self-seeking, unscrupulous elements in order 
 that our government may serve the ends for which it exists. 
 It is imperative that there be born a feeling of brotherliness 
 and co-operation among Capital, Labor and the Public. 
 Wherever you look there is the same call for men who will 
 
do their work not only with an eye to their own rights, 
 but also with due consideration for the other fellow. Social 
 life needs to be cleared of some of its dangers. In Church, 
 in politics, in industry, in business, in the social fabric, in 
 international matters, in everything there is the same 
 urgent demand, nay, pressing necessity for men who have 
 seen the value of Right, that they may decree by the irre- 
 sistible force of their determined convictions that this 
 country shall not become the victim of selfish or half- 
 crazed men seeking to ram some pet scheme down the 
 nation’s throat. If we who fought in the Great War make 
 up our minds that America shall go right she will go right, 
 and no power can lead her astray. 
 
 It is the man determined to live according to Truth 
 and Right that must keep this land safe. Hence I say, 
 tie up with the church. In the home you make with the 
 wife of your choice see that truth prevails. Keep it sacred 
 and inviolate. Be a family man. Make your home strong 
 and wholesome for your children and your children's chil- 
 dren. Be humble. Be self-controlled. Be a man among 
 men. Let the woman who walks by your side through life 
 feel that she has a real man to depend upon. Let her chil- 
 dren feel that their father is the hero of all human heroes 
 for them. 
 
 Do and be these things and blessing and honor will 
 attend all your days. Moreover, you will make your con- 
 tribution, due and full, to the greatest nation this world 
 ever saw. 
 
 Are these merely the ravings of a preacher? Submit 
 them to any wise man and true and abide by his verdict. 
 They are affectionately said out of the deepest heart of one 
 who with all that he had tried, for Jesus’ sake, to serve you 
 faithfully. May God bless you! 
 
 T. G. VICKERS 
 Ex-Chaplain, 324th Infantry 
 
 Raleigh, N. C. 
 
1. Just outside Brion-sur-Ource, looking down the snow-covered road toward 
 
 Chatillon-sur-Seine 
 
 2. French store on wheels 
 

 3. Near Fort Douamont before Verdun. Before the war this hillside was 
 covered with a typical French forest 
 
 
 4. Another area before Verdun formerly covered by a forest. Verdun is about 
 15 kilometers northwest from the battle area occupied by the 324th 
 Infantry, November 9, 10, 11, 1918 
 
5. The shell of the ancient and historic cathedral 
 at Rheims northeast of Chateau-Thierry. 
 In this church the kings of France from 
 1200 to 1750 were crowned. The Ger- 
 mans ruined it beyond repair 
 
7. Entrance to Camp Bouee, where Regimental Headquarters was located 
 during the operations in November, 1918 
 
8. Exterior view of quarters of Regimental Staff at Bouee. An unexploded 
 bomb dropped by a German aviator is embedded in the parapet 
 
 9. Corridor in interior of picture No. 8. Officers’ quarters at the left 
 
11. Another view of Regimental Headquarters at Bouee 
 
? < ■ 
 
 12 . 
 
 Narrow gauge railroad in woods. Over this track all supplies were brought 
 to Bouee and carted from there to the troops in the front lines 
 
 13. Road leading to the Regimental Supply Dump at Bouee. Shacks in 
 
 background 
 
14. General 
 
 view of Supply Dump at Bouee. Through this point 
 supplies of food and ammunition for the regiment 
 
 passed all 
 
 15. Shacks at Supply Dump 
 
17. Shacks at Supply Dump 
 
19. Shacks at Supply Dump 
 
20. General view of Bordeaux. Here were located the brigade P.C. and at 
 
 first the regimental P.C. 
 
 21. One of the company kitchens was located here by the roadside at Bordeaux 
 
23. This trench was about ten feet deep. Across the beam (6x6 inches) shown 
 here, many of the wounded were brought out to ambulances on the 
 road near Haudiomont during the night of November 9th. The road 
 is just outside the picture at the right. The third battalion dressing 
 station was in a dugout in the front-line trenches at the bottom of a 
 steep hill at the left. Can the tortuous wire entanglements and maze 
 of communicating trenches of that hill ever be forgotten? 
 
24. Within the door at the center just behind the barricade was the 323d 
 Infantry dressing station near Haudiomont. This is just across the 
 road from No. 23 
 
 25. Here some of our dead were buried just back and to the right of the build- 
 ing shown in No. 24. The bodies had all been removed to one of the 
 large A.E.F. cemeteries when this picture was taken in April, 1919 
 
26. General view over No-Man's Land looking toward the woods where the 1st 
 and 3d battalions were engaged. Taken from the top of the hili above 
 the rock quarries at Bordeaux 
 
 27. Another general view from the hill above Bordeaux looking a little toward 
 the right across the fields in the background where the 2d battalion 
 advanced. Manheuelles is just outside the picture on the right 
 
28. In this dugout was located the 3d battalion dressing station. Reference 
 is made to it under picture No. 23. Note the effect of a shell that 
 struck the corner at the right 
 
 29. Inside of dugout shown in No. 28 
 
31. Along this ridge one part of the advance was made. The picture was 
 taken from the top of the trench to the left of the dugout in No. 28 
 and looking out across No-Man's Land toward the woods from which 
 the Boches were driven 
 
32. An example of what was happening on that ridge, shown in No. 31, while 
 the advance was being made 
 
34. Another type of wire entanglement. This was placed by being stretched 
 
 out like an accordion 
 
 35. This hole is fully 20 feet across and 12 feet deep. It is in the meadow 
 to the right of the ridge shown in No. 31 
 
36. Another sample of some incidents of the advance, that sometimes attracted 
 attention. The hole is nearly filled with water 
 
 37. Through this tangle of underbrush, made more difficult still by wire, the 
 advance was made on the left. Enemy machine gunners stuck as long 
 as they could in the undergrowth and fired in the face of the advance. 
 
38. An example of what was happening in that woods. This tree is 18 inches 
 
 in diameter 
 
 39. A machine-gun nest protecting a point in the Germans advance trenches 
 on the road from Manheuel les to Ville-en-Woevre. The trench was 
 really a small stream. Note the equipment discarded by the wounded. 
 The 1st battalion will remember something of this 
 
40. An amusing (?) little spot. The friendly (?) little steel pellets with which 
 the Germans welcomed an approach to such a bit of their work were 
 lying plentifully about when this picture was made 
 
 
 41. In this hole about 100 yards in front of the Hindenburg line many of the 
 wounded of the 3d battalion received first aid. It is about three feet 
 deep and now full of water. Note the equipment. The enemy was on 
 three sides. His main line of defence is outside the picture at the right 
 
42. Another view of the hole shown in No. 41. Looking straight across it 
 toward the enemy line. Note the bayonet stuck in the ground at the 
 water’s edge 
 
 43. Looking backward from the hole of No. 41. In the near foreground is seen 
 a shelf cut in the edge of hole. On this, below the range of the bullets, 
 the wounded were laid one at a time to be given first aid 
 
44. View of the cleared space about fifty yards wide before the Hindenburg 
 line. The thick underbrush has been cleared away to expose the 
 attackers as they cross it. Note the wire immediately before the 
 trench in the background 
 
 45. Avenue cut through the forest for signalling. Note the small dark spot 
 near the ground at the far end. It is a window of a “Blink Station” 
 
47. First line of wire just before the Hun trench 
 
48. Close up of wire showing the beginning of the zig-zag path through the 
 entanglement. This was their main line of defense and, of course, 
 the outposts had to have a quick way of getting through when pressed. 
 This path is raked by the machine-gun position shown in No. 49 
 
 49. The sapling seen here was cut down by machine-gun bullets fired at 
 Co. “L” and Co. “I.” It is four inches in diameter. The gun was within 
 the concrete nest (“pill box”) whose mouth is seen in the background 
 just behind and about half way down the stump of the sapling. Fritz 
 was scared and shooting high 
 
50. Closer up of machine-gun nest seen in No. 49 
 
 51. No. 49 machine-gun nest seen from behind. Note the thickness of the 
 
 walls and roof 
 
53. Back side of trench in which machine-gun nest seen in previous pictures 
 
 was located 
 
54. A pile of empty cartridges which sent their bullets at us 
 
 55. Road between Haudiomont and Manheuelles. Note what happened to the 
 trees. Does anybody remember that road? 
 
 
55a. Orchard back of Manheuelles 
 
 56. General view of Manheuelles. It was in the ruins of this town that the 
 regimental P.C. was established by the night of November 9th. The 
 regimental dressing station was also located here 
 
57. Another view of Manheuelles 
 
 58. Manheuelles again 
 
60. Another view in Manheuelles 
 
61 . 
 
 Concrete 
 
 machine-gun 
 
 comman 
 
 nest in the street in the center of 
 ds the street in three directions 
 
 Manheuelles. 
 
 It 
 
 62. Door into machine-gun nest seen in No. 61 
 
63. Another side of the same machine-gun nest. The cross marks the grave 
 of a German killed in the advance of November 9th 
 
 64. Road beyond Manheuelles looking toward Fresnes-en-Woevre in the 
 
 distance 
 
66. This is a lookout in the top of a tall tree atop the hill before Ville-en- 
 Woevre. From this the German could see over the whole country 
 across which our advance went from Ronvaux and Bordeaux to Bonzee 
 and Fresnes-en-Woevre. He could therefore direct his artillery with 
 telling effect 
 
67. Looking out across the rolling plain toward Manheuelles from the lookout 
 in No. 66. This is the view Fritz had. Across this plain the 2d 
 battalion advanced. Note the old camouflaging on both sides the road 
 
 68. Another view of the plain seen in No. 67. Note the wire entanglements 
 
69. Another view of the plain seen in No. 67 
 
 70. Wire entanglements in the field to the left of the road between Haudiomont 
 
 and Manheuelles 
 
71. Entertainment furnished by Heinie while the advance was being made 
 across the plain toward Ville-en-Woevre 
 
 72. Some wicked difficulties in the way 
 
74. The man who did this was particular about his bed. He has covered the 
 bottom of his hole with thistles! 
 
75. The picture does not show it very well, but this is where some Germans 
 dug in on the plain facing our troops. Their digging was in the form 
 of a question mark. Fritz seemed to wonder why he had to fall back 
 
 76. Field to right of road between Manheuelles and Fresnes-en-Woevre. 
 
 Bonzee lies outside this picture at the right. This was taken from the 
 edge of Manheuelles 
 
77. A mine which failed to go off. This had been hurriedly planted in an 
 outpost trench by the Hun to stop his foe 
 
 78. This one went off. The ruin here was once a mighty concrete machine- 
 
 gun nest 
 
79. What a high-explosive shell sent over by Heinie did to the ground part 
 of the 324th had to cross 
 
 80. Another high-explosive shell landed 
 
81. These were mines placed at intervals of about eight feet just outside the 
 wire before Fritz's main line of defense 
 
 22. Two can play at the artillery game. These two ten-inch shells from our 
 big naval guns fell just before Heinie’s trench and failed to explode, 
 but many others like them did not fail 
 
83. One of those ten-inch toys struck the enemy’s supply narrow-gauge track 
 
 and played havoc 
 
 84. Heinie jumped when this happened. It hit within 20 feet of one of his 
 
 strong points 
 
 
85. One of our ten-inch boys hit a pile of ammunition here directly in the 
 Hun trench. Both ammunition and trench were scattered all about 
 
 86. Puzzle picture. Find the German who wore that helmet 
 
88. Fritz felt pretty safe when he got inside. (See next picture) 
 
89. Two direct hits on the dugout shown in No. 88. It was a three-inch shell 
 that did this. One went right through the roof 
 
 90. Ville-en-Woevre was the only one of a dozen ruined villages in this section 
 to which any of the refugees had returned in April, 1919. These six 
 men, one woman and one child were the first. They had been back 
 only two weeks, but they had already brought their rabbits, cows, 
 chickens and vin rouge, and had started cheerfully to repair their 
 ruined homes little by little 
 
91. Ruins of the church in Ville-en-Woevre. This village was the objective 
 of the 324th Infantry in its advance of November 9th-11th 
 
 92. Though the whole village was destroyed and the little group of refugees 
 had been back only two weeks they had set up an image of the Virgin 
 Mary in what was left of the sacristy of their church, and placed a 
 rude bench before it for worship. Ville-en-Woevre 
 
93. This shack was warm and comfortable and served the German officer, 
 who occupied it, as a welcome relief from the dugouts when the line 
 was quiet. This is just back of the line 
 
 94. Heinie had to have his beer. He evidently brewed it right on the spot, 
 within a hundred yards of the Hindenburg defense 
 
96. Concrete walk running back of the main German line for several miles 
 to rest and supply stations 
 
 95. 
 
 This concrete door 
 be comfortable 
 lights, pictures 
 
 leads to a well-appointed dugout where fifty men could 
 It had several rooms, floors, chairs, tables, electric 
 on the walls, and iron beds 
 
97. Ornamented cottage where a German officer lived with all the comforts 
 of home. He had to leave his piano among many other things 
 
 98. The Huns were prepared to stay. This swimming pool was about two 
 
 miles behind their lines 
 
100 
 
 100. General Headquarters of the A.E.F. at Chaumont. The handling of over 
 two million men was directed here. General Pershing’s office is just 
 under the clock in the center 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
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