CHELSEA’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD WAR I
It was “The War to End All Wars”. Starting in 1914 in
Europe, it spread through Asia, Asia Minor, the Middle East,
Mesopotamia, Arabia, Northern and Southern Africa and the oceans of
the world. The United States tried hard to keep from being embroiled,
but unrestricted sinking of ships in the Atlantic and diplomatic
pressures brought the American Expeditionary Forces, under the
command of General Pershing, to France in 1917. This war introduced
modern weapons and tactics; machine guns, tanks, Zeppelins,
aeroplanes, poison gas and psychological barrage.
“The whole earth is ploughed by the exploding shells and the
holes are filled with water, and if you do not get killed by the
shells you may drown in the craters. Broken wagons and dead horses
are moved to the sides of the road, also many dead soldiers lie here.
Wounded soldiers who died in the ambulance have been unloaded and
their eyes stare at you. Sometimes an arm or leg is missing.
Everybody is rushing, running, trying to escape almost certain death
in this hail of enemy shells. Today I have seen the real face of war.”
German Musketier Hans Otto Schetter
“Yesterday I visited the battlefield of last year. The place
was scarcely recognizable. Instead of a wilderness of ground torn up
by shell, the ground was a garden of wild flowers and tall grasses.
Most remarkable of all was the appearance of many thousands of white
butterflies which fluttered around. It was as if the souls of the
dead soldiers had come to haunt the spot where so many fell. It was
eerie to see them. And the silence! It was so still that I could
almost hear the beat of the butterflies’ wings.”
A British officer, 1919
First group of draftees to leave Chelsea for World War 1.
Photo was taken September 19, 1917, at the corner of Washington Ave.
and Chestnut Street. The leader at the extreme right is Dr. Daniel J.
McCarthy. The police officier is Timothy Cunningham and the flag
bearer is Joseph Reagan.
During WW1, a young Salvation Army girl won fame throughout
the world as the “Donut Girl”. That Salvation Army worker
was Stella Young, a native of Chelsea. In 1918, when she was 20 years
old, she was sent by the Salvation Army to France, where she assisted
the wounded troops. The “Sallies” as they were then known,
also operated front-line canteens where donuts and coffee were
served. The picture above was taken by a photographer seeking feature
material from the battlefields of France. He took a picture of Miss
Young wearing a soldiers helmut and carrying a large pan of donuts.
As a result of nationwide distribution, Miss Young became known
throughout the country as “The Doughnut Girl”. The picture
was also used to illustrate a manuscript for the popular song “My
Doughnut Girl”.
James J. Twomey Square located at the intersection of Eastern Avenue,
Louis and Stockton Streets was dedicated in May 1934 to the memory of
the first boy from Mill Hill to die in action in World War 1. The
square, a closed in plot surrounded by a cast iron fence, containing
a six ton boulder with a bronze plaque with the names of all of
Chelsea’s World War 1 dead. James J. Twomey was born in Charlestown,
July 27, 1894, son of Bartholomew J. and Margaret A. (Nee Sullivan)
Twomey, one of six children. The family moved to Chelsea when
“Jimmy” as he was known, was eight years old. In September
of 1917 Jimmy enlisted in the Army. Reporting to Camp Devens, he was
assigned to the 301st Infantry of the 76th Division. July 30, 1918 he
was transferred to the Military Specialist Company, 1st Depot
Division. On August 8, he was assigned to Company E, 106th Infantry,
27th Division of New York. On July 6, 1918, Twomey was shipped
overseas with the 301st Infantry. While with the 106th Infantry in
Belgium on September 1, 1918, James Twomey was killed in action,
north of Kemmel and south of Ypres, Belgium
. On April 9, 1921 James Twomey’s body was brought home from Europe
where it lay in state at the State Armory on Broadway. Monday
morning, April 11, 1921, the body was escorted from the armory to the
Saint Rose Church for a solemn requiem high mass sung by Reverend
Francis S. Keaney. Following the service he was burried in Calvary
Cemetary. James Twomey’s father was alive at the time of the funeral
but passed away a short time later. His mother had passed away before
the war.
WW1
Veterans List –
Pictures
and Stories
99 Chelsea Residents who lost their lives during
the Battles of World War 1.
Edmund B. Abbott
Max Address
Branslaw Andrizyiuski
Cyrus Arsenault
01iver W. Atkinson
Frederick M. Atwood
Michael Barachuk
Israel Baskin
Guglielmo Bellini
Thomas H. Bennett
Charles Berenson
William S. Best
Joseph Bettenski
John Boneslawski
James A. Bowes
Jeremiah J. Buckley
Mary C. Burke
Richard Burke
Heiman Caro
James Carolan
William J. Coakley
Eli Cohen
Louis Cooper
Albert Cournoyer
Jacob Cousins
William E. Crombie
George W. Drury
Fred C. Dulevitz
Charles H. Evans
George E. Evans
R. Evans
Arthur M. Fletcher
Maurice H. Friedman
Dominick Frontero
US Army
US Army
US Army
B. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
B. Exp. F.
US Navy
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
Emile B. Gaillac
Philip A. Gainard
Peter Gillis
Vahan Gadalazian
Earle Glouster
Harper Goodwin
David H. Gorshell
Hany S. Hall
Frank S. Hanf
Malcolm P. Hayes
Edgar F. Hooks
Arthur L. Hooper
Henry H. Hoyt
Max Hurwitz
Edward H. Jones
Adam Karpik
Morris Kaufman
William J. Keenan
Henry F. Kerr
Alfred H. Kinsman
Samuel Koplovitz
Lieb Krasnecovitz
Emest Lacombe
John A. Lawlor
Rodger M. Livingstone
Carl G. Lock
Gordon W. Mansfield
Elijah Martin
John J. McCance
John H. McKinley
Robert S. Monk
Walter Monson
Cyril P. Morrissette
Paul S. Muller
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
US Army
C. Exp. F.
C. Exp. F.
Marines
US Navy
US Army
C. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
C. Exp. F.
C. Exp. F.
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
Robert T. Murray
Carl C. Nelson
Charles S. Norton
Mussie Opelchuk
William Otto
Albert W. Pereira
Frank S. Purcell
Joseph B. Roberts
Joseph B. Roche
Herbert L. Ryan
Morris Salner
Joseph A. Sargent
Elliot M. Scott
Edwin A. Seavey
David Silverbrook
Harry Spritz
Irving C. Stenson
Emmons J. Stockwell
James T. Sweeney
Albert LS Taylor
Ernest Thistle
James J. Tiemey
Eugene C. Tirrell
James J. Toomey
Harry Topoloff
Willis E. Turner
Edward R. Wall
Allen B. White
Trafton Woodland
Albert A. Young
Stanley Zabreski
C. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
US Army
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
Marines
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Navy
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
US Army
C. Exp. F.
B. Exp. F.
US Army
NOTE: (B. Exp. F.) is British Expeditionary Force – (C. Exp.
F.) is Canadian Expeditionary Force
Rededication ceremony of the new World War 1 memorial was held at
the Chelsea High School on November 11, 2006. This new memorial
honors the 99 Chelsea citizens who made the supreme sacrifice for
America during World War 1.
This memorial grew from a student research project under the
leadership of Mr. Ernest Sullivan, who in 2001 was the Advanced
Placement U. S. History teacher. Through their hard work and the
generous support of the community and its friends, this memorial was
made possible.
