York's famous Machinegun finds a home

[Brad Posey]

LT Fritz Endriss - 8 October, 1918
Commander, 4th Company, 120th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

Killed by SGT Alvin York

[Brad Posey]

Here is a map created by Dr. Nolan that illustrates the US Army GRS temporary burial locations in comparison to where we believe the actual burial sites were. As you can see from the contemporary 1918 French maps in comparison to the modern French IGN topographical map there are notable differences. Dr. Nolan used GIS technology to apply the 1918 French map data onto the modern IGN map in order to illustrate the GRS provided coordinates I relationship to the actual landscape as we know it today.

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Here is a close-up of the same map showing where GRS placed the temporary burial in relation to where we determined the actual burial locations were.

Savage’s records were incomplete and the data that was found is considered erroneous. Both Chaplain O’Farrely’s and the GRS disinterment cards wee missing from his file so I will discuss his records first.

[Brad Posey]

As we go through the GRS records you can plot the graves yourself on the contemporary French 1918 map sheet which was used by the AEF during the war and in post-war grave registration operations.

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Here are the copies of the Quartermaster Corps records concerning Savage’s burial. As you can see there are two sets of coordinates for his burial, but the actual cards are missing. These records do give Chaplain O’Farrely’s coordinates, which are identical to all of the others he filled out that day, all of which are erroneous and place everyone killed on 8 October being buried on the western slope of Hill 223. The coordinates listed on these documents as GRS coordinates are drastically different than any of the other GRS data for the other patrol member’s burials and are therefore also considered erroneous.

NOTE: two different coordinates for Savage's grave

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No 2

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No 3

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Some of the GRS records get a little personal with correspondence between the surviving family members and the Army. Here is a copy of a letter from Savage’s mother.

As I post the GRS documents from GRS records of other patrol members killed during this action you will see a notable difference between them and the records for Savage.

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In closing for tonight's update I present this bandoleer of German 7.92 cartridges found a few meters north of the old dam, next to the creek.

[Brad Posey]

Close-up of the remains of the 7,92mm bandoleer - German surrender artifact.

Tomorrow I will discuss the other American cassualties.

[Brad Posey]

I want to give a quick refresher on Savage’s temporary burial and the artifacts found in 2006 – 2009.

In 2006 Dr. Nolan found the crown of a US helmet, parts of US M1910 cartridge belt and approximately 70 unfired US 30-06 cartridges very close to the old dam at the base of the western facing slope. Dr. Nolan suspected this to be the location of one of the temporary burials, but was not able to identify which soldier these artifacts probably belonged to.

In 2009 I requested the US Army Signal Corps photographs taken during the 1919 investigation of York’s feat from the National Archives. One of these photos was of the grave of Corporal Murray Savage. In the photo you can clearly see his helmet under a blanket at the head of the grave, his rifle with bayonet lying beside him and his cartridge belt lying on top. What is interesting is that the cartridge belt is ripped and if you zoom in close you can see cartridges spilling out of the belt and that the other pouches appear to be full.

This photo was one of the primary reasons Dr. Nolan decided to return to Chatel Chéhéry in April last year to continue his research.

In April last year a careful 100% area coverage metal detector search was conducted by several operators in the area where the 2006 artifacts were found and a 1x1 meter plot was excavated by the team’s archaeologist. Additional artifacts were found including more pieces of the cartridge belt which were buried in the sub-surface soil layer below the depth of the metal detectors capabilities.

Here is a list of the artifacts recovered in the 2009 metal detector survey, the archaeologist 1x1 meter unit excavation and during the French archaeologist’s trenching operation:

Additional brass M1910 cartridge belt pieces
Rubber tubes from a US M1917 helmet liner
The sole of an American shoe with hobnails
A brass pocket watch
A leather pouch with brass buckle – presumed to have held the watch
A German tooth brush

The artifacts found in 2006 and 2009 in this very small area seem to point to the location of an American casualty and temporary grave given the number of artifacts found in the sub-surface layers. (See the archaeologist’s statement in one of my earlier posts).

Here again is the 1919 Photo

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Close-up

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Here are the belt parts found by Dr. Nolan in 2006

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The cartridges found at Savage's burial in 2006

[Brad Posey]

Savage's helmet found in 2006