Friday, December 11, 2020

George Washington Turbyfill's time in World War 1

I found this information in the operations notes on Fold3 and looked for his specific troop and found he was mislabeled as Turbywill, if you want to find it yourself. 


So... George was a farmer from the Appalachian Mountains deep in the Smokies, and he joined the Old Hickory Division on July 30,1917 when he was 20. First he was sent to Fort Sevier, in South Carolina on August 11, 1917.  He was in the 30th Division, 117th Infantry, Company E.   He also had to sign an “anti-swearing” paper where he promised not to curse. 


August 11, 1917-September 2, 1917

 George was taught how to make horseshoes and how to change them on a horse. 

George was taught how to use a machine gun. 

George was taught how to breathe wearing a gas mask. 


September 2, 1917-October 30, 1917

George was to demonstrate proficiency in using his rifles and machine guns and maintaining them.
George was to demonstrate the ability to keep the gas mask on at all times. 

George was taught about how to put on all his gear and move around wearing everything. 

George was taught basic engineering for trench warfare. 


October 30, 1917-December 21, 1917 

George was taught how to dig trenches, spot problems and shoring up existing trenches. 

George was taught how to attend to injuries. 

George was taught how to fix his own shoes and every soldier was responsible for cobbling their own shoes. 


January 1918

George is taught some German. 

George is taught how to dig in the icy soil and maintain a trench that has melting ice. 

He continued to improve on his riflemanship. 


February 1918- May 1918

More of the same things listed above. 


May 3, 1918 Boarded a train to Hoboken, New Jersey. 


May 11 1918 Got on Northumberland ship


May 21, 1918 A German U-boat attacked the Northerumberland ship off the coast of Ireland.  Boat didn’t sink and limped on to Liverpool and trains brought the troops to Folkestone on May 24, 1918


June  Calais, France 


No man’s land at the Somme

Assigned to a relatively quiet section of the line initially, the North Carolina men found themselves relegated to menial labor rebuilding collapsed trenches when they moved on July 16 to support two British divisions south of Ypres. The Tar Heels, who had so enthusiastically answered the call to arms when their nation went to war, resented the work. They came to France and Belgium to fight, not dig. They would get their chance before another month passed by.

July training in Belgium 

August 8- Battle of Amiens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Amiens_(1918)


August 11, deloused and bug bath to kill lice and got clean underwear

 Beginning on August 19, 1918, the North Carolina men would lead the way in the attack. These men took their places in front line trenches and stayed there until the attack ended on September 4. 

August 16, Ypres and Voormezeele 

As night fell on August 30, British commanders believed enemy forces were falling back from trench lines opposite the Old Hickory Division. Scouts, sent to confirm that information the next day, found something entirely different.Infantry sent single platoons out into No Man’s Land early the next morning to conduct a reconnaissance towards the village of Voormezeele. In less than 200 meters they began encountering stiff resistance from machineguns and mortars. At least at this point on the line, Ludendorf’s men seemed determined to make a stand.

September 1 captured Voormezeele and Ypres canal

September 20 moved to the Hindenburg line, digging trenches and creating a tunneling camp system

September 25 set up offensive plan 

George got attacked by mustard gas and his mask failed. George had to be carried out on stretcher and he was brought to the field hospital in Paris. 


Meanwhile, his fellow North Carolinians ventured into no-man's-land to run barbed wire and to prepare paths through the wire for the attacking infantry. At 5:50 a.m. on 29 September, the corps attacked. Due to high casualties, barbed wire entanglements, and smoke from shellfire, the advancing lines lost all sense of organization. Despite the confusion and losses, the North Carolinians of Old Hickory broke through the Hindenburg Line by 7:30 a.m. Nauroy, the objective of the attack, was won by midday. The next day, 30 September, the Americans were pulled out of battle and sent to the rear. Old Hickory's attack was a huge success, and the division was later credited as the first to break the Hindenburg Line. The Thirtieth suffered approximately 3,000 casualties, many of them North Carolinians.


George was shipped back in the sick bay of the U.S.S. Maui to Charleston, SC and he recuperated at Fort Sevier. In October, 1918, George participated in the homecoming parade welcoming the troops home in Johnson City, Tennessee.

USS Northumberland

Camp Sevier 

Signia for 30th Division

117th marching to Hidenburg 
117th succumbing to mustard gas
117th Infantry signia 


The ship George was returned to the US on, in their sick bay.
Old Hickory Company

117th Infantry. I'm not sure which one George is.

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