World War I History • 34th Division

34th Inf Div Assn history wwihist.html

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Location of 34th Division Headquarters:

• 25 Aug 1917: Camp Cody, New Mexico
• 27 Aug 1918: Camp Dix, New Jersey
• 17 Sep 1917: onboard SS Cretic
• 29 Sep 1918: Liverpool, England
• 3 Oct 1918: Le Harve, Seine Inferieure, France
• 6 Oct 1918: Castres-Gironde, Gironde, France
• 15 Nov 1918: Le Mans, Sarthe, France
• 23 Dec 1918: Bordeaux, Gironde, France
• 6 Jan 1919: onboard SS General G W Goethals
• 24 Jan 1919: Hoboken, New Jersey
• 24 Jan 1919: Camp Merritt, New Jersey
• 31 Jan 1919: Camp Grant, Illinois

Organization and Training in the United States, 15 July 1917 - 19 August 1918:

• 15 July: The National Guards of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are called into federal service.
• 18 July: The War Department designates National Guard troops of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to form the 34th Division; Camp Cody, New Mexico, is selected for the training.
• 3 August: The War Department directs the concentration and organization of the Division of Camp Cody.
• 5 August: The National Guard of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota is drafted into federal service.
• 19 August: The concentration at Camp Cody begins.
• 25 August: Major General Augustus P. Blocksom assumes command; the 67th Infantry Brigade is organized and ultimately includes the 1st Iowa and 5th Nebraska Regiments of Infantry, and detachments of the 2nd Iowa Infantry, of separate companies of Iowa Infantry, of the 1st Iowa Cavalry, and of the 4th and 6th Regiments of Nebraska Infantry; the 68th Infantry Brigade is organized and ultimately includes the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Minnesota Infantry and 2nd Squadron 1st South Dakota Cavalry.
• 28 September - 5 October: The Division is reorganized in accordance with the Tables of Organization of 8 August 1917.
• 1 October: The 59th Field Artillery Brigade is organized and ultimately includes the 3rd Minnesota and 4th Nebraska Regiments of Infantry, the 1st Iowa Field Artillery, and a detachment of the 2nd Iowa Infantry.
• 29 October: Systematic training begins.
• During October and November of 1917 draft gains aggregating 5,000 arrive from Camp Dodge, Iowa and Camp Funston, Kansas.
• The draft losses through 10 May 1918 aggregate about 4,000.
• In June 1918 the Division loses nearly all trained personnel in order to meet the requirements of the Allied Expeditionary Forces automatic replacement system.
• Subsequently replacements arrive, the majority drawn from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. which complete the Division during August 1918.
• 2 July 1918: 59th Field Artillery Brigade moves to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for training.

Movement Overseas, 20 August - 24 October 1918:

• 20 August: The Division (less Artillery) moves via Camp Dix, New Jersey to the ports of embarkation of Brooklyn and New York.
• 9 September: The Advance Party sails from New York.
• 13 September: 59th Field Artillery Brigade moves from Fort Sill to Camp Upton, New York.
• 16 - 25 September: Division Headquarters, part of the 67th Infantry Brigade, the 125th Machine Gun Battalion, 59th Field Artillery Brigade, and 109th Engineers and Train sail, and arrive 29 September - 9 October, at Liverpool, except the 126th Field Artillery which lands in Scotland.
• The remaining units are quarantined at Camp Dix until 12 October.
• The last unit leaves New York on 17 October, and arrives 24 October, in England.
• The troops stay a short time in rest camps and then proceed via Cherbourg and Le Harve, France.

Activity Overseas, 4 October - 22 December 1918:

• 4 October: Division (less Artillery, Engineers, 109th Sanitary Train, and 109th Train Headquarters and Military Police) moves to the Labrede Area for training.
• 7 October: 109th Engineers and Train move from Cherbourg to the Meaves-Bulcy area and engage in construction.
• 11 October: 59th Field Artillery Brigade (less 109th Trench Mortar Battery) moves to the St-Laurent-de-Medoc area, the 109th Trench Mortar Battery to Vitrey, and the 109th Ammunition Train to Camp de Souge, for training.
• 17 October: Orders direct that the Division be skeletonized, but subject to reconstitution.
• Upon arrival in the Labrede area some units are reduced to an average strength of 25 while others remain at full strength.
• 29 October: the Division is ordered reduced to a Record Cadre as its reconstitution is no longer contemplated.
• 2 November: The 126th Field Artillery moves to Camp de Souge for training and the 109th Sanitary Train and 109th Train Headquarters and Military Police leave the ports for Le Mans.
• 6 November: Units in the Labrede Area move to Le Mans.
• At Le Mans units are transferred to the 2nd Depot Division and further skeletonized; a Division Record Cadre of 14 officers and 95 men represents Division Headquarters, the Infantry Brigade Headquarters, the Infantry Regiments, Machine Gun Battalions, and Train Headquarters and Military Police; the 109th Sanitary Train forms a separate Cadre, the surplus personnel are classified for other assignment; the 109th F (?Field?) Signal Battalion moves to a Signal Corps Replacement Depot at Cour-Cheverny.
• 13 November: 59th Field Artillery Brigade (less 126th Field Artillery and 109th Trench Mortar Battery) are organized as Corps Artillery and destined for the VIII Corps, moving to the Artillery Training Center at Clermont-Ferrand.
• 26 November: 109th Supply Train, moving from Le Mans via St-Nazaire, arrives at Nantes for convoy duty.
• 27 November: 59th Field Artillery Brigade (less detachments) moves from Clermont-Ferrand to the vicinity of Ambares-et-Lagraves, where the 126th Field Artillery, Division Record Cadre, and 109th Sanitary Train Cadre join them.

Return to the United States and Demobilization, 23 December 1918 - 18 February 1919:

• 23 December: the 59th Field Artillery Brigade (less Trench Mortar Battery) moves to Camp Genicart near Bordeaux.
• 24 December: the Artillery sails from Bordeaux
• 30 December: the 109th Trench Mortar Battery sails from Brest.
• 6 - 7 January: Division Record Cadre and part of the 109th Sanitary Train sail from Bordeaux.
• 18 April: The 109th F Signal Battalion sails from Bordeaux.
• 10 June: The Motor Battalion of the 109th Ammunition Train sails from Bordeaux.
• 17 June: 109th Engineers and Train sail from St-Nazaire, and arrive 29 June, at Newport News, Virginia.
• 24 January: Headquarters 59th Field Artillery Brigade is demobilized at Camp Dodge, Iowa.
• 18 February: The Division Record Cadre is demobilized at Camp Grant, Illinois.

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Updated 2004 March 16.
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