Feb. 2 1998

To my Children, Grandchildren, Nieces, Nephews and Cousins:

World War I was a defining event for the remainder of the 20th century and in the opinion of many the direct cause of World War II and the several undeclared wars which collectively we call the Cold War. The loss of human life was larger than in any previous war by orders of magnitude. Germany, France and England lost most of their young men for 5 years which changed the gene pool of Europe and profoundly influenced their thinking on social and political subjects for the remainder of the century.

The Allies mobilized a total of 42 million men and suffered casualties of 22 million (52%). The Central Powers mobilized 23 million men and suffered 15 million casualties (65%). The United States mobilized 4,355,000 men and suffered 364,000 (8%) casualties, the smallest of the major powers. Nevertheless the USA played a key role in winning the conflict since France was on the verge of collapse in mid 1917 and early 1918.

My father, Rufus Chisholm Bennett (1893-1963), was one of nine children of George Henry Bennett (1859-1905) and Mary Emma Chisholm (1858-1911), of Elgin, IL, who were both the children of early settlers in Illinois. The first two children, a son and daughter, died in 1890 of diphtheria. The remaining children ranged from 24 years to 15 years when they were orphaned by the death of their mother in 1911. The seven boys grew to manhood and five volunteered to serve in WWI. Of these four served in combat in France in 1918.

Recently, while cleaning out and rearranging, I came across my father's WWI diary along with some maps, pictures and post cards he had collected when in France during World War I. Although I had known of this material for some years, I never had taken the time to go through it in detail. Now that I am retired I have taken the time to do that and also marked up his road map with the names of the towns in which he was stationed during his service in France as a truck driver for Co. 366, Reserve Mallet, American Field Service, a mixed group of American volunteers and French soldiers who hauled troops, ammunition and wounded, primarily in the French sectors of the battlefields.

While none of the Bennett brothers chose military life as an occupation their service made a lasting impression and affected their outlook on many things, including their political views. I hope knowing more about the participation of these four relatives in this great conflict will increase your understanding of this watershed event.

Gordon Bennett

THE BENNETTS OF GENEVA

Henry Leroy Bennett (1828-1898) and his older brother Charles D. Bennett (1817-1891) were sons of Stephen Bennet (c. 1794-1876) and Rhoby Green (1800-1856) from Sangerfield and Lisle, NY. Stephen's origins are not known but Rhoby's father was a Revolutionary War officer and her mother "prepared many a meal for General Washington". Henry came to Illinois in 1855 and was a miller in Plano, Sandwich and Avon before coming to Geneva in 1865. Henry, with his brother Charles of Sycamore, purchased the City Mills from Mr. C.B. Dodson. This mill was enlarged to produce 160 barrels of flour a day and at one time was the largest mill in Illinois.

Henry's four children included two sons, George Henry Bennett (1859-1905) and Fred Elmer Bennett (1864-1933). Henry lived at 230 E. State St., Geneva and his brother Charles lived across the street. Fred worked at the mill and eventually succeeded his father both in management and ownership of the mill. He and his wife May Newland Bennett had no children.

George was in the hardware business in Chicago and raised coach horses. In 1884 he married Mary Emma Chisholm (1858-1911), of Elgin, youngest and only daughter of Robert Bruce Chisholm (1812- 1891) and Sarah Van Valkenburgh (1819-1878). R.B. Chisholm was a successful silver prospector and co-discoverer of the Emma Mine at Alta, Utah (3) He sold his interests in the mine in 1872 and retired to a home at 120 S. State St. in Elgin, II. His family had come to Canada in 1785 from Scotland at the time of the clearances. In Scotland they traced their ancestry back to the head of the highland Clan Chisholm whose roots go back to Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness in 1359. (4) Robert Bruce Chisholm came to Chicago from Port Stanley, Ontario, in October of 1836 with timber for the harbor and owned property in Chicago before prospecting in Hazel Green and Menominee, Wisconsin where his children were born. Emma was attending Miss Grant's Finishing School on N. Dearborn in Chicago in 1876.

George and Emma’s first child was Robert Bruce (1884-1890) followed by Helen (1885-1890). Following Helen there were seven boys (including a set of twins) born between 1887 and 1896. In 1890 the two oldest children died of diphtheria. During this time the George Bennetts lived on a farm on South Batavia Ave. near where the Fabyan estate and forest preserve is today. In 1893 they were living in Chicago, at ___ Fullerton Ave, where the twins, Rufus and Fred, were born. Subsequently they moved back to Geneva and lived at ___ So. Batavia Ave.

(1) p. 552, Past and Present of Kane County, 1878, LeBaron Co. (2) p. 117, United States Biographical Dictionary,IL, 1883.

p. 677, Past and Present of Kane County, 1878, LeBaron Co. (4) p. 195, Vol 1, The Clan Chisholm,1932, Privately pub.

In September of 1905 George died suddenly leaving seven boys ranging in age from 18 to 9 years of age. In 1911 Emma passed away when Rufus and Fred were juniors in high school. The younger children continued living at home with Ken (1889-1959) as head of the family, while Fred E. Bennett, manager of the Mill and his wife May, gave support. Hod and Larry had both left home and were working some distance away.

After high school Rufus found work with the Wholesale Division of Marshall Field & Co. and roomed in Chicago. Fred worked at the mill and went to school at Beloit. Sid had been attending West Aurora H.S so he could play on the football team. An outstanding football player, he got a scholarship to Northwestern University and was rated one of the best players in the west (see clippings in the appendix).

WORLD WAR I

Horace, the oldest of the Bennett boys, had enlisted in the Alabama National Guard in college, and had served with General Pershing on the Mexican border skirmish in 1916. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in Texas and was serving in the North Carolina Field Artillery which was federalized on July 13, 1917 as the 113th Artillery, 30th Division.

Sidney was attending Northwestern University and left school in April 1917 for a training regiment at Ft. Sheridan. In July 1917 he joined the 2d Battallion, Ist Illinois Field Artillery which was federalized as part of the 42d Division in September 1917.

Gordon, the youngest brother, enlisted April 13th, 1917, at Butte, Mont. He served with the 14th Infantry at Ft. Geo. Wright, Spokane, Wash, Ft. Lawton, Seattle, and with the 363d Infantry at Camp Lewis, Wash.

Rufus enlisted June 13, 1917, in Ambulance Co. 9, at Northwestern University in Evanston but transferred on Nov 14th to Major Mallet’s Motor Transport Division which became MTC 366 of the U.S. Army and was attached to the French Army later in the war.

Fred enlisted Oct 10, 1917, as an air force cadet. He received preflight training at the University of Illinois, flight training at Love Field, TX, and was commissioned 2d Lt. December 19, 1917.

Pearl Elizabeth Fulkerson, future wife of Lawrence Chisholm Bennett, graduated from the Research Hospital, Kansas City, MO, as a Ist Lieut. Army Nurse Corps in May 1918 and was assigned to Hospital Unit No. 28. This group of nurses, recruited from around Kansas City, was assigned to Camp Dodge, IA, and Fort Riley, KA, for additional training before going overseas where she was stationed at Orleans in a base Hospital.

The Germans had developed special shock troop techniques for breaking through trenches and an elastic defense system that greatly reduced losses. The Allies had developed methods of sound ranging and flash spotting so artillery could concentrate on other artillery positions rather than using wasteful barrages. Lt. Horace Bennett operated the 4^th Army Corps flash and sound ranging station in October 1918 supporting the 79^th Div. Near Troyon. A copy of one of his maps is in the Appendix.

The U.S. 1st Division arrived in France in mid-summer 1917 and the 2d Division was formed in France shortly afterward. Sidney Bennett was in the 149th Artillery, 42d (Rainbow) Division and embarked on the "Leviathan" on October 11, 1917 and arrived at St. Nazaire, France on October 29th. He trained at Camp Coet Quidon, France, until Feb 21, 1918 when the 42d Div. went into the line in the Luneville Sector near Verdun. This sector was relatively quiet but the Germans make several raids on the U.S. positions. After about a month the division was withdrawn and replaced so other U.S. troops could get experience. By the spring of 1918 U.S. troops still had not taken part in any significant action on the Western Front.

Rufus Bennett embarked on the former Koenig Wilhelm II from Hoboken, Jan 12, 1918 and landed at St. Nazaire, France, on Jan 26th. He was trained at Pont St. Maxence, which is about 35 miles north east of Paris, for about two weeks and then assigned to a truck and moved on the 19th of February to Soissons which was a little behind the lines"'. His unit was quartered at 40 Rue de Menau. The night of his arrival there was an air-raid by a lone German plane which dropped a bomb 200 feet from his quarters.

THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVES 1918

By the spring of 1918 it was clear to the Germans that submarine warfare could not starve Britain or keep the Americans from moving troops to Europe. By March there were 325, 000 Americans in France and more were arriving every day. In Russia an armistice was signed and German troops were brought from the Eastern to the Western Front. For the first time the Germans had numerical superiority. Clearly the initiative was Ludendorff's. Ludendorff believed the British were poorer at defense than the French and if he struck at the point where the British and French joined forces and broke through the French would retreat towards Paris and the British toward the coast. This could cause the collapse of the defense.

SOMME DEFENSIVE At 0440 on a foggy March 21st the German offense on the Somme began with artillery, gas, and attacks by troops with flame-throwers. In a few days they had advanced 30 miles is some places. By March 27th they took Montdidier (See map on page 11).

During this attack and advance Rufus Bennett was stationed at Sissons (10) . He and the 366th MTC participated in numerous convoys of men and ammunition to Oisne (21st), Cuts (23d), Noyon, Choiseusey au bac, Compienge and Romain. On March 24th shells hit close and the group moved 6 miles south of town. On March 25th when hauling troops to Noyon the German advance cut off the city and the 366 MTC had to turn around on a narrow corduroy road which they were able to do in 3 minutes. Of 2000 trucks only one was lost and it was recaptured. (9)(11)

On April 2d the Germans had reached the limit of their supplies and endurance. Gen. Ludendorff had won a great tactical victory but did not break the defense line. Rufus heard news that the French had lost 60,000 at the Somme("" . French troops filled in the gap in front of Montdidier and the front was stabilized. Rufe and the 366th hauled up the French Troops that plugged the line. On April 2d they drove to the eastern part of the line via Epernay to get troops and supplies, a round trip of 307 miles.

On the 23d of March the Parisians were surprised by an explosion from a long range German 15o Naval gun adapted for rail movement. The barrel was extended and reduced in diameter to 8.2611(210 mm). It was called the Paris Gun (Big Bertha) but actually was one of three such guns located in the Saint Gobain woods, 75 miles from Paris. French big guns at the front soon got the range and shelled its position. Hal Chisholm, first cousin of the Bennett brothers, was trained in the Coast Artillery and had been assigned to Battery B, 52d Artillery, 42d Div. He was firing 13n(330 mm) Naval guns mounted on railroad cars and was active against these guns and other special targets. The Paris Guns continued intermittently until May. On the 15th of May Rufe heard that 405 mm guns at Bucy made a direct hit on Big Bertha.

(8) MacDonald, Lyn, 1915 The Death Of Innocence, Holt, 1995 (9) Bennett, R.C, Article in Geneva Republican, Jan 17, 1919 (10) See Rufus Bennett diary summary, Appendix

Bennett, R.C. Article in Chic. Tribune, May 21, 1918

On the 7th of April the 366th MTC was moved back from Soissons to Vivieres near Viller Cotteret due to the advances of the Germans. On the 10th of April they lef for Hors, loaded troops and drove to Paris. On the 13th they drove thru Epernay and Chalons to Vananlt (on the eastern part of the line) where fresh American troops were unloaded. The 29th they loaded troops and left for Sere Fontaine via Compiegne and Beauvis.

LYS OFFENSIVE For his second offensive Gen. Ludendorff chose the Lys river in the north near Ypres where he had made diversionary preparations. This attack started on April 9th and by the 29th both sides were weary and the front stabilized. The Germans had dented the English and French lines but not broken through to the sea. Churchill regarded this battle as the decisive battle on the Western Front(6). Germany suffered 277,900 casualties and the Allies 361,100.

AISNE OFFENSIVE Gen. Ludendorff chose as his next objective the center of the line along the Aisne River and a ridge called Chemin des Dames which of f ered a natural def ense and was lightly defended. A breakthrough here would put the Germans close to Paris and throw the French into panic. If stalled he could go on crushing the BEF in the north. The attack started at midnight on the morning of may 27th. Rufe's outfit, the 366 MTC, was called at 2 AM the 27th and told to wear gas masks. They hauled troops to the front line which soon broke and they had to retreat. There was an air raid that night and bombs were dropped all around the 366th.

The 366th had many close calls while moving troops and refugees out of Sissons which was overrun by the Germans on the 28th. That night they slept in a barn. The 366 MTC loaded their camp equipment and on the 29th Rufe started for Belleau at 4AM.The roads were crowded with refugees and his truck and some others became separated and lost. When they arrived in Belleau at 5PM and since the Boche were advancing, they were ordered to leave at once with no definite destination except to go towards Paris.The group relocated about 15 km S.W. at Reuil (near LaFerte) and slept in a shed on straw.

The evening of May 31st the 366th hauled shells from Clay to Meaux and Rufe saw US Marines moving into the front for the first time. At Meaux there was an air raid at 11:30 PM and Rufe was forced to take cover under the truck. On June 1st Rufe was back in Meaux in another air raid and had to sleep in the Hotel entrance f or shelter. About 6AM the American 2d Division went through.

The Germans advanced to the Marne River and seized a bridgehead at Chateau-Thierry where they ran into the Americans. Two days later U. S Marines were fighting at Chateau-Thierry. The 366th hauled nearly every shell fired by the Allies in this battle. The American 3d Div held the line at Chateau-Thierry.

The US Ist Div had been put in the First French Army west of Montdidier near Cantigny. On May 28th when the attack came the Germans bombarded Cantigny and occupied part of the town. The Americans retook the town and held it in spite of seven German counterattacks. It was the first clear cut victory for American troops. Col. Robert McCormick, later owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, was an officer in this action.

On June 1st the Supreme War Council gathered at Versailles and believed the Germans were turning toward Paris. The Government was packing for Bordeaux. Refugees streamed through the city as well as deserters from the French Sixth Army. Near the front villages had been looted by retreating French troops and there was drunkenness and indiscipline. As the American 2d Div. moved up to the front retreating French troops told them "the war was over (13). U.S. Gen. Pershing cabled the War Department that "the possibility of losing Paris has become apparent,").

On June 1, 1918 the Germans captured Vaux (near Chateau-Thierry) and moved into Belleau Wood.Early on the 6th of June several battalions of U.S Marines started advancing towards German positions in Belleau Wood. The area was intensely defended by the Germans. The battle went on until June 25th when the Marines finally cleared the woods. Floyd Gibbons, war correspondent, was wounded and lost an eye in the fighting but his dispatches made the Marines famous. The success of the Americans at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood greatly aided Gen. Pershing in his fight for an independent U.S. command and boosted French confidence and moral.

On June 2d, while loading at Mai, Rufus saw Americans and about 60 Boche prisoners, including 6 aviators who were fine locking men. When they got back to camp there was an air raid and 6 trucks were burned and 6 drivers killed. Aircraft machinegunned the trucks and 75mm shells on the trucks exploded all around the 366th. Because of the German advance and air raids such as one on June 2d, the 366 MTC moved from LaFerte to Maison Celles, about 45 km east of Paris. In a letter to his future wife, Ruth Berry, Rufe Bennett reports conversations with German prisoners indicate they don't like to fight Americans. He also reports on the plight of refugees forced from their homes by the fighting and living in the open fields along the roads"".

MONTDIDIER-NOYON On June 9, 1918 Gen. Ludendorff chose to attack in the 20 mile front between Montdidier and Noyon. Deserters gave away the timetable and bef ore the German barrage began, French artillery opened up on the German assault positions.

The French line broke but they fell back to their support positions and held. On June 1lth the Americans and French counterattacked, gaining a little ground. During this period the 366 NTC moved French and American troops as well as 10-5's and 15-5,s for the artillery. By June 14th the drive was mostly over and it was clear the equilibrium was shifting.

On the 13th of June Rufus came down with the flu and spent the next 3 days in a make-shift hospital tent with 8 others. His 104 deg. temperature subsided and he lef t the hospital on the 19th. The influenza that struck the armies of both sides was part of a world wide attack that was much more deadly than the war itself but was largely ignored by historians. By the end of 1918 49,909 US soldiers would be killed in action. Influenza would claim 62, 000. In the United States 500,000 died and many citizens worked and traveled with face masks. The flu hit especially hard in Germany where the blockade had reduced rations and affected public health. In Berlin 1,700 people died in one day in October.In India alone it killed more than 6 million people. World wide deaths were estimated at 20 million.

CHAMPAGNE-MIME DEFENSIVE Gen. Ludendorff still clung to the conviction that he could win the war in one cataclysmic operation. This was to be the great Flanders offensive which was to start after one more distractive offensive near Reims with Chalons as the eastern objective. On the west the offensive would include Champagne and Chateau-Thierry. The starting date was July 15th at 4:15 AM according to information received from German deserters. The French were well prepared with the forward trenches almost unmanned and opened their artillery barrage an hour before the Germans planned to attack but when they were crowded in their forward trenches. The French plan worked and the offensive was stopped in this area. Sidney's outfit was active in this area.

Rufe Bennett’s outfit, the 366th MTC, hauled shells from Meaux west to Rozoy where they were shelled by big German guns. On July 16th they were called at 3AM and drove from Maisoncelles to Jouy sur Moren, loaded 155’s, and drove to Montmirail where they were unloaded by Army Engineers from Chicago. As they left Montmirail they were shelled by German guns. Montmirail is about 12 miles south of Chateau Thierry.

To the east of Chateau-Thierry the Germans were able to cross the Marne in the face of heavy fire. Further east the Marne makes a loop near Jaulgonne and the French 125th Div broke and the US 28th Div was left without support and ran out of ammunition.

Most of the rifle companies from Pennsylvania were killed or captured. The US 3d Div. on the right was now exposed but refused to yield and was henceforth known as "Rock of the Marne". By noon the German advance south of the Marne had been stopped and by evening most of the ground lost had been regained. Although the Germans had driven a pocket 9 miles long and 4 miles deep south of the Marne and were close to capturing Epernay the salient couldn't be widened. At noon on July 16th Gen. Ludendorff decided to abandon the offensive because "To continue will cost us too much." Gen. Ludendorff went to talk to Gen. Hindenburg but got no comfort when he asked what Germany should do now. "Do? Make peace, you idiot!" said Hindenburg.

(12) Bennett, R.C., Letter to Ruth Berry June 10,

THE ALLIES ATTACK

AISNE-MARNE OFFENSIVE Even before the last German attack had fizzled out Gen. Foch was making plans for a major offensive and how he would fight the rest of the war. The bulge in the line created by the third German drive to the Marne overlooked the rail line feeding the entire eastern sector of the French front. This was his first objective and the attack opened July 16, 1918, and was an inter-Allied venture with French, British, Italian and American troops participating. The French employed over 300 tanks in the operation and this was the largest tank battle of the war to date.

On July 22d Rufus Bennett I s outfit was waiting f or an ammunition train at St. Jean and saw men from a machine gun battalion from the 42d Division who told him the artillery was on the way up to the front. Later, while driving to Toray in Belleau Woods, Rufus passed the 149th Artillery and called out for Sidney, who he believed answered. The next day he went to Meaux and met some men from Battery C, 149th Artillery, who knew Sid and would tell him about the incident.

Eight American divisions took part in this offensive and this was training and shake-down f or some of them. On July 31 Chief of Staff for the 42d Div., Col. Douglas MacArthur, went into no-mans land and found the Germans were pulling back, leaving their wounded. Later that day he lead a successful attack on the new German lines. In 8 days the Rainbow Div. lost 2000 wounded and had 566 dead including poet Joyce Kilmer. By August 3d the salient was punched out.

On Aug 4th the French fought hard to retake Sissons and finally drove the Germans out after capturing 35,000 prisoners and several hundred guns. Fighting in this retreat was Cpl. Adolph Hitler who was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class, for personal bravery. He wore it proudly the rest of his life. The regimental adjutant who recommended him for it was Capt. Guttman, a jewl"I who emigrated to Canada af ter Hitler came to power in 1933. This same day Asst. Sec. of the Navy, Franklin D Roosevelt, was making his only visit to the front.

AMINES OFFENSIVE This was to be a joint Anglo-French attack. The British, Canadians, Australian and French had 27 divisions, 600 tanks, 2,000 guns and 1,900 aircraft. The Germans could only muster 20 thin divisions, a few tanks and 400 aircraft. These divisions were rotted by sickness, their morale was weak and they were suffering a steady seepage by desertion'"- The attack started August 8th. The French started with a short, intense barrage but the British attacked without warning. By nightfall they were in some places 9 miles inside the German lines. Sixteen thousand Germans surrendered the first day.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END. General Ludendorff was stunned by the news and later said he saw the first signs of impending disintegration. British Gen. Byng's 3d Army attacked on the 21st to the north and the French increased their pressure south of Amines. The Germans, battered along 80 miles of the front, could not hold and Gen. Ludendorff ordered a general retreat to a depth of 20 miles. This was not enough and further retreats were ordered. In early September most of the Germans spring successes were gone. Ludendorff gave orders to retreat up near the Lys river on Sept 6th and to withdraw from St. Mihiel on Sept 8th.to get the manpower to hold the line.

The 366th MTC moved from Maisoncelles to Beaudiduit as the front shifted easterly. Rufe got a week's pass on the 21st of August and visited Aix les Bains. When dining one evening he saw Gen. Joffre.

ST. MIHIEL. The American 1st Army, organized August 10, 1918, was assigned to take over this sector August 31st. The American sector was 50 miles of the front from east of Verdun to Pont a' Mousson. This fitted nicely with the Americans training in open field warfare and the attack could be supplied from ports on the Bay of Biscay by rail routes which didn’t interfere with the French supply lines or the British supply lines from the channel. Pershing's plans were to reduce the salient and push for Metz, on the main German rail line, which was in German territory. If the main German rail supply line was broken at Metz or near Sedan then the entire northern German front line would collapse. (see the map on page 17).

On September 12th the attack by the Americans and French Colonial troops began just as the Germans were starting to withdraw their troops in a heavy fog. There was considerable confusion but ef f ective air support was given by Billy Mitchell and a mixed allied air force consisting of 1483 American, French, Italian, Belgian, Portuguese and Brazilian planes above the battlefield. Lt. Col. George Patton (famous tank commander in WWII) was in charge of 267 French heavy tanks and American gunners fired 100,000 rounds of phosgene gas shells into the German lines incapacitating 9, 000 Germans (5).

The American 42d (Rainbow) Division was in the thick of the action where Sidney Bennett was in the 149th Artillery. Lt. Horace Bennett's regiment was attached to the 89th Div. Other Americans in the 42d were Col. Bill Donovan (in charge of the OSS in WWII) and Gen. Douglas MacArthur (General of the Armies in WWII) was a brigade commander. MacArthur went forward at night through the German lines and with binoculars saw the city of Metz which he believed was not well defended. MacArthur believed there was a rare opportunity to break the German line at a pivotal point. The Operations Officer of the Ist Army, Colonel George C. Marshall (Chief of Staff in WWII), supported his view but they were over ruled by Foch, Petain and Haig who were planing a coordinated strike in two weeks. The battle was over by the 15th of September and the Americans had captured 13,000 prisoners and 200 guns. An American military cemetery was established in Thiaucourt for 4,153 soldiers and 284 missing in action.

MEUSE-ARGONNE. Launched Sept 26th, this was a pincer designed to cut off German supplies. The front was west of Verdun, across the valley of the Meuse River, Aire River and west to an area of heavy woods comprising about ioo square miles known as the Argonne Forest which ran north-south, at right angle to the front and then west to Reims. The objective was Sedan on the main German rail line. The Germans fought desperately to prevent this advance and the country was well suited to defense. This was the heaviest fighting during America's participation in the war. The 2d Battalion, 308th Inf, 77th Div. was cut-off for 6 days in the Argonne Forest and fought of f many German counter attacks until relieved. It was known henceforth as the "Lost Battalion". An American Battery commander, Capt. Harry S. Truman, fired 3000 rounds of 75 mm ammunition in 4 hours as part of the initial barrage. By Oct 10th the Americans had advanced to the north end of Argonne Forest.

In the north British Gen. Haig started his advance on Sept.27th with the main thrust towards Cambrai and LeCateau. It was slow going but the German line never broke inspite of high desertions and low moral. On Sept. 27th more than 33,000 prisoners were taken. Over 1,000 planes supported the attack and 700 tons of bombs were dropped. Some 26,000 rounds of machinegun fire was delivered from the air.

On Sept. 29th Gen. Hindenburg and Gen. Ludendorff went to the Kaiser and said the war could not go on. It was not just a question of the will to fight but Wilson’s insistence on not negotiating alone. The Kaiser agreed to sign a proclamation establishing a aregime. Nevertheless the battles went on.

On Oct. 2d the Prince of Baden, the Kaiser's 2d cousin, became Chancellor with the power to make war or peace and control the general staff. He was advised by Hindenburg and Ludendorf that an immediate armistice was needed. On Oct. 4th the Prince brought two socialists into the cabinet and wired Wilson requesting an armistice. On Oct. 8th Wilson rejected the offer citing no armistice was possible unless all occupied territories were to be evacuated. On Oct. 25th Gen. Ludendorf demanded that Wilson Is note be rejected. Rebuffer by the Kaiser, Ludendorf resigned. At the Kaiser’s insistence Hindenburg stayed on.

On Nov. 3d there was a Red revolution in Vienna and in Moscow Lenin declared at a mass meeting his support of the Austrian revolutionaries. In Kiel 3,000 German sailors and workers raised the red banner. In the next two days sailors of most of the north German ports raised the flag of mutiny. The Kaiser was told soldiers would refuse to fire on the mutineers. The new Chief of Staff warned that revolution was imminent. on the morning of the 7th, the German Supreme Command wired Gen Foch the names of the armistice delegation and suggested that hostilities be suspended. Gen. Foch ignored the request. The delegation entered French territory at midday. At the news there was celebration in Brest and an American journalist cabled United Press that the peace had been signed. Celebrations started in many cities in the U.S and other places in the world. Crowds gathered at the White House but Wilson did not appear because he knew the news must be false.

On the western front fighting continued and so did German resistance. When the American 42d Div. approached Sedan they were forced back by intense machine gun and artillery fire.

The morning of Nov. 9th the German negotiators reached the forest of Compiegne. The Kaiser was at the military headquarters at Spa. The morning of the 9th reports came in that 11 cities were under control of the Reds. The commander in Berlin wired that all troops deserted, the city was completely out of control. The Kaiser abdicated and left Spa for neutral Holland by a route that avoided German soil.

The negotiators worked out the details and the armistice was signed at 5:10 AM on Nov. 11, 1918. Hostilities were to cease at 11 AM. News of the signing arried at American headquarters at 6:30 AM. The American commanders ordered the fighting to go on until 11 AM. Near Verdun Capt. Harry Truman's battery kept firing until 10:45. The reckless behavior of the American commanders provoked a congressional investigation after the war.

Rufus Bennett's outfit, the 366th MTC, moved from Ham to St. Quintin on Nov 5th which was east of the Hindenburg Line. The night of the 10th some of the troops got stoned and there was a fight in the kitchen. The morning of the 1lth was anticlimatic and the time was spent cleaning up and writing letters.

EPILOGUE

To see the letters home from Rufus Bennett and additional news stories on his wartime experiences,

click on this LINK.

The period immediately after the fighting stopped was spent by Rufus doing work in hauling relief supplies and helping to repair damage in Rufe’s case. Several months were needed to rebuild enough of the rail system to restore commerce and start the rebuilding efforts. Both Sid and Hod were assigned to the occupation army in Germany. Sid served in Coblenz, on the Rhine River. Just where Fred and Hod served is not known but all four brothers were home in July of 1919. The picture of the four brothers at the beginning of this paper shows them with patches from their combat units so it must have been taken after the return.

My earliest recollection of discussions of the war with my father were when I was about 5 years old. I remember asking where his rifle was and whether he brought anything else back from the army. He showed me his helmet and bayonet as well as his uniform. These items have since disappeared. From discussions then and later I got the impression that the war was just too terrible to discuss and I did not pursue the subject with him. I remember my early grade school years when, as most boys do, my brother Gordon and I got interested in guns. This seemed to bother my father greatly and Uncle Sid felt the same way and was very vocal about it.

Sometime during this period the epic film about WWI, All Quiet on the Western Front, with Lew Ayres, played at the Geneva Theater. My father took my brother and I to see it, the only movie I can remember him ever taking us to see. In my minds eye I can still see the horrors of the trenches as portrayed in that film. I remember thinking about that film during my service in Germany.

My father did discuss other things about his service in France, the people he met and a French soldier, Georges Schwab, who invited him to his home for dinner. I still remember the story of the chicken soup with the head of the chicken floating in the soup. During my first trips to Europe we discussed ways I might locate him but regrettably I did not pursue the matter as aggressively as I should have.

In the late 1930's with the rise of Hitler and the anticipation of war in Europe my father and Uncle Sid both became more isolationest in their viewpoint. They felt the British and French both could and should solve their own problems with Hitler. Clearly they did not want their sons to have to fight as they did. When the time came to go, as it did for me in July 1944, they counseled me to do my duty. Clearly my service was a big worry to both my father and mother. (Sid had no children and Fred and Hod's sons were younger.)

May 6, 1998