Joseph roger

1918 · 422949 — France 1918. Softcover. Near Fine. Oblong small octavo. Measuring 11" x 7". String-tied flexible leather US Army Service Album with an illustration of soldier and eagle on the front cover. Contains 121 sepia-toned or black and white gelatin silver photographs measuring between 1" x 1" and 5½" x 8" with captions on the versos. Very good album with some edgewear and very good or better photographs.<br /> <br /> A photo album compiled by Private Joseph R. Shubert while serving with the 502nd U.S. Army Ambulance Service during World War I. The album begins with men posed alongside their ambulances "cars" with most signed by the driver followed by images of bombed out towns various weaponry men wading a river and working on their vehicles as well as German prisoners captured German artillery and a downed German airplane. Schubert captures all sides of the war including the temporary grave of Charlie Waterhouse presumably a member of the section evacuating gas attack casualties and a photo of men loading a covered body into the back of an ambulance likely a member of the section and possibly the aforementioned Waterhouse since ambulances were not used to transport the dead. Additionally three pieces of ephemera are included: a leave slip and two troop ship berthing assignments likely from the trip over and the return.<br /> <br /> The 502nd was the second of three ambulance sections raised from members of Philadelphia's Stoneman's Fellowship a philanthropic fraternal organization that provided first aid and ambulance services. Its commander was 1st Lt. Donald Hathaway the signer of Schubert's leave slip. The 502nd arrived in France and served in the defense of the Aisne River at Chateau-Thierry the Aisne-Marne offensive the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the Woevre Sector offensive supporting the 2nd 26th 28th 42nd and 79th Divisions at various times. Three members of the section were killed during the war and 16 were wounded. Following the Armistice the 502nd served in occupied Germany and Strasbourg until it returned home in May 1919.<br /> <br /> An excellent visual record of an important but sparsely documented U.S. Army support service during the First World War. unknown