![]() Cook’s men were pinned down by an enemy machine gun and snipers. A native of Caledonia, Michigan, Cook fought with Company A of the 131st Infantry Regiment and performed an extraordinary feat of heroism on 11 October 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign.įighting under French command, the 33d Division struggled to take the high ground east of the Meuse River. The alarm rattle shown here was carried by Sergeant Robert R. The rattle worked by whirling the device overhead, which caused a loud whirring sound. Alarm rattles were preferable because they were lightweight, easy to carry, and had a simple design. Eventually, the men found that klaxon horns and wooden alarm rattles worked best. To communicate the warning up and down the lines, everything from church bells to air horns was used. Whenever the hiss of a gas cylinder or explosion of a shell was heard, a lookout would yell “gas!” to everyone in earshot. Soldiers developed several ways to warn their fellow doughboys of inbound gas. Mustard gas was particularly insidious because it could linger for weeks in the shell craters and trenches of the Western Front. Dichloroethyl sulfide-commonly known as “mustard gas”-was a favorite of the Germans because it could still maim a Soldier wearing a gas mask by burning any exposed skin. ![]() To mitigate this risk, the preferred method of delivery for gas by the time the AEF took the field was an artillery shell that could safely carry the dreaded menace out of friendly lines before exploding.Īs the AEF took the field in 1917, newer forms of gas had been developed. This was a risky endeavor, as a sudden shift in the wind could result in friendly casualties. When gas was introduced onto the battlefield in 1915, it was common to use large cylinders that would send billowing clouds of gasses like Xylyl bromide and chlorine towards the enemy lines. By war’s end, an estimated 1.2 million gas casualties had been suffered on all sides – over 90,000 of these were fatal. This lone word could strike fear and panic into the most stoic doughboy in the American sector of the Western Front.īy the time that the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) arrived in France, the use of poison gas was commonplace by the Allies and Central Powers alike.
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