Showing posts with label World War I. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World War I. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

1918 influenza pictures

I just ran across 4 pictures of the influenza epidemic at the end of World War I. 

12-0137-009 influenza

USNH, Mare Island, Cal. Scene on ward during influenza epidemic. Nov. 1918. (12-0137-009)

09-5036-044 Influenza

U.S. Naval Hospital. A busy winter. General view of inner buildings and influenza emergency camps. [Building.][Hospitals, wards.][World War 1.] Mare Island, California. 12/10/1918. (09-5036-044)

09-5036-043 influenza

U.S. Naval Hospital. Corpsmen in cap and gown ready to attend patients in influenza ward. [Hospitals, wards.][Scene.][Influenza.][World War 1.] Mare Island, California. 12/10/1918. (09-5036-043)

09-5036-031 influenza

U.S. Naval Hospital. General view of influenza tents and open-air mess tent. [World War 1.] Mare Island, California. 12/10/1918. (09-5036-031)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Archives: Kline Scrapbook

Kline Scrapbook (2011.0003)
Personal papers
1917-1922
1 box, arranged, unrestricted, no finding aid available

1 scrapbook of photographs of Navy Nurse Grace DeWitt Kline, ca.
1917-1921 or World War 1. Includes photographs of the USS Princess
Matoika
and its crew, a boxing match aboard the ship, some sailors and
troops ashore in Europe, the USS Zeelandia, and photographs of a city,
possibly New York by Major Hamilton Maxwell, New York City. Also
includes a loose newspaper portrait clipping of "Miss Edith C. Whitlam,
Formerly of the New York Post Graduate Hospital, Who Has Been Awarded
the Royal Red Cross for Distinguished Service with the Canadian Troops."

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Pharmacist's Mate First Class John Henry Balch

John Henry Balch was born on 2 January 1896 in Edgerton, KS. At the time of action, he was a Pharmacist’s Mate First Class, USN. His citation reads, “For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, with the 6th Regiment, United States Marines, in action at Vierzy, on 19 July 1918. Balch unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself to terrific machinegun and high-explosive fire to succor the wounded as they fell in the attack, leaving voluntarily and keeping up the work all day and late into the night unceasingly for 16 hours on a field torn by shell and machinegun fire. Also in the action at Somme-Py on 5 October 1918, he exhibited exceptional bravery in establishing an advanced dressing station under heavy shellfire.”

Following the war John Balch left the Navy and opened a men’s clothing store in Chicago, IL. During World War II, he returned to service as a lieutenant in the Navy Supply Corps and retired a commander in 1957. He died on 15 October 1980 and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA (Section 2, Grave 1925)).

In 2005, Naval Medical Clinic in Quantico, VA, was renamed the "John Balch Clinic" in his honor.