WITH THE 112TH IN FRANCE: A DOUGHBOY'S STORY OF THE WAR

Erie, Pennsylvania
Thursday, September 3, 2015


I want to keep focused on Archie and continue my writing about him, but I am taking a couple of detours.  The book my brother loaned me is titled WITH THE 112TH IN FRANCE: A DOUGHBOY'S STORY OF THE WAR by James A. Murrin, published in 1919.What a treasure this book is--my brother purchased it years ago knowing that our Uncle Roy was in the 112th and I know now the 28th Division.

Corporal Murrin kept a diary and his letters home from the very beginning when the 16th and the 8th Pennsylvania National Guard Infantry Regiments combined into the 112th. So far I have read about the training in Augusta, Georgia, the  troop train to New York, the crossing aboard the Aquitania, and now the Regiment's arrival in France, all in stunning detail.  Reading this book has enriched my understanding of the experience that Archie had before he went to France.  Roy was Archie's nephew.

I am thrilled to be reading such a book. A little search showed that the book is still available online for about $35 hardcover, but certainly not this 1st Edition. My brother was very thoughtful to loan it to me.

I took a little break from 112th book today and discovered that there is a history of the 37th Engineers, Company E/AEF available from a collection digitized by Google. I cannot believe it. The 37th Engineers, Company E is the unit my Grand (some say Great) Uncle Earl was in and his name is listed in the book. Earl was Archie's brother in law.

The past ten days I have had the luxury of continuing my Great War quest, but I know the next few days will be about family. I hope that they will let me fill them in about our heritage!!