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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
J. Andrew Apr 20, 2020 1:32 PM (in response to Keith Rouleau)Can you make a copy of the document listing his units and post it here? The reason I ask is because there may have been multiple A companies in the Signal Corps during the war, and I was wondering if there is anything on the record indicating a higher level of organization such as a battalion number.
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Jason AtkinsonApr 30, 2020 9:10 AM (in response to Keith Rouleau)
Dear Mr. Rouleau,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
During World War I, the US Army Signal Corps was made up of multiple signal battalions, each of which had an A Company. “A” Corps is not a term that was used to designate any units. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Records of Divisions, ca. 1918 - 1942 and Records of Field Signal Battalions, 1917 - 1922 in the Records of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I) (Record Group 120) that include records of signal units that were deployed to France. However without a battalion number, we are unable to locate your grandfather’s unit records.
Please post copies of the documents you mention to History Hub so that we may be able to help you determine what unit he served in. Alternatively, you may email them to the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL) at stl.archives@nara.gov or the National Archives as College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) at archives2reference@nara.gov for assistance in interpreting the unit designation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL & RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
We hope this information is helpful.
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Keith Rouleau Feb 16, 2021 7:52 AM (in response to Jason Atkinson)Thanks for your response last year - I'm just reading it for the 1st time. I apologize for such a long delay.
I've scanned my Grandfathers ARMY FINAL PAY documents - even 1 page at a time - and STILL can't get them to take on this website! All his final payroll papers say is that he was assigned to the METEOROLIGICAL DETACHMENT "A" SIGNAL CORPS A.S.D., Garden City, L.I. N.Y. and there's notes about "Air Service Depot, Garden City. He was a Private 1st Class.
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Jason AtkinsonFeb 17, 2021 3:53 PM (in response to Keith Rouleau)
Dear Mr. Rouleau,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
Please see How to add a picture to your post or comment for instructions on how to add images of scanned records.
In this case, “A” is a modifier of Detachment, not Signal Corps. The information you are sharing indicates that his unit as the Meteorological Detachment A. There would have been multiple detachments with different detachments indicated by letters. There was only one Signal Corps. The Signal Corps fulfilled many different functions, and at that time, meteorology was one of them. Therefore, meteorological detachments were Signal Corps units, and many of the personnel assigned to them were part of the Signal Corps.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Reports Concerning the Distribution of Signal Corps Units, 2/1918 - 10/1918 in the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (Record Group 111); Records Relating to the History of the War Department, 1918 - 1941 in the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs (Record Group 165); and
and World War I Strength Returns, ca. 1917 - 1939 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917 - 1985 (Record Group 407) that may include records relating to this unit. For more information, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) at Archives2reference@nara.gov.
Next we located 7 record series of the Garden City Air Services Depot in the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18). For more information, please email the National Archives at New York (RE-NY) at newyork.archives@nara.gov.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2 & RE-NY. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
Lastly, you may wish to contact the US Army Center of Military History, the US Army Heritage and Education Center, the U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum, the US Army Signal Center Command Historian, the National Museum of the United States Army, and the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Keith Rouleau Feb 17, 2021 11:09 PM (in response to Jason Atkinson)Jason,
Thank you so much for your quick reply and guidance on the Army's Signal Corps and the Meteorological Detachment at that time - 1917-1918. I'll definitely be following up with the other research sources that you recommend and keep you posted on what I find.
It's so unfortunate that all my grandfathers military records were lost in the St. Louis fire of 1972? That's why I only have his final payroll documentation.
Regards,
Keith Rouleau
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Keith Rouleau Feb 16, 2021 9:13 PM (in response to Jason Atkinson)According to Charles Osborne's FINAL PAYROLL record, he was assigned to the METEOROLOGICAL DETACHMENT (Organization) "A" SIGNAL CORPS. (Regiment).
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Elliot Schneider Feb 16, 2021 12:06 PM (in response to Keith Rouleau)Keith,
Do you have any additional information on this individual place of birth, DOB?
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Re: Seeking records of Army Signal "A" Corps during WWI
Keith Rouleau Feb 16, 2021 8:59 PM (in response to Elliot Schneider)Elliot,
Thanks for replying so quickly.
Yes, Charles Herrick Osborne was born 26 October 1894 in Warrensburg, NY. (Warren County).
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