Corporal Robert G Fitzgerald
Robert Gordon Fitzgerald was born in Norwich, Vermont on October 13th, 1895 to Fred Fitzgerald and Minney Willey, and after completing school, Robert was employed by the American Express Company in Vermont. When the United States formally entered WW1 in April of 1917, Robert was handed a draft notice and for reasons unknown, listed his birth year as 1896 instead of 1895. Just a few months later, he was drafted into the army on September 5th, 1917 and quickly assigned to Service Park Unit 693, Mobile Repair Shop 1 of the 101st Supply Train, 26th Infantry Division. As a late arrival with his unit with only twenty days in the army and with minimal training, Private Fitzgerald left the United States aboard the Sayonia for overseas deployment, arriving in France in early October. It was here that the 26th Division met their French counterparts who trained them in trench warfare for the next three months. The purpose of Private Fitzgerald’s Service Park Unit was to repair automobiles and transportation vehicles that did not require heavy equipment, so they only carried a limited stock of parts that were crucial for this job. When he arrived in France, Private Fitzgerald lacked training to complete these tasks, but thankfully was taught to do so during the division’s stay with the French.
During the first week of February 1918, the 26th Division was sent to the Chemin Des Dames Sector to continue training, but this time to gain real combat experience. The Service Park Units also moved with the division into the sector to provide them with any repairs that may be needed. While the Chemin Des Dames sector was considered a quiet area, it was about to get busy. On February 19th, the Germans attempted to raid a section of the line occupied by the 104th Infantry Regiment, then near Chavignon occupied by the 102nd Infantry, and finally heavily bombarded the American positions in mid March with gas shells. All attempts to breach the allied line were successfully beaten back, providing the 26th Division with the valuable experience they had been looking for. By March 21st, the entire division had been relieved from the sector and marched to the Rimacourt Training Area for what was supposed to be a period of rest. Instead, they were on the move again to the Boucq Sector near Toul forty eight hours later to relieve the 1st Infantry Division on the line. Private Fitzgerald and Service Park Unit 693 needed to be as close to the front line troops as possible to immediately respond to any repair requests, which led to being uncomfortably close to the German attacks in the sector. During their time in Boucq, the Germans launched a heavy attack on the 104th Infantry Regiment between April 10th to the 13th which was beaten back, sudden trench raids on April 20th to the 21st, May 27th, and June 16th that were repulsed with heavy casualties. To make matters worse, German artillery worked tirelessly to retaliate for their losses and shelled the entire division area which included the rear, making no place safe. After over three months in the sector, the division was finally relieved in late June by the 82nd Infantry Division for some much needed rest. After settling near Meaux for a few days, Private Fitzgerald and the division relieved the 2nd Infantry Division between July 5th-8th to the north of Chateau Thierry. Just a few days later, the 26th Infantry Division returned to the front line, this time occupying positions from Vaux, Bouresches, Bois de Belleau, and near Bussieres. The timing could not have been worse. |
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On July 12th, the Germans resumed their offensive that had previously reached the Marne River and attacked the 101st Infantry Regiment. To make matters worse, the area in which the division was in lacked trenches or any form of shelter, exposing the men to hails of enemy fire, gas, and artillery. While Private Fitzgerald and his unit were not in the direct line of attack, the possibility of being overrun loomed over them, but the vicious attacks were thankfully beaten back, and the division began preparations to attack and silence the Chateau Thierry salient. The operation began on July 18th, and the 102nd and 104th Infantry were able to capture a few towns before being halted at Givry. It was a difficult process since the American infantry had moved so fast that the French on their left couldn’t keep up, causing them to halt until they rejoined the line. Nevertheless, they reached the Chateau Thierry-Soissons Road on July 21st, but ever increasing casualties were taking their toll. While the attack was raging, Private Fitzgerald and Service Park Unit 693 were busy. As more and more casualties were brought to the rear, overworked ambulances and vehicles needed repairs which SPU 693 were happy to provide. Finally, on July 24th, the Germans were pushed back from Le Chamel, but before the division could renew the attack, they were relieved by the 58th Brigade to recuperate and receive badly needed replacements.
On August 25th, the division was on the move once again to participate in the St Mihiel Offensive which began at 1:00 AM on September 12th. The 101st, 103rd, and 104th Infantry spearheaded the attack and reached all their objectives by noon. The next day, the infantry had completely cleared the area up to Saulx and Hattonchatel, and the offensive was over by September 19th as a massive success for the allies. The attack was so successful because as luck would have it, the Germans had already begun retreating from the sector a few days prior and left only a relatively weak rearguard in place to cover the movement. Private Fitzgerald and the 26th Division remained on the line here to conduct raids on the German lines for prisoners. Their most important one would act as a diversion for the Meuse Argonne Offensive, meant to crush the German line and end the war.
On September 28th, the men advanced under the cover of dense fog in conjunction with other neighboring units, and attacked and captured sections of the German line, withdrawing at night. While the operation was completed with heavy casualties, it succeeded in taking pressure off of the men going over the top in the Meuse Argonne region the same day. Shortly after, the division was withdrawn from the sector and stationed in Verdun as a reserve force before entering the line in the Neptune Sector on October 15th. This was a crucial area for the Germans, who heavily shelled the line often and were subjected to multiple attacks by the 26th Infantry Division. It was here that Private Fitzgerald was declared missing and was last heard “under fire near a battery of large guns” around November 1st, 1918. When the war finally came to an end on the 11th, the war department still had not located him, and investigations started by his family and the Red Cross yielded no results. “Finally, Dr. F. P. Lord, medical director for the Y.M.C.A at Paris, started an investigation. Dr Lord wrote to Dr. Frank B. Ireland of Washburn Ill., assistant medical director for the Le Mans district, where the 26th division was awaiting orders to go home. Dr. Ireland finally located young Fitzgerald alive and well, and has cabled home the glad news to his family at Norwich, Vermont” in April 1919. Two months later, Corporal Fitzgerald left aboard the Panaman on June 8th, was discharged twenty days later, and returned to the relief of his family.
Later in life, Robert married Marjorie Hutchinson in 1951, was a 32 year town clerk, became a member of the Lyman Pell Post American Legion, United Brethern Lodge F&AM of White River Junction, and the Mt. Sinai Shrine Temple of Montpellier. He would pass away after a long illness in 1974 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Norwich, Vermont
On August 25th, the division was on the move once again to participate in the St Mihiel Offensive which began at 1:00 AM on September 12th. The 101st, 103rd, and 104th Infantry spearheaded the attack and reached all their objectives by noon. The next day, the infantry had completely cleared the area up to Saulx and Hattonchatel, and the offensive was over by September 19th as a massive success for the allies. The attack was so successful because as luck would have it, the Germans had already begun retreating from the sector a few days prior and left only a relatively weak rearguard in place to cover the movement. Private Fitzgerald and the 26th Division remained on the line here to conduct raids on the German lines for prisoners. Their most important one would act as a diversion for the Meuse Argonne Offensive, meant to crush the German line and end the war.
On September 28th, the men advanced under the cover of dense fog in conjunction with other neighboring units, and attacked and captured sections of the German line, withdrawing at night. While the operation was completed with heavy casualties, it succeeded in taking pressure off of the men going over the top in the Meuse Argonne region the same day. Shortly after, the division was withdrawn from the sector and stationed in Verdun as a reserve force before entering the line in the Neptune Sector on October 15th. This was a crucial area for the Germans, who heavily shelled the line often and were subjected to multiple attacks by the 26th Infantry Division. It was here that Private Fitzgerald was declared missing and was last heard “under fire near a battery of large guns” around November 1st, 1918. When the war finally came to an end on the 11th, the war department still had not located him, and investigations started by his family and the Red Cross yielded no results. “Finally, Dr. F. P. Lord, medical director for the Y.M.C.A at Paris, started an investigation. Dr Lord wrote to Dr. Frank B. Ireland of Washburn Ill., assistant medical director for the Le Mans district, where the 26th division was awaiting orders to go home. Dr. Ireland finally located young Fitzgerald alive and well, and has cabled home the glad news to his family at Norwich, Vermont” in April 1919. Two months later, Corporal Fitzgerald left aboard the Panaman on June 8th, was discharged twenty days later, and returned to the relief of his family.
Later in life, Robert married Marjorie Hutchinson in 1951, was a 32 year town clerk, became a member of the Lyman Pell Post American Legion, United Brethern Lodge F&AM of White River Junction, and the Mt. Sinai Shrine Temple of Montpellier. He would pass away after a long illness in 1974 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Norwich, Vermont