Remembering Pvt. George W. Gravelle - Massachusetts Old 9th - Co. M

The Massachusetts National Guard Old 9th Regiment Company M was sent to Newburyport to guard the bridges on May 1st, 1917. They guarded Newburyport's bridges until July 1st when they were sent to Camp McGinnis in Framingham for training.

On July 1st, Pvt George W. Gravelle fell off a train in Newburyport and was killed. He was nineteen years old. He never made it to Framingham never mind France. Instead his body was returned to Lowell for his funeral.

He was born in Lowell on September 8, 1898 the youngest child of Charles and Lucy (Chabot) Gravelle. He was survived by five brothers, Joseph, Alfred, John, Arthur and William and three sisters, Rose Parks, Mabelle Whalley and Dorothy Welch. His mother died in 1914 and his father died in 1918. We worked as an apprentice iron moulder.

A military funeral took place at St. Jean Baptiste with Company M forming the honor guard. Burial was in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Chelmsford.

Please remember Pvt George Gravelle and his family's sacrifice.

McErlane Brothers

Peter J. McErlane and Paul M. McErlane were born in Lowell to Irish born Peter and Elizabeth (Kane) McErlane along with six sisters. The family lived in the Pawtucketville section of Lowell at 53 Third Avenue and were founding members of St. Rita's parish.

Peter was the oldest and graduated from the Bartlett, Lowell High School class of 1935 and the evening division of Lowell Textile class of 1940. He enlisted in the army ten months before Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the famed Yankee Division 101st Infantry 26th Division Company K.

First Sergeant Peter J. McErlane

His younger and only brother Paul graduated from the Bartlett and Lowell High School class of 1940. He also was an excellent golfer, winning the Lowell City Caddy Championship in 1940. He joined the Air Force and was a radio gunner of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

Sergeant Paul M. McErlane

On April 25th 1944 the McErlane family got news that their youngest son was Missing in Action. On his second combat mission his plane had to ditch over Germany. Three of the flight members ended up being Prisoners of War and six were lost. They were shot down on Easter Sunday. Right before Paul left for his ill fated mission he sent flowers to his mother for Mother's Day. They held out hope that he had survived but at the end of the war he was declared dead. A mother's heartache.

On December 10th 1944 the McErlane family was notified by the War Department that their other son, Peter was killed in action on November 28th 1944 in Vibersviller near Metz, France. He was part of the Lorraine offensive that was so deadly. He really didn't have a chance. Lots of hand to hand fighting as the Americans marched towards Germany. Trying to clear the towns to get the tanks through. Patton's tanks. It was a deadly affair.

Peter and Paul's sister Rita was serving as a Lieutenant in the US Army Nurse Corps in Italy. On the front line. She survived the war and married in Milan, Italy.

After the war the McErlanes were popular members of St. Rita's and the Pawtucketville neighborhood. The square across the street from the Joseph A. McAvinnue Elementary School is named in their honor. It's at the intersection of Mammoth, 4th Avenue and Woodward Avenue.

Paul never came home. He is memorilized on the Tablet of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery in Margaraten, Netherlands and on the family stone at St. Patrick's Cemetery.

Peter's body came home in 1948 and he had a funeral at St. Rita's and burial at St. Patrick's Cemetery. They were both survived by their parents and sisters Joan Donaghey, Anna Monnahan, Frances Fadden, Rita Miller, Eleanor Sullivan and Patricia Bartlett. Thank you McErlane family.

Corp. Joseph Worthy - 101st Infantry Company M - WW1

Corporal Joseph H. Worthy was born in Boston September 26, 1891 the son of Joseph and Elizabeth O'Hare. His father was born in Ireland. This second generation Acre resident worked at the U.S. Cartridge Company as a moulder and attended St. Patrick's Church. He joined the National Guard and served during the trouble at the Mexican Border before World War One. 







Boston Globe Photo

Corp. Joseph Worthy was a member if the 101st Yankee Division Company M that many Lowell men fought with in France. They were one of the first to fight. He was killed along with three other Lowell men during the Second Battle of the Marne in Vaux France on July 15, 1918. Their names are Pvt. Francis M. McOsker, Pvt. Arthur McOsker and Pvt. Philip Chalifoux all of Company M.

Joseph Worthy was survived by his father Joseph, sister Mrs. Martin Brick and brothers John and Richard. His mother died in 1912. He is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Lowell. A square is named in his honor at the corner of Broadway and Dutton Streets.

Shortly after the war his brother was contacted by a soldier from Boston, Sergt. H.L. Ryder that he was the one who discovered Joseph Worthy's body. He was dead and holding a prayer book. The book was "Remembering the Eucharistic Mission at St. Patrick's Church, Lowell, April 1918" with 95 Adams Street inside the cover. It is thought that he was praying when he died. He returned the book to the grateful family.

Lowell Newburyport Connection

 A while back I posted on Company M which was comprised of many Lowell men of the famous Yankee Division.  Dick Howe sent me this link from the Newburyport Daily News:

http://www.newburyportnews.com/opinion/x1770584307/They-came-from-Lowell-to-protect-our-bridge

Thanks Dick for the link.

Does anyone have any relatives who served in Company M?  Here's the link to my older blog post listing the names.  My husband's grandfather, Irving Loucraft served in Company M.  No one knows of any Newburyport connection but maybe you have one. 

http://loucraft.blogspot.com/2011/01/lowells-own-company-m-july-1918.html

Lowell's Own - Company M - July 1918

Company M was comprised of Lowell boys who were part of the old 9th of Massachusetts who were  sent down to deal with the Mexican trouble at the border in 1916.   When they returned to Framingham they became part of the famous Yankee Division 101st infantry.  After guarding bridges in Lowell and Newburyport they sailed to France on September 6th, 1917.

 In July of 1918 they were assigned to Hill 204 near Chateau-Thierry and the Somme River in Vaux, France.  They were lead by Liet William F. Fitzgerald as their commanding officer.  It was the last major offensive by the German army.  The Lowell boys won.  They were outnumbered but held their own.  Here is an account of the battle:

"Vaux was a peaceful appearing little village near the Somme river and through which ran the road to Paris. The platoons of Company M were scattered about the town—you don't keep close formation in warfare—when the German attack which ultimately ended in an American counter-attack started.  When the attack began, the doughboys signaled the artillery frantically for a barrage.  The barrage came, but behind the Americans, and in their midst.  The range was off and could not be corrected by telegraph—that having gone out of commission —until a runner got word to the C.O. of the battery. Then the German ranks were torn apart."

Killed in action were their commander Liet. William F. Fitzgerald, Corp. Joseph Worthy, Frank McOsker, Philip Chalifoux, and Frank Lyons.  Captured by the Germans were Corp. James McCluskey and Fred Argaves.


Those In the Lines at Vaux
1st Lieut. William F. Fitzgerald (killed) commanding officer.
1st Lieut. Charles Smith, second in command.
2nd Lieut. Roger Bennett
2nd Lieut. Roland Dodge, D. S. 0. (killed In Argonne).
2nd Lieut. Frank Bolan.,
2nd Lieut. James P. Rose
2nd Lieut. Valentine C. Jacob (later captain of company).

Non-commissioned officers, Sergeants: Act. 1st Sergt. John M. Hurley, Leo F. Fox, Charles McDermott, Irving J. Loucraft, Russell B. Smith, Adolphis Desroslers, Robert A. Ginlvan, Warren Rogers, Daniel P. Brennan and John T. McDermott.
Corporals, John F. . Scully, Joseph A, Gregolre, Dewey B, Chagnon, John F. Kerins, Joseph A. Rheault, William Graham, Gilbert  Gendron, George Lowe, James McCluskey , Edward Lemke, Daniel F. Coakley, Edward Flannagan, Edward F. Barton, John F. Kenney, Charles O'Loughlin, Patrick Quinn, John Rogers, Edward F. .Hayes and Joseph Worthy.
Privates: Mechanic James C. O'Loughlin, Cooks George Hanley and Wilmer Craig, .Mechanic Sidney Craig, Andrew F. Finnegan, Walter Small, Martin F. Ready, Daniel T. Powers, George C. Wlllette, Michael J. McDermott, Joseph A. Dalgle, Thomas Cox, William E. Brown, Michael F. Mitchell, Ira E. Osgood, Harold Fulton, Joseph O'Brien, George Kelley, Fred Trudeau, Luther Hilton, Ernest Paquln, Robert Myron, Ralph Whitford, Emil Morel, Joseph McShane, William C. Kirk, John J. Slattery, Gedeon Beland, Edward T. McAleer, Frank Murphy, Evangelos Trascopoulos; Oscar Plaute, William Mulholland, William Savage, William H. Quinn, Patrick Shea, Arthur Monty, Edward Coughlin, Leo Carpenter, Alphonse Lessard, William Callahan, Rosarto L. Bleu, Joseph Lemay, Henry Underwood, George Underwood, George L. Marshall, John Suprey, James Burns, George L. Wayne and Edward McIntyre.