Samuel C. Thornton WWI
Replies: 5
Re: Samuel C. Thornton WWI
 JeffH01
(View posts)
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Posted: 15 Jul 2008 7:07PM GMT |
Classification: Query
Alice,
Don’t know why your post has been moved to this surname board, probably because your original message didn’t make it clear what you were looking for.
As this is clearly a WWI query, I’ve requsted this board’s administrator to replace it on the WWI board.
You say he died in a railway accident; do you know if that before or after his discharge?
I couldn’t find his name on either the American Battle Monuments Commission’s site [for missing or buried abroad] nor the American Veteran’s Cemetaries site, so it appears he’s buried in a private grave somewhere.
His grave stone may give his unit at least that would be a start.
To obtain any surviving records [most were destroyed in the 1973 fire] for WWI personel you need to know at least his service number, NARA wont process any application without it.
Draft registration cards would pin down where he was living before the war, you could then apply to the veteran’s administration in that area for any information they may have. I believe it’s possible they would have some record of any application by Next of Kin for any outstanding pay etc., that was due.
I can’t say if there is a set of muster lists for African American Soldiers but this has been copied from the Prologue Magazine of the US National Archives:
“African Americans made a significant contribution to the United States Army during World War I, and they are well documented among several different series in Record Groups 120 and 391. Although the military was segregated at this time, two all-black divisions, the Ninety-second and Ninety-third, played prominent roles in the defeat of the Central Powers. More than 200,000 African Americans served with the AEF.(8) The majority served in quartermaster labor units, entries 1262-1294 in Record Group 120 and entries 2141 and 2160 in Record Group 391. Pioneer Infantry Regiments (troops employed in building roads, digging trenches, and other construction projects) consisted almost entirely of African Americans and are documented in entry 1255 of Record Group 120.”
Not much help really, sorry.
Don’t know why your post has been moved to this surname board, probably because your original message didn’t make it clear what you were looking for.
As this is clearly a WWI query, I’ve requsted this board’s administrator to replace it on the WWI board.
You say he died in a railway accident; do you know if that before or after his discharge?
I couldn’t find his name on either the American Battle Monuments Commission’s site [for missing or buried abroad] nor the American Veteran’s Cemetaries site, so it appears he’s buried in a private grave somewhere.
His grave stone may give his unit at least that would be a start.
To obtain any surviving records [most were destroyed in the 1973 fire] for WWI personel you need to know at least his service number, NARA wont process any application without it.
Draft registration cards would pin down where he was living before the war, you could then apply to the veteran’s administration in that area for any information they may have. I believe it’s possible they would have some record of any application by Next of Kin for any outstanding pay etc., that was due.
I can’t say if there is a set of muster lists for African American Soldiers but this has been copied from the Prologue Magazine of the US National Archives:
“African Americans made a significant contribution to the United States Army during World War I, and they are well documented among several different series in Record Groups 120 and 391. Although the military was segregated at this time, two all-black divisions, the Ninety-second and Ninety-third, played prominent roles in the defeat of the Central Powers. More than 200,000 African Americans served with the AEF.(8) The majority served in quartermaster labor units, entries 1262-1294 in Record Group 120 and entries 2141 and 2160 in Record Group 391. Pioneer Infantry Regiments (troops employed in building roads, digging trenches, and other construction projects) consisted almost entirely of African Americans and are documented in entry 1255 of Record Group 120.”
Not much help really, sorry.