The 38th Brigade was formed from troops from the American Expeditionary Forces who were already in France in August of 1918. The Brigade was the Command unit for three Artillery Regiments consisting of the 48th Artillery who would have used the American 8-inch Howitzers, the 49th Artillery who would have also used the American 8-inch Howitzers, and the 50th Artillery who were assigned the British 9.2-inch howitzers.
The Brigade consisting of seven officers and 52-enlisted men, sailed from Newport News, Virginia on October 5, 1918 aboard the SS Lutetia, a 15,000-ton French passenger liner built in 1913 at St. Nazaire, France. Also, aboard the Lutetia for that passage was the entire 49th Artillery Regiment, CAC and a Field Remount squadron of the Quartermaster Corps.
The officers of the Brigade and senior non-commissioned officers at the time were as follows:
Brigadier General George Blakely
Major Walter L. Clark
Captain James Garfield
Captain Charles S. Fleming
Captain Gardner G. Johnson
1st Lt. Roy D. Paterson
Sgt. Major Senior Grade Thomas W. Bell
Battalion Sgt. Major Louis W. Hoffield
1st Sgt. Henry J. Wilkinson
The 38th Brigade was most likely assembled and formed at O&T Center No. 6 (Operations and Training) at Mailly and Haussimont, France. The Brigade formed and arrived too late in the war to be trained and the three regiments it controlled had not even been issued guns or started training of any significance.
The 38th Brigade on February 5, 1919 in St. Nazaire, France went aboard the USS Kroonland along with the 42nd Artillery CAC for their return to the States. The Kroonland arrived in Newport News, Virginia on February 18, 1919 and offloaded her passengers. The 38th Artillery Brigade was then demobilized from Active Duty.
The typical Artillery Brigade consisted just a Headquarters Company consisting of the following:
Total Commissioned Officers were 13 consisting of: 1 Brigadier General, 1 Lt. Colonel or Major, 9 Lieutenants, and 68 Enlisted men for a total of 81 in the Brigade. The equipment the brigade carried would have been: 1 Staff Observation car, 2 Bicycles, 2 Motor Cars, 6 Motorcycles, 3 Three-ton trucks, 2 One and a half-ton trucks, 1 Light Delivery truck, 1 Recon car and 81 pistols.
The 38th Artillery Brigade upon the return to the States on February 18, 1919 was still under the command of Brigadier General George Blakely. The Field and Staff officers of the 38th at the time were as follows:
Major Peyton R. Denman, Medical Corps
Captain C. H. Taylor, CAC
Captain Charles S. Fleming, JAG Corps
1st Lt. Bryant A. Judson, CAC
1st Lt. Guy G. Allen, CAC
1st Lt. Leland H. Barker, CAC
1st Lt. Edward Ploenges, CAC
2nd Lt. H. C. Wildner, CAC
2nd Lt. K. M. Brager, CAC
2nd Lt. C. C. Perkins, CAC
2nd Lt. Warren A. Draper, CAC
The senior non-commissioned officers were:
Sgt. Major Thomas W. Bell
Master Gunner Samuel G. Hartley
Radio Sgt. Orloff G. Neal
First Sgt. Wilbur Stewart
Date this page was created on December 5, 2018 and last updated
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