•1)4 m3 
 
a \ -^1 
 
 a 
 
 Cfte Commontuealtl) of ^asmtW^tm 
 
 REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION fAP- 
 POINTED TO IDENTIFY THE GRAVES t- OF 
 THE MEN AND WOMEN OF MASSACHU- 
 SETTS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR 
 COUNTRY IN FRANCE AND IN OTHER 
 FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING T^HE WORLD 
 WAR. 
 
 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives. 
 
 Gentlemen: — By the provisions of chapter 616 of the 
 Acts of the year 1920, the undersigned were appointed a 
 Commission to ascertain the most appropriate methods of 
 caring for the graves of the American dead in foreign coun- 
 tries; and the Commission was directed to report its inves- 
 tigations and recommendations to the General Court not 
 later than the fifteenth day of January, 1921. 
 
 The commissioners qualified for their duties before Gov- 
 ernor Coolidge June 26, 1920, and soon after organized by 
 the choice of Walter A. Robinson as chairman and Robert M. 
 Irwin as secretary. 
 
 The act says : — 
 
 ... a commission of three persons who shall proceed to ascertain 
 the situation of, and to identify, the graves of the men and women of 
 Massachusetts who gave their lives for their country in France and in 
 other foreign countries during the world war, and the most appropriate 
 methods of preserving the identity of the graves, of insuring their proper 
 care, and of overseeing exhumation, and transportation to the United 
 States of such bodies of Massachusetts dead as are to be transported. 
 The commission shall also inquire into the wisdom of the construction 
 by the conmionwealth, in France or elsewhere, of a monument or other 
 suitable memorial, in commemoration of Massachusetts citizens whose 
 lives were so given. 
 
In official communications the Commission styled itself, 
 *' Memorial Commission for Massachusetts Dead of World 
 War in Foreign Countries." 
 
 It will be seen from an examination of the act of the 
 General Court that the duties of the Commission can be 
 grouped under four heads : — 
 
 1. To ascertain the situation of, and to identify the graves 
 of, the men and women of IMassachusetts who gave their lives 
 for their country in France and in other foreign countries 
 during the World War. 
 
 2. To recommend the most appropriate methods of pre- 
 serving the identity of such graves and of insuring their 
 proper care. 
 
 3. To oversee exhumation and transportation to the United 
 States of such bodies of Massachusetts dead as are to be 
 transported. 
 
 4. To inquire into the wisdom of construction by the Com- 
 monwealth, in France or elsewhere, of a monument or other 
 suitable memorial, in commemoration of Massachusetts citi- 
 zens whose lives were so given. 
 
 The first duty of the Commission was to ascertain the 
 names of the men and women of Massachusetts who had 
 died overseas while connected with the World War in any 
 capacity. 
 
 Through the Adjutant General of Massachusetts we se- 
 cured the names of 3,080, which formed the basis of our 
 card catalogue. Each card gave the individual history in 
 the following form : — 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONQ«|§| 
 
 JUL! 91121 
 
 eeSHMKNTs OIViSION 
 

 <1 
 
 ll 
 
 2 M 
 
 O 
 * 
 
 p:5 -5 
 
 rt 
 
 4f 
 
 .ti 
 
 T3 
 
 Xi 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 -l-= 
 
 ej-i 
 
 CQ 
 
 O 
 
 •»-l 
 
 
 'o 
 
 a) 
 
 W 
 
 p23 
 
 P4 o 
 
 o 
 
 ^-. 
 
 o 
 
 a £ 
 
 S 1^ 
 
 I - 
 
 Q^ 
 
 a 
 
 -^ I 
 
 o o) 
 
 O p:? 
 
The War Department at "Washington said they were not able 
 to assist us because of a pressure of other duties for their clerks, 
 and could not allow the Commission to examine the records. 
 The similar records of the Navy Department, however, were 
 laid before the Commission for information and guidance. 
 To make the record of deaths overseas as complete as pos- 
 sible, the Commission circularized the town and city clerks 
 in Massachusetts, every church, every Legion post, and every 
 fraternal, charitable and welfare organization, telling them 
 the duty laid upon the Commission and asking for the names 
 and records of service of all "gold star" men within their 
 knowledge. The responses were immediate and satisfactory 
 in the information they gave, but were, of course, many 
 times duplicated. 
 
 By September 1 the Commission had the names of 4,654 
 Massachusetts men and women who had died in military or 
 naval service of the United States. 
 
 The information that could not be furnished in this coun- 
 try was the cemetery and the row and number of the graves 
 we needed to identify. This was only contained in the rec- 
 ords of the Graves Registration Department in Paris and 
 in London. Hoping to gain time for field work, the Com- 
 mission entrusted a copy of its lists to Col. Harry Cutler of 
 the National Jewish Welfare Association, who was proceed- 
 ing early in August to London and to Paris to report upon 
 the Jewish dead in the American cemeteries. He had an 
 official status under the War Department by appointment of 
 Secretary Baker. Unfortunately, Col. Cutler died soon after 
 his arrival in London, and his effects, including our lists, 
 were returned to his relatives in America. 
 
 The Commission sailed from New York September 9, 1920. 
 
 A summary of the activities of the Commission may be 
 stated as follows : — 
 
 Upon our arrival in Paris an interview^ was obtained with 
 Col. Rethers, in charge of the Graves Registration Depart- 
 ment of Europe. Our Commission presented the letter of 
 Secretary of War Baker, directing all officials of the War 
 Department to be of as much service to us as the regulations 
 of the War Department would allow. 
 
 This letter follows herewith : — 
 
War Department, 
 Washington, Aug. 23, 1920. 
 
 Memorandum for Officers of the United States Army on Duty 
 
 IN Europe. 
 
 1. The Massachusetts State Memorial ComiBission for Massachusetts 
 Dead of the World War in Foreign Countries is about to proceed to 
 Europe for the purpose of \dsiting cemeteries in which the dead of that 
 State are interred. 
 
 2. This Commission desires such assistance in the performance of 
 its mission as can be rendered, and I desire the military authorities now 
 on dutj^ in the countries it may visit to extend all courtesies to the 
 members, and extend whatever material aid is possible in conformity 
 with. Army regulations. 
 
 Newton D. Baker, 
 Seo'etary of War. 
 
 There the Commission examined the plans for the care of 
 the cemeteries and of the individual graves, and were in- 
 formed of the progress already made in concentration of the 
 bodies from the smaller cemeteries into the larger, the process 
 of exhumation and return of the bodies to the United States, 
 and the decision of the War Department that eventually 
 there would be maintained in France but four cemeteries, 
 and in Great Britain no more than one. 
 
 From France the Commission proceeded to London. Here 
 they consulted with the American Graves Registration De- 
 partment for Great Britain and the British Graves Registra- 
 tion Department. For it should be known, that as soon as 
 the United States began to send troops through Great 
 Britain, and to use its fleet in co-operation with the British 
 fleet, the British War Department obtained permission to 
 provide cemeteries for American dead and to take care of 
 the graves. These officials entered fully and heartily into 
 plans to make our work effective. 
 
 In London two lists had to be examined, the one containing 
 the names of all the American dead out of which to select 
 those from Massachusetts, and the other, the names of those 
 whose bodies had already been returned to the United 
 States. We found that about 90 per cent of all the dead 
 had been returned to the home cemeteries in America, and 
 the Massachusetts dead were to be found in widely separated 
 
6 
 
 cemeteries. The Commission singly, or in groups, visited 
 each of these cemeteries and took photographs of the graves. 
 
 On the completion of its work in the British Isles, the 
 Commission was engaged in further conferences with the 
 French War Office, in observing exhumations and care of 
 bodies being concentrated for return to America, and in 
 photographing individual graves in large and small ceme- 
 teries at considerable distances from Paris. 
 
 Tlie French High Commission, learning of our presence in 
 France and the mission with which we were charged, arranged 
 for an interview with Marshals Foch and Joffre. These high 
 oflScers expressed a deep interest in our work, praised the 
 valor, effectiveness and resourcefulness of the American 
 armies, and, with great feeling, thanked America • for its 
 abundant aid in the Great War, and expressed profound 
 sympathy and sorrow for those who had suffered for those 
 who had fallen and for those who must go through life under 
 the shadow of a great bereavement. Marshal Joffre recalled 
 with pleasure the cordiality of the friends he made when he 
 visited America, and ]Marshal Foch anticipated a visit which 
 should renew friendly relations with his many comrades-in- 
 arms among the veterans of the A. E. F. 
 
 The reports follow: — 
 
 1. The duty under the first paragraph the Commission 
 thought would be fulfilled if they visited every cemetery 
 in which the Massachusetts dead were buried and photo- 
 graphed the individual graves. While in Great Britain the 
 Commission completed this service in that kingdom. The 
 American dead to the number of 2,579 were to be found 
 at the close of hostilities in 27 cemeteries in England, in 7 
 cemeteries in Scotland, in 3 cemeteries in Ireland and in 1 
 cemetery in Wales. Requests for the return of bodies to 
 America had been granted up to about 90 per cent of the 
 total, and these had been exhumed and returned to the 
 home cemeteries. Most of those remaining were the victims 
 of the sinking by torpedo of the "Otranto," "Tuscania" and 
 "Leinster." Bodies that were washed ashore were mainly 
 unidentified. Several hundred were buried on the islands 
 of Islay and Argyle. By the generosity of Americans 
 
residing in London, perpetual care has been assured for their 
 graves, and a circular monument of massive proportions, 
 made of the native rocks, has been erected in their memory. 
 
 In the summer of 1920, the American dead in France were 
 contained in 417 cemeteries, and the Massachusetts dead 
 were in about 208 of these. The brief time at our disposal, 
 the lateness and the inclemency of the season, did not per- 
 mit our visiting all of these. Most of the larger ones, in 
 the zone of the armies, came under our observation, as 
 also smaller ones, in the vicinity of Bordeaux, Calais, 
 Amiens, Boulogne, Neufchateau, Blois, Tours, and Genoa, 
 Italy. About 900 photographs of individual graves have 
 been taken, which it is planned to forward to the next of 
 kin of the deceased soldier. 
 
 On Feb. 1, 1920, the War Department reports show that 
 requests had been made for the return of 43,909 bodies of 
 those who had died over seas, and the Commission was in- 
 formed by the Graves Registration Department at Paris that 
 since that date additional requests have been received for 
 the return of our dead. We have also been informed that 
 some of the original requests for the return of bodies have 
 been canceled and the bodies of the dead allowed to remain 
 in France, due to the information which has reached America 
 as to the excellent care which has been taken by the United 
 States government of the cemeteries in France and for other 
 reasons, so that it is impossible to give an exact figure as to 
 the number of American dead of the World War which will 
 finally remain in France. 
 
 2. The Commission interpreted the second duty laid upon 
 it to report upon the care that was being taken of the ceme- 
 teries. 
 
 Our report upon American cemeteries in Great Britain is,, 
 briefly, that the graves of our dead were as well cared for 
 as were those of the British dead lying near them. As we 
 have reported elsewhere, following the simple notice of the 
 War Department that the next of kin could claim their dead, 
 90 per cent of all the American bodies have been returned 
 to America. That means that every cemetery has been 
 invaded, and, pending the decision of the War Department, 
 
8 
 
 or the action of Congress as to the question of concentration 
 overseas, or the return of all bodies to America, naturally 
 no work would be done looking to beautifying the ceme- 
 teries. 
 
 In France the Commission reports that all the larger ceme- 
 teries we visited have been well cared for. A mantle of 
 green sod, always well watered and trimmed with great 
 care, covers each grave, and gravel walks are hard and well 
 graded. Potted plants in jardinieres of regulation size are 
 now allowed to be placed near the head of the grave; and 
 wreaths or bouquets of flowers and vines, natural or artificial, 
 may lie flat upon the graves as long as they are fresh and 
 decorative and do not destroy the growing grass. The 
 largest cemeteries are under the care of trained gardeners 
 with plenty of helpers. Tliose of medium size have as care- 
 takers ex-soldiers living near by in small houses put up for 
 their use by the War Department. 
 
 3. No duty touching more vitally the families who lost 
 relatives in the World War was laid ui)on the Commission 
 than the one that directed them to be present at the exliuma- 
 tion and identification of bodies of soldiers, to see how the 
 remains were disposed of in the caskets, and then to follow 
 the precious dust to the port where it lies in state in a Hall 
 of Honor, guarded by sentinels and covered with the 
 American flag. 
 
 Tliis work is performed by special details of officers and 
 soldiers of the Army and specially trained men from civilian 
 life, all under the direction of Col. H. F. Rethers, head of the 
 American Graves Registration Service in Europe, with head- 
 quarters in Paris. Two details of about 25 or 30 men each 
 were at work in cemeteries in two different areas of France. 
 There are about a half dozen of these areas, each tributary 
 to a port, as Calais, Brest, St. Xazaire, Bordeaux and 
 Marseilles. At each port are government buildings con- 
 taining storehouses for the supplies of every kind, coming 
 from America, to be used in connection with the disinterment 
 and return of the bodies. Tlie metallic coffins are tested 
 under sustained pressure, and then lined with silk. In the 
 sewing room, pillows are made, one for the head and five 
 
more to maintain the body in position. The oak caskets 
 are tested and strengthened and the handles are protected; 
 and the shipping cases are thoroughly examined, and rein- 
 forced by strong cleats when found necessary. All this work 
 is done before the caskets and cases are sent out to the 
 cemeteries. A Hall of Honor is the essential feature of each 
 port building, wherein the bodies waiting transhipment lie 
 in state under a guard of honor. 
 
 While a cemetery is being operated upon, a high canvas 
 fence is thrown around it, and the entrance guarded. A pass 
 from Col. Rethers is required for admission, and is granted 
 only to those who have official standing in connection with 
 the work being done. Four large cemeteries, Romagne, 
 Belleau Woods, Suresnes and Bony, have been designated as 
 "permanent." In all others, every body is being disinterred, 
 identified, if possible, and encofiined; and sent to the ship- 
 ping port if the body has been ordered home, or reinterred 
 for subsequent concentration in France; or, if the family 
 requests it, returned to America. 
 
 In the American cemeteries the work of uncovering the 
 bodies is done by French contractors with unskilled labor. 
 Thereafter, the detail of soldiers and the Army and civilian 
 experts, alone, make contact with the remains and the 
 carriers. 
 
 It will be interesting to the citizens of the Commonwealth 
 to have the particulars of the w^ork of the Graves Registra- 
 tion Department in making it reasonably certain that only 
 identified bodies are returned to the next of kin. The first 
 care is to identify the body. If the metal tag which is about 
 the neck or wrist is the duplicate of the tag fastened to 
 the marker above ground, the identification is considered 
 complete. The soldiers are for guards and patrol duty, and 
 to man the trucks and cars. The experts are divided into 
 groups of five or six, — one each, — a doctor, an embalmer 
 and a clerk, and two or three who examine minutely the 
 remains. A dental surgeon is a member of each detail. 
 The pockets may and often do contain money, checks and 
 Liberty Bonds, sometimes jewelry and a watch. 'These are 
 listed to be sent to the next of kin. Packages of letters, 
 
10 
 
 after having been used for confirming the identity, and all 
 other contents of the pockets are listed and are placed in the 
 inner casket. Tlie final test of identity which is applied to 
 every body exhumed is the chart of the teeth and jaws. It 
 is not generally known that the jaw and teeth charts of fully 
 90 per cent of the millions composing the Army and the Navy 
 in the World War are on file in Washington. A copy made 
 in the cemetery is sent to Washington and is compared with 
 those on file there. In due time a statement like the follow- 
 ing is returned: — 
 
 Dental chart No. is found to be identical with chart 
 
 No. in this office, which belonged to [and gives 
 
 the name, home town and organization]. We find that this organiza- 
 tion engaged in the movements in sector where this body 
 was found. The body can be no other than 
 
 It was estimated that in each area being worked a dozen 
 perfect identifications were made in this way each month. 
 When it is remembered that of the 75,000 dead possibly 
 1,000 were unidentified, because of the absence of the tags 
 when disinterred, and concentrated into the American ceme- 
 teries, the number of unidentified dead will be materially 
 reduced. 
 
 When the body in the cemetery has been identified, or it 
 has been definitely decided that it cannot be without fur- 
 ther investigation of records, it is wrapped in a new army 
 blanket and gently placed in a metal casket; and a metal 
 strip, giving in stamped letters the name and outfit, is fas- 
 tened across the breast. A pillow is placed under the head, 
 and five or more other pillows are so disposed as to keep 
 the body in place. A new sheet is then tucked in around the 
 remains and the lid is fastened with 30 or more bolts, the 
 seams being made perfectly tight with a gasket painted 
 with asphaltum. This casket is placed inside an oak casket 
 which is also carefully fitted and bolted. This again is 
 identified with a copy of the metal strip containing the name 
 and outfit, and is enclosed in an ample shipping case of 
 strong boards well fastened. On the outside of the shipping 
 case is the metal strip of identification, and stencilled on the 
 
11 
 
 side and on the end are again the name and outfit, and the 
 name and address of the consignee. 
 
 No body can be sent to America until it has been posi- 
 tively identified. 
 
 From cemeteries near the port of shipment, up to 40 or 
 50 miles, bodies are transported by truck. From greater 
 distances they are concentrated at railroad stations by 
 trucks and come to the port in box cars, under guard. 
 
 Transports bring supplies for the American Army of 
 Occupation and the Graves Registration Department, and, 
 on their return, they take on special equipment for the 
 careful and safe carrying of the returned bodies. Each 
 casket is bracketed and fastened into its place, and special 
 apparatus, designed to prevent any possible accident or 
 rough usage in loading, is installed at each port. Massa- 
 chusetts has, up to this time, been the only State to make 
 an independent and thorough examination of this unattrac- 
 tive, but very necessary, work of the Graves Registration 
 Department, to ascertain if their findings are to be given 
 full faith and credit by our people. Our inquiry and in- 
 vestigation appear to justify the claims of the department 
 that every effort has been made to do the business part 
 accurately, decently and with all respect, and after that to 
 bestow the honors due to the heroic dead. The Commission, 
 standing with devoted American officers and civilians in 
 charge of the work, and in the presence of a thousand 
 receptacles of the dust that was the living wall against 
 which the Hun raged in vain, expressed their admiration of 
 the devoted work of the department, and their perfect 
 satisfaction with it. 
 
 After a brief consultation, the officers brought to the 
 Commission an American garrison flag that had covered the 
 casket of a Massachusetts soldier, and requested that it be 
 conveyed to America and presented to the Governor of 
 Massachusetts in behalf of the American Graves Registration 
 Service in Europe, to express the gratification of this ser- 
 vice at the report of the Commission, and at the thoughtful- 
 ness of the Commonwealth in providing for the examination 
 just made. They suggested that it find a place of honor in 
 
12 
 
 the State House. This fla": was presented to His Excellency 
 Governor Coolidge in the Hall of Flags, Wednesday, Decem- 
 ber 22, at 3.30 p.m., in the presence of many citizens and 
 soldiers. It was received by the Governor with honor and 
 with affection, and he promised to ])lace it among the 
 cherished treasures of the Commonwealth. 
 
 Recommendations. — {a) That the work of identifying and 
 photographing individual graves in France be continued and 
 completed during the coming spring and summer. 
 
 (6) That observation of the condition of cemeteries in 
 France be extended until all have been visited. 
 
 (c) That further A'isits be made to the cemeteries in France 
 where exhumations and identifications are being carried on, 
 and that transportation and concentration and loading be 
 again observed. The War Department maintains an official 
 escort on the transport returning with American dead. The 
 work in the cemeteries is so wearing upon the nerves that 
 the personnel of the details is continually changing, Massa- 
 chusetts would do well to assure itself that not only was 
 this important work done well in 1920, but that it is being 
 equally well done in 1921. 
 
 {d) Tliat all places in France where citizens of Massachu- 
 setts connected with the Great War met their death, so far 
 as they can be identified, be photographed; that one copy 
 be the property' of the Commonwealth as a part of the 
 historical documents of the World War, and another, and 
 possibly the negative, be the treasured memorial of a life 
 given in a great service. 
 
 4. The Commission desires to report at this time 
 "progress" in its duty to recommend a site for a monu- 
 ment or other memorial to the heroic services rendered by 
 Massachusetts men in the great conflict. The task is not 
 an easy one, and the Commission is approaching it b}^ 
 collecting as many of the facts as will determine where 
 Massachusetts units, as well of small as of large size, and 
 even individuals, stood and battled in the great offensive of 
 1918. They traversed the battle fields, on foot and by 
 auto, making long hours, for many continuous days. The 
 Commission took panoramic views of the battle fields and 
 the terrain over which the Massachusetts troops moved. 
 
13 
 
 They have secured profile maps of four of the great battle 
 areas, on which are located, with great accuracy of detail 
 and of distance, towns and hills, valleys and woods, roads, 
 bridges and water courses. With these for reference and a 
 further study of statistics, the Commission requests permis- 
 sion to make a report not later than March 1. 
 
 The Commission is convinced that every service has not 
 been rendered to the honored dead, and that the full measure 
 of comfort has not been brought to equally brave but 
 sorrowing relatives, until the individual memorial of stead- 
 fast courage and sacrifice has been prepared. The Com- 
 mission is now adding to the record of service on its cards 
 the accurate location of the place in France where each one 
 met his death. 
 
 The Commission is indebted to Col. H. F. Rethers, head 
 of the Graves Registration Service in Europe, for many 
 courtesies and valuable assistance in their work. They 
 considered him fortunate in having under him such an 
 efficient personnel of officers, non-commissioned officers and 
 privates in the field work. They desire, in this connection, 
 to mention the names of Colonel Moss of the Graves Regis- 
 tration Service of Great Britain, Maj. H. L. Ward and 
 Maj. L. O. Mathews, port officers at Calais and Bordeaux, 
 and Capt. S. D. Campbell and Capt. W. G. Burt, masters 
 of sections 1 and 6, in the vicinity of Amiens and Soissons. 
 To Mr. H. T. McCrea, taken from a prominent civilian 
 activity in Worcester and made supervisory embalmer to 
 the department, we were referred for information concerning 
 matters pertaining to caskets and their fittings. By his 
 devotion to duty and marked efficiency, he reflected honor 
 upon the Commonwealth. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 WALTER A. ROBINSON, Chairman. 
 EDWARD L. LOGAN. 
 AXEL E. ZETTERMAN. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 015 845 678 3