D 639 .04 U5 1920 Copy 1 -OCATION OF GRAVES AND DISPOSITION OF BODIES OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS V SPECIAL REPORT OF STATISTICS BRANCH, GENERAL STAFF, WAR DEPARTMENT JANUARY 15, 1920 Corrgctid to February 1, 1920 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 |!ipi«#^ LOCATION OF GRAVES AND DISPOSITION OF BODIES OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS SPECIAL REPORT OF STATISTICS BRANCH, u, GENERAL STAFF, WAR DEPARTMENT JANUARY 15, 1920 Corrected to February 1, 1920 r f ^ > ^ WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 3sf- 01' ,,v ]]639 GRAVES REGISTRATION SERVICE, Q. M. C. ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES. •Graves Registration Service Authorized August 7, 1917. By direction of the President, the organization of a Graves Regis- tration Service, Quartermaster Corps, was authorized in G. O. 104, War Department, August 7, 1917. Each unit of this service was to have a strength of 2 officers and 50 men. A total of 12 units, con- sisting of 24 officers and 600 men, was organized in the United States and sent abroad for duty. Five provisional units, consisting of 10 officers and 250 men, were organized in the A. E. F, This makes an authorized total strength of 34 officers and 850 men. Originally Intended as Burial Organization. It was originally intended to have these units bury the dead on the battle field, as well as acquire land for cemeteries and keep records of burials in and maintain cemeteries acquired. This was later changed. Consolidation of G. R. S. and Burial Department, A. E. F. Owing to delay in recruiting the first units of the Graves Registra- tion Service, the A. E. F. was compelled to organize temporarily a burial department along lines suggested by British experience. G. O. 30, G. H. Q., A. E. F., February 15, 1918, consolidated these two organizations and gave the name of Graves Registration Service to the combined organization. Grave Photographic Record Section, A. R. C. consolidated with G. R. S. G. O. 30 also consolidated with the Graves Registration Service the section of the American Red Cross, which, up to that time, had been photographing individual graves and forwarding such photo- graphs to the next of kin. Duties of Graves Registration Service. G. O. 30, G. H. Q., A. E. F., states that the Graves Registration Service is charged with the following specific duties: (a) The acquisition, under law, of land in France or other countries for use as cemeteries. (b) The location, maintenance, control, and preservation of such cemeteries and the marking of graves. (c) The registration of all graves with data which should be suffi- cient for relocation of bodies. 162915°— 20 S 4 LOCATIOlSr OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. {d) The maintenance of a complete system of registration and the submission of monthly reports of burials. (e) The employment of such clerical assistance and civilian labor as may be authorized by proper authority. {f) The general supervision of such officers and soldiers as may be assigned to the work of identification and registry by proper authority and obtaining general supplies for the same. Graves Registration Service Does Not Bury the Dead. The plan to have the Graves Registration Service bury the dead was changed by a decision of the commander in chief, A. E. F., December 30, 1917, to the effect that: "The dead must necessarily be buried by units themselves. These units perform this duty as tribute to their dead." Responsibility for Burials Lay with Troops. By reason of this decision, Bulletin 41, G. H. Q., A. E. F., June 24, 1918, directed the appointment of division and corps burial officers to care for the burial of the dead, and also directed that burial officers and chaplains should coordinate their work with that of Graves Registration Service units operating in their sectors. Searching for Graves. Army regulations require that commanding generals set aside near every battle field a suitable spot for the interment of the dead. Although this was done in France, there were times when a single body had to be buried alone in some unfrequented spot. It was in the location and identification of these isolated graves, and in most cases the removal of these bodies to some near-by cemetery, that the hardest work of the Graves Registration Service lay. CONCENTRATION AND REMOVAL OF BODIES. Concentration Started After the Armistice. Upon the cessation of hostilities, the Graves Registration Service undertook the concentration of all bodies into as few cemeteries as possible. This work has reduced the number of burial places for American dead from approximately 1,700 to 593. Entire cemeteries which, in the stress of battle, had been poorly located, were moved, and all isolated graves opened and the bodies removed to concen- tration cemeteries. It is estimated that there were 15,000 of these isolated graves. 75,636 Graves Registered to December 1, 1919. To December 1,1919, the Graves Registration Service had registered 75,636 graves, distributed over 8 countries of Europe. In addition, a number of graves of American dead buried in 3 cemeteries in Austria-Hungary have been located, but not registered. Following is a summary of the registration work: LOCATION OF GEAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. Graves registered in Europe, by countries. Countrv. Per cent of total. France: Zone of the armies . . . Zone of the interior. . . British Isles Germany Belgium Luxemburg North Russia, Archangel. Italy Spain 53,046 17,506 2,519 1,207 1,015 154 111 76 2 70.13 23.15 3.33 1.60 1.34 .20 .15 .10 Total. 75,636 Total number of deaths, including 382 lost at sea, Dec. 1, 1919 80, 322 Total number of graves registered by Graves Registration Service 75. 636 Policy of United States Regarding Removal of Bodies. The United States Government has adopted the pohcy that, pro- vided it is requested by the next of kin, the body of a deceased soldier will be returned to the United States. The French Govern- ment, however, has ruled that for the present no bodies may be removed from the zone of the Armies, see map, opposite page 6. There are no other restrictions, and the return of bodies from ceme- teries outside the zone of the Armies can begin immediately. All bodies of American soldiers buried in Germany and Luxem- burg are to be removed, whether or not such action is requested. If so desired by the next of kin, these bodies will be sent back to the United States; if not, they will be reinterred in cemeteries in France. 43,909 Requests for Return of Bodies. In pursuance of this policy The Adjutant General's Office sent out cards to the next of kin requesting their desires as to the disposal of bodies of the deceased. There were 74,770 cards sent out and 63,708 answers received. Classifica f ion of requests . Number. Per cent of total. Requests for return to United States Requests for retention in Europe Requests for reburials in other countries than United States Total replies 43,909 19,499 300 68.92 30.61 .47 63,708 100.00 Scope of Registration Worlt. Figures for the number of burials include graves of marines attached to the Army, and other personnel. LOCATION OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. AMERICAN CEMETERIES IN FRANCE. City or village. Department. Number burials. Allerey Ancemont Ancy le Franc Angers Barisey au Plain Bazoilles Beaune Belleau Woods Bonvillers Bony Bourbonnes les Bains . Bourmont Brizeaux Carbon-Blanc Chateauroux Chateauvillain Chatelguyon Chatillon sur Seine Chatrices Daucourt Chaumont Chavarmes les Grands. Clermont Ferrand Cosne Contrexeville Crosmare Dax Emsves Fismes Frapelle Froidosi Gelacourt Gievres Gondrecourt Grossouvre Guwenheim Hericourt Do Is-sur-Tille Issoudun Jouy sur Morin Juvigny LaCourneau La Courtine Lafauche Lambezellec Langres Do Lavalbonne La Valdahon Le Mans Do Letanne Sedan Libourne Limoges Mariny en Orxois Martignas Menezterol Montignac Menilla Tour Merignac Meucon Montigny Leroi Mouroux Nantes Neufchateau Nevers Noyens Orval Perigueux Ploisy Pontenx les Forges Prauthoy Rampont Relecokerhuonle Revigny Riaucourt Romagne sous Montfaucon. Rolampont Romorantin Savenay Semuu Saoneet Loire Meuse Yonne Maine et Loire Meurthe et Moselle. . . Vosges C^ted'Or Aisne Oise Aisne Haute Marne ....do Meuse Gironde Indre Haute Marne Puy de Dome Coted'Or Marne Haute Marne Territoire de Belfort. Pas de Calais Nievre Vosges Meurthe et Moselle. . Landes Nievre Marne Vosges Meuse Meurthe et Moselle. . Loire etcher Meuse Cher Alsace Haute Saone do Coted'Or Indre Seine et Marne Aisne Gironde Creuse Haute Marne Coted'Or Finistere Haute Marne do Aisne Doubes Sarthe do Ardennes Gironde Haute Vienne Aisne Gironde Dordogne Meurthe et Moselle . . Gironde Morbihau Haute Marne Seine Loire Inferieure Vosges Nievre Loire et Cher Cher Dordogne Aisne I^andes Haute Marne Meuse Finistere Meuse Haute Marne Meuse Haute Marne Loire et Cher Loire Inferieure Coted'Or 495- 93 49 334 41 695 230 2,045 309 1,766 11 16 239 203 184 59 57 72 196 540 44 239 32 226 31 2 720 1,712 28 340 67 258 125' 18 6 343 19 225- 170 59- 411 87 84 3 64 1,740' 172 163- 3 230' 95 760' 774 165 234 1 16? 169 226 407 99 51 205 312 149 485 563 25 40 1,954 8 107 29 226 109 334 23,061 72 60 384 112 1 French and American military cemetery. C I — > o 5;^ Ee3 Eh l-H o Eld o o ;?: o QQ 03 ^ o- ^ ■ ■ « » ■ ■ 1 r- DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN GRAVES REGISTERED IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE. There aio 1 11 (jraves registored in Noi'tli Russia in iulditioii to tht)s« shown. it will be noted that the gT'^atest concentration of grav&s is in the Departraetit of the Meusi', where the Mcuse-Argonne offensive took place. 1 Br* 162915" -20. (To face page 6 ) No. 1. -4- »I«TIBTICS BHMCH - OtNtRAl i^Vf. WAR Dtr*lT*" mux otumimtT ' - IS - zo 162915°— 20. ( To face pace n.) No. 2. in LOCATION OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. AMERICAN CEMETEKIES IN FRANCE— Continued. City or village. Department. Number burials. Senoncourt Seringes et Nesles SouiUy Southes mes la Grande. . Suresnes St. Amandmonstrond '. . St. Florent sur Cher St. Malo de Beignon St. Maxiemt St. Menehould St. Nazaire St. Sy mphorien Talence Thiaucourt Tonnerre Toul Vaubecourt Vaux sur Somme Vemeuil Versailles Vichy les Baines Vignot ViUers Faucon Stemille.. ViUers ToumeDe Vitrey Vittel Total. Meuse AisHB Meuse do Seine Cher do Morbihan Deux Sevres Mame Loire Inferieure Indreet I/Oire Gironde Meurtheet Moselle. Yonne Meurtheet Moselle. Meuse Somme Nievre Seint et Oise Bouchesdu Rhone. Meuse Somme do Haute Saone Vosges 337 3,792 593 168 1,001 14 100 180 3 198 1,190 274 565 4,233 45 483 270 229 31 4 198 62 108 645 12 266 61,490 AMERICANS BURIED IN FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERIES. Amblaincourt Ancerviller Areis sur Aube Asnieres sur Oise Auve Baccarat Badonviller Ballersdorf Bar le Due Bathelemont les Beauzemont . Bazoilles Beaune Belfort Benamenil Bessoncourt Beuthwiller Bonnet Bourbonnes les Bains Bruville Bussang , Cannes EcUise Chateau Thierry Chaumont Cempuis Chalons sur Mame Chantilly Commercy Courcellcs Espaj'^elles Crepy en Valois' Creusot Crevecoeur le Grand Dannemarie Epinal Frapelle Gerardmer Gildwiller sur Mont Ham Hirtzbach Kruth La Chapelle La Cheppe La Croix aux Mines La Fertesous Jouarre Laveuve Lesseux Ligny en Barrois Lutterbach Meuse Meurthe et Moselle. . Aube Seine et Oise Mame Meurthe et Moselle. . do Alsace Meuse Meurthe et Moselle. . Vosges CoteDOr Territoire de Belfort. Meurthe et Moselle. . Territoire de Belfort . Alsace Meuse Haute Marne Meurthe ct Moselle. . Vosges Seine et Mame Aisne Haul e Marne Oise Mame Oise Meuse Oise do Saone et Loire Oise Alsace Vosges do do Alsace Somme Alsace Haute Alsace Territoire de Belfort. Mame Vosges Seine et Mame Mame Vosges Meuse Alsace 6S 6 2 7 57 168 14 15 66 12 63 2 70 1 2 31 1 4 1 15 5 125 20 33 21 6 212 1 44 1 18 1 3 3 78 1 2 1 37 13 106 2 417 57 8 4 2 1 American and French. 10 LOCATIOlsr OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. AMERICAN BURIALS IN FRENCH UNCLASSIFIED CEMETERIES. City or -village. Abbeville Aix les Bains AmeuvlUe Ancenis Angouleme Avord Badonviller Bagneux Bayonnet Beaujeux Beauvais Belleme Bermont Biard Blois BoisGuillaume Bonnieres sur Seine . . . Boulogne sur Mer Bray sur Somme Bruyeres Caen Cannes Capf erret Cauterets Ceton Charentonsur Cher Chateau du Loir Chateau Neuf sur Cher . Chinon Clamecy Condamine Coulommiers , . . Coulogne en Tardenois . CourChevemy Dunkerque Eaux Bonnes Esquennoy Etretat ^la^'y le Mattel Fontaine Fontainbleau Do Fraize — Giromagny Golbey Gommecourt Gray Grenoble Hamel Irigny Ivry Jouarre Lacanau Laigle Laon Laveline Le Havre Lemontdore Lieusaint Limoges Linthal Lorient Luxeuil les Baines Massevaux Mayenne Mehun sur Yevre Melun Miramas Molesme Montigny Leroi Montmorillon Mont Richard Moulins , Nancy Nimes Oisseau Orbey Paris Pauillac Petit Croix Pexonne Pierrefonds les Bains. . Department. Number burials. Somme Savoie Vosges Loire Inferieure Charente Cher Meurtheet Moselle. . . Seine Basses Pyrenees Haute Saone Oise Orne Tenitoirede Belfort. Vienne LoireetCher Seinelnferieure Seine et Oise Pas de Calais Somme ■Vosges Calvados Alpes Maritimes Gironde Haute Pyrenees Ome. . . ." Cher Sarthe Cher Indreet Loire Nie\Te Aisne Seine et Manie Aisne LoireetCher Nord Basses Pyrenees Oise ? Seinelnferieure Aisne Territoire de Belfort . Seine etMame do Vosges Territoire de Belfort . Vosges PasdeCalais Haute Saone Isere Aisne Rhone Seine Seine et Mame Gironde Ome Aisne Vosges Seine Inferieure Puy deDome Seine et Marne Haute Vienne Alsace Morbihan Haute Saone Haute Alsace Maveime Cher Seine et Marne Bouches du Rhone.. Coted'Or Haute Marne Vienne LoireetCher Alliers Meurthe et Moselle . . Gard Mayenne Alsace — Seine Gironde Territoire de Belfort. Meurthe et Moselle. . Oise LOCATION- OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. 11 AMERICAN BURIALS IN FRENCH UNCL.ASSIFIED CEMETERIES-Continued. City or ^^l Plainfaing Poitiers Pons Puteaux Reherrey Remircmont Rouen Roufiiac Samoissur Seine Sangatte Saulzures sur Moselotte Savenay Selles siir Cher Senones Stamerin Saints Saint Aignan Saint Germain des Alembre . Saint Astier Saint Mammes Saint Maxient Talence Tonnerres Toulouse TourlaVille Urbes Vesoul Vignot Vierzon Ville Villeneuve St. Georges Ville sous la Ferte Villiersen Lieu Voves Total. Department. Vosges Vienne Charente Inferieure . Seine Meurthe et Moselle. Vosges Seine Inferieure Charente Inferieure. Seine et Marne Pas de Calais Vosges , Loire Inferieure Loire etcher Vosges Haute Alsace , Seine et Marne Loire etcher Dordogne do Seine et Marne Deux Sevres Gironde Yonne Haute Garonne Manche Alsace Haute Saone Meuse Cher Seine et Oise Aube Haute Marne Eure et Loire Number burials. 22 17 3 3 12 321 1 3 28 2 19 6 2 7 1 28 (i 1 2 4 115 15 6 42 2 2 10 1 1 1 1 2 1,957 AMERICAN BURIALS IN BRITISH AND GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERIES IN FRANCE. Bessey la Cote Bourdon Crouy Brest Busigny Cachy Doingt Esquelvecq Etaples Longuenesse Poisel Quaedypre Saint iliquier Saint Souplet Strasboure; ' Tincourt-Boucly Trouville Verbrucklaclaquette ' Vignacourt Wimille Wavans Coted'Or Somme Finistere Nord Somme do Nord Pas de Calais.. do Somme Nord Somme Nord Alsace Somme Calvados Basses Alsace. Somme Pas de Calais.. do Total Total American cemeteries in France Total American burials in French military cemeteries Total American burials in French civilian cemeteries Total American burials in French unclassified cemeteries . Grand total in France. 1 16 726 69 16 116 42 6 29 90 25 6 357 5 157 24 1 1 92 1 1,7S0 61,490 3,688 1,637 1,957 70, 552 German; all others British. 12 LOCATION OF GRAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. American burials in France by departments. Dei)artment. OUTSIDE ZONE OF ARMIES. Alliers Alpes Maritimes Aube Basses Pyrenees Bouches du Rhone Calvados Charente Charente Inferieure Cher Coted'Or Creuve Deux Sevres Dordogne Doubes Eure et Loire Finistere Card Gironde Haute Garonne Haute Marne Haute Pyrenees Haute Saone Haute Vienne Hirault Indre Indre et Loire Isere Landes Loire et Cher Loire Inferieure Loiret Maine et Loire Manche Mayenne Morbihan Nievre Orne Puy de Dome Rhone Number of burials. 2 40 284 7 207 27 32 ICS 306 1,102 84 10 216 230 2 2,692 4 1,772 6 1,660 1 383 235 2 354 276 8 10 1,066 1,913 4 353 42 20 291 1,412 15 69 36 Department. OUTSIDE ZONE OF ARMIES— COntd. Saone et Loire... Sarthe Savoie Seine et Oise Seine et Marne . . Seine Inferieure . Var Vaucluse Vendee : . Vienne Yonne Number of burials. Total. INSIDE ZONE OF ARMIES. Alsace Aisne Ardennes Lorraine Marne Meurthe et Moselle. Meuse Nord Oise. 446 861 59 44 20 515 14 2 28 27 154 17,506 Pas de Calais Seine Seine et Marne Somme Territoire de Belfort. Vosges Total. Total inside zone of armies. . Total outside zone of armies. Grand total in France. 341 10,246 774 5 2,370 5,435 26,971 510 729 399 1,011 760 1,433 169 1,893 53,046 53,046 17,506 70, 552 Americans buried in cemeteries in British Isles. ENGL.VND. Bedford Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Derby Dorset Devon Essex Gloucestershire Hampshire Hertfordshire Kent Lancashire Lincolnshire Middlesex Norfolk Nottinghamshire Oxford Shropshire Sommerset Surrey Sussex , Warwick Wiltshire Worcester Yorkshire Total Number of burials. 1 4 4 1 1 1 4 101 1 5 576 3 36 815 28 3 9 1 6 4 9 133 3 16 28 3 16 1,812 SCOTLAND. Aberdeen - — Argylshire Ayrshire Bute Forfar Inverness Lanark Total IREL.VND. Antrim Dublin Wexford Total WALES. Merioneth Grand total British Isles Number of burials. 1 538 24 1 2 1 113 1 2, 519 LOCATION OF GKAVES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED OVERSEAS. Americans buried in cemeteries in Germany. 13 IN AMERICAN CEMETERIES. Coblenz Cues Sayn. Wittlich Total IN GERMAN CEMETERIES. Adenau Andemaeh Bad Baustert Bengel Bitturg Bremin Coblenz Coehem Cues Daun Dernteach Dudblance Ntunljcr of burials. 532 27 11 10 580 Town. Ellenz-Chue Kngers Ernst Kwringen Goettinger Kaiserseeh Konigsfeld Mayen Mayence Weiderhonnefeld Noviand Ochtneidung Frum Rhrenbreitstein Saarburg Salzig Simmern Siazig Traven Trier (Treves) Total Grand total in Germany Number of burials. 1 37 1 1 1 3 1 105 1 1 1 2 50 6 2 7 1 1 8 245 627 1,207 o