The final chapter in the war record of E.P. Dudley (pictured above with his “pal” Cecil) was written some forty years after the end of the war, following his retirement...

Friday, March 22, 1918 Went to Bar-le-Duc. Got up 5:15 a.m., got there at 9:30 a.m. Ordered uniform and got measured. Cost 260 francs. Horrid journey on slim gauge. Ate dinner Commerce...

Thursday, January 3, 1918 Happiest day in my life. When I got up I found a letter on my bed telling me to report to the doctor for a physical...

A Note on Verdun Despite the shelling and the bitter fighting which continued at Verdun in 1917, the major battles there (except for the final offensive, which would be supported...

EP Dudley’s visit to the front makes for grim reading. His matter of fact reporting of how German prisoners were treated is startlingly contrary to the Geneva Convention. The Convention...

War has been described as “interminable monotony punctuated by moments of sheer terror.” The boredom of late September and October 1917 is evident in these diary entries, where mail from...

The Lafayette Squadron was a small group of American flyers that had originally seen combat in Mexico, flying for the revolutionary armies. They were among the first Americans to see...

On September 11 the 13th Engineers moved to Fleury-sur-Aire, near Verdun, which was to be their headquarters for the next twenty months. Tuesday, September 11, 1917 Up 5:00 a.m. Moving today....

After just a few days in England, the 13th Engineers packed up and headed for France. Friday, August 17, 1917 Made port at La Havre at 11:00 a.m. Crowds there. Big...

The 13th Engineers didn’t stay in England long, but their visit marked the first time US troops had landed there since the Revolution. Their parade passed before the King and...