World War I collection, Buckland, Mass.

From the collections of the Buckland Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 88, Buckland, MA, 01338, http://www.bucklandmasshistory.org/contact/

This World War I collection includes uniform, helmet, boots, duffle bag, gas mask bag, canteen, and a plaque with names of 85 Buckland citizens who served in the armed services during the war.The military provisions belonged to Mark Lucien Purinton (1984-1981) of Buckland, Mass., who enlisted on April 27, 1918, received basic training at Camp Devens, Mass. until July 1918, and was then shipped to France where he was stationed at St. Amands, Perigueux Dordogne, and Tours at various times.. He saw action at the front and was gassed, not badly enough to be sent home, but enough so that he permanently lost the use of one lung. He was officially discharged from the U.S. Army on November 15, 1918, four days after the Armistice was signed on November 11. He remained at Perigueux to do railroad and convoy work until the summer of 1919, when he returned to Buckland to spend the remainder of his life.The uniform consists of two tunics made of khaki wool cloth with a short standing collar, two bronze badges, four flap pockets in the front, and a closure of five bronze embossed buttons. The jacket on the right shows the badge with the insignia of the company. Mr. Purinton served in several companies, including the 301st Military Police; Co. G. 302 Infantry; 1st Prov. Co. Hdq. Det.; and Transportation Corps, respectively. The single stripe beneath the badge shows the rank of Private. The soft-side cap, a more practical replacement of the Montana Peaked hat originally worn, is placed on the right shoulder of the tunic to the left of the photo. The combat helmet is shown in the center of the photo, just right of the well-worn shoes. A duffle bag, gas mask bag, and canteen are placed on the floor beside the helmet and shoes. Not shown is the gas mask and other items. In the center of the photograph is a 30 inches x 24 inches bronze plaque entitled, IN HONOR OF WWI VETERANS FROM BUCKLAND 1917-1918, inscribed with the names of 85 Buckland residents who served in WWI. The plaque was commissioned by Bob Purinton, a nephew of Mark L. Purinton, made by Dinn Bros., Inc. of Holyoke, Mass, and donated to the Buckland Historical Society in 2009.The following names are engraved on the plaque: Anderson, Carl B.; Atkins, Paul A.; Baker, Harold E.; Bandier, A. Saviour; Benson, Francis S.; Blaklee, Harold R.; Booker, Clyde A.; Boyle, Matthew E.; Carlisle, Frank A.; Chapin, Luther; Cone, Dwight M.; Corso, Joseph; Corso, Myron E.; Cramer, Ernest D.; Cramer, Harold J.; Delaney, Charles J.; Eddy, Alfred L.; Ellison, Walter E.; Flowers, William; Gebo, John M.; Griswold, Earl A.; Griswold, Harold D.; Groves, Harold S.; Hartwell, Earl D.; Hathaway, Bert R.; Hathaway, Ellsworth H.; Howes, Clifton W.; Johnson, Richard F.; Joyce, Glenn F.; Kelleher, George; Kendrick, Jay G.; Kilgore, Harold S.; Lowell, Walter F.; Lunardi, Frank P.; Maynard, Merle E.; Meehan, John F.; Meehan, Paul A.; Mellor, James A.; Miller, Arthur L.; Mills, Harrison F.; Monahan, John P.; Morse, Lawrence E.; Munsinger, William G.; Nadeau, William H.; O'Brien, Edward R.; O'Brien, A. Francis; O'Brien, James W.; O'Brien, Luke P.; O'Brien, Michael L.; O'Brien, William J.; Paul, Henry R.; Peltier, Louis J.; Peltier, William J.; Peters, Joseph A.; Peters, Leon W.; Pfersck, Conrad L.; Pratt, Lyle C.; Purinton, Mark L.; Raguse, William A.; Raymond, Charles; Rock, Rev. Leo T.; Rotherham, Harold S.; Ryan, Walter; Schempp, Albert E.; Scott, Clifton W.; Scott, Robert E.; Shaw, Harry P.; Shaw, Ralph E.; Shirtcliff, Ray F.; Shulda, Jacob P.; Smith, George E.; Smith, Harvey H.; Spencer, John W.; Swanson, Andrew H.; Thackeray, Joseph; Thackeray, William; Turton, George E.; Tyler, Arthur L.; Ward, Harry P.; Ware, Preston D.; Warfield, Howard L.; Wells, Nelson B.; Whyler, Ernest W.; Wilde, Earle; Wilder, Ralph L.Other resources show a different spelling of the following names: Blaklee as Blakeslee, and Pfersck as Pfersick. As with any recreation of historical records, the above may or may not be a complete and/or comprehensive list of those who served.