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Obituaries

Birth cert. for Matthew Henry Sherwin, born June 9, 1845 at Werrington, Parish of Caverswall.

Father was Matthew Sherwin, a Collier.   Mother was Jane Sherwin formerly Salt.

Funeral Card for Matthew H. Sherwin

PERSONAL ACCOUNTS  OF WORLD WAR  I  SOLDIER,

ERNEST SHERWIN

I lived in Verona, Pennsylvania before I enlisted in the Army. I caught a train at the Wilkinsburg Station on September 20, 1917, and went to Camp Lee, Virginia. Our first training guns were cut from a piece of wood. I was then sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia to complete my training.

Upon completion of my training, I was assigned to the Supply Company of the 326th Infantry Division.  Before being sent overseas, I participated in a parade, in which I rode a mule.

I left New York on the ship “Marutania” and, after six days, landed in Liverpool, England.  We were loaded on a cattle train and taken to Southhampton, crossed the English Channel, and arrived in LeHarve, France.

  In LeHarve, we were assigned to a British division in Ypres and Amiens and remained there until the Division was received by General John “Black Jack” Pershing where the All—American Force was formed in one sector.

  Our first battle was the St. Mihiel drive. When we reached our objective, we were sent behind the lines for a rest. Then, after six nights (we marched during the night and rested during the day), we reached the Argonne Forest. We were kept in line with our equipment for seventy—two hours while the enemy barraged the lines, and then we were ordered to advance. During the battles for the Argonne, Sergeant York of our Division became the greatest hero of the war when he single—handedly captured 164 Germans and marched them to our headquarters.

  While in the Argonne Forest, I witnessed the biggest airplane battle of the war. The Allies had 150 planes engaged in this battle but were out­numbered by the Germans. I saw at least fourteen planes shot down in the battle.

  I remained in the Argonne until the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. We were to have a special Thanksgiving dinner served with turkey and all the “fixings,” but somehow the supplies never arrived. The only “special” addition to our regular rations was celery.

  We were sent behind the lines to await shipment back to the U.S.A. the following June 1919.

  At Bordeaux, we boarded a little freighter named “Eurana” which took thirteen days to land in New York. At Camp Dix, New Jersey, I was honorably discharged from the U. S. Army on Friday, June 13, 1919 with the rank of Sergeant.

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