The 10th and 20th Forestry Engineers of World War I
When the United States entered the first World War in April 1917, one of the first requests from their French and British Allies was for regiments of trained lumbermen. Timber was in constant demand for almost every phase of military operations in Europe, and limitations on trans-Atlantic shipping space meant that nearly the entire timber supply had to come from French forests. In order to maintain this supply, the forests would have to be carefully managed. The Allies agreed that American forestry units would work in France's forests, producing materials in accordance with the principles of French forestry. The U.S. Army, with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, state foresters, and lumber trade associations, immediately began recruiting experienced foresters, loggers, and sawmill workers for these new regiments.
The new recruits were first formed into the 10th Engineers (Forestry) under Col. James A. Woodruff. The regiment trained at American University in Washington, D.C., during July and August of 1917 before being sent to France, arriving in early October. Increases in wood requirements by the Allied forces necessitated the immediate creation of a second regiment, the 20th Engineers (Forestry), under the command of Col. W.A. Mitchell.
Several months after the end of the war, American Forestry, the magazine of the American Forestry Association, dedicated a special commemorative issue to the work done by the 10th and 20th Engineers. Included in the June 1919 retrospective were articles written by some of the commanding officers of the forest engineer regiments, as well as a large number of photographs documenting the work and experiences of the forestry troops.
When the United States entered the first World War in April 1917, one of the first requests from their French and British Allies was for regiments of trained lumbermen. Timber was in constant demand for almost every phase of military operations in Europe, and limitations on trans-Atlantic shipping space meant that nearly the entire timber supply had to come from French forests. In order to maintain this supply, the forests would have to be carefully managed. The Allies agreed that American forestry units would work in France's forests, producing materials in accordance with the principles of French forestry. The U.S. Army, with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, state foresters, and lumber trade associations, immediately began recruiting experienced foresters, loggers, and sawmill workers for these new regiments.
The new recruits were first formed into the 10th Engineers (Forestry) under Col. James A. Woodruff. The regiment trained at American University in Washington, D.C., during July and August of 1917 before being sent to France, arriving in early October. Increases in wood requirements by the Allied forces necessitated the immediate creation of a second regiment, the 20th Engineers (Forestry), under the command of Col. W.A. Mitchell.
Several months after the end of the war, American Forestry, the magazine of the American Forestry Association, dedicated a special commemorative issue to the work done by the 10th and 20th Engineers. Included in the June 1919 retrospective were articles written by some of the commanding officers of the forest engineer regiments, as well as a large number of photographs documenting the work and experiences of the forestry troops.
The 10th and 20th Forestry Engineers of World War I
When the United States entered the first World War in April 1917, one of the first requests from their French and British Allies was for regiments of trained lumbermen. Timber was in constant demand for almost every phase of military operations in Europe, and limitations on trans-Atlantic shipping space meant that nearly the entire timber supply had to come from French forests. In order to maintain this supply, the forests would have to be carefully managed. The Allies agreed that American forestry units would work in France's forests, producing materials in accordance with the principles of French forestry. The U.S. Army, with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, state foresters, and lumber trade associations, immediately began recruiting experienced foresters, loggers, and sawmill workers for these new regiments.
The new recruits were first formed into the 10th Engineers (Forestry) under Col. James A. Woodruff. The regiment trained at American University in Washington, D.C., during July and August of 1917 before being sent to France, arriving in early October. Increases in wood requirements by the Allied forces necessitated the immediate creation of a second regiment, the 20th Engineers (Forestry), under the command of Col. W.A. Mitchell.
Several months after the end of the war, American Forestry, the magazine of the American Forestry Association, dedicated a special commemorative issue to the work done by the 10th and 20th Engineers. Included in the June 1919 retrospective were articles written by some of the commanding officers of the forest engineer regiments, as well as a large number of photographs documenting the work and experiences of the forestry troops.
When the United States entered the first World War in April 1917, one of the first requests from their French and British Allies was for regiments of trained lumbermen. Timber was in constant demand for almost every phase of military operations in Europe, and limitations on trans-Atlantic shipping space meant that nearly the entire timber supply had to come from French forests. In order to maintain this supply, the forests would have to be carefully managed. The Allies agreed that American forestry units would work in France's forests, producing materials in accordance with the principles of French forestry. The U.S. Army, with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, state foresters, and lumber trade associations, immediately began recruiting experienced foresters, loggers, and sawmill workers for these new regiments.
The new recruits were first formed into the 10th Engineers (Forestry) under Col. James A. Woodruff. The regiment trained at American University in Washington, D.C., during July and August of 1917 before being sent to France, arriving in early October. Increases in wood requirements by the Allied forces necessitated the immediate creation of a second regiment, the 20th Engineers (Forestry), under the command of Col. W.A. Mitchell.
Several months after the end of the war, American Forestry, the magazine of the American Forestry Association, dedicated a special commemorative issue to the work done by the 10th and 20th Engineers. Included in the June 1919 retrospective were articles written by some of the commanding officers of the forest engineer regiments, as well as a large number of photographs documenting the work and experiences of the forestry troops.
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MAJOR GENERAL
U.S. ARMY
