World War I, Private, US Army

4 Jun 1900 Enumerated during US Census on family farm in Rockland Precinct, Oneida County, Idaho. Ephraim 57 (Apr 1848) IA owns general farm free, married 13 years to Sophia K 47 (Feb 1883) 10 children born UT except youngest: Mary Clarinda 22 (Dec 1875), Luella V 22 (May 1878) school teacher, Ephraim T 15 (Dec 1884)m Eleda L 13 (Nov 1886), Lloyd N 9 (Dec 1890), Ross P 7 (Aug 1892), Albert L 5 (Nov 1894), Wallace W 2 (Feb 1898) b. Idaho
2 May 1910 Enumerated during US Census on family farm in Landing Precinct, Oneida County, Idaho. Father Ephriam 62 IA parents b. England, Sophia K 57 b. Denmark of Danish parents mother of 13 children 9 are living: Clara 34 UT, Lloyd N 19 UT farming, Ross P 17 UT farming, Albert L 14 UT, Wallace W 12 ID
[parents ages "off" in 1900/1910 Census]
Timeline provide for a better understanding of his unit, equipment and military experiences:
5 Sep 1917 Organized 347th Machine Gun Battalion, 181st Infantry Brigade, 91st Division t Camp Lewis from draft men from California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Territory of Alaska.
18 Sep 1917 Drafted as Private (SN 2255876) at Camp Lewis, Washington, native of Rockland, Idaho
20-21 Sep 1917 First quota of 500 men received from Washington and Idaho
24 Sep 1917 Assigned to Company A, 347th Machine Gun Battalion
25 Oct 1917 Moved into permanent barracks on second block, north side of Camp Lewis
Jun 1918 Completed intense training which began Sep 1918 at Camp Lewis
22-28 Jun 1918 Entrained at Camp Lewis for movement to Camp Merritt, New Jersey. Received remainder of equipment, paid for last month and given opportunity to visit New York City
5 Jul 1918 Battalion march about 10 miles to Alpine Landing, ferry to Brooklyn Docks and boarded British Transport "Ulysses"
6 Jul 1918 Sailed in a convoy of twelve transports flying flags from five Allied nations escorted by a battle cruiser, several subchasers and a circling group of airplanes as they departed the harbor.
17 Jul 1918 Landed Liverpool. England, marched one mile and entrained for British rest camp in Southampton spending 2 days before marching to the harbor and boarding ship across the English Channel for the Le Havre, France rest camp. They night marched 7-8 km (4.9 miles) to a railhead boarding boxcars "packed like sardines" for two day transit to training area living off hardtack, corned beef and water. Spent a night in the open then marched 32 km (19.9 miles) over hard dusty roads in blistering heat to Marnay, France where the conducted six weeks intensive training. Battalion received Vickers machine guns, gas masks and a limited amount of transportation. The Vickers is a tripod mounted, water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun operated by a three man crew: No. 1 and No. 2 gunner and assistant gunner, No 3. ammunition runner. It is capable of 450 rpm sustained at an effective range of 2,187 yd (2,000 m) fed by 250 round canvass belt. The weight of the gun itself varied based on the gear attached, but was generally 25-30 pounds (11 to 14 kg) with a 40-50 pound (18 to 23 kg) tripod. The ammunition boxes for the 250-round ammunition belts weighed 22 pounds (10.0 kg) each.
5 Sep 1917 Celebrated one year anniversary as a battalion with a holiday and field meet in Vesaignes
7 Sep 1918 Movement to front. Entrained Marnay to Poulan, then Houdelaincourt where detrained and marched 7 km (4.4 miles) to Baudelaincourt where they billeted
9 Sep 1918 Conducted field problems with 181st Infantry Brigade
10 Sep 1918 Marched 18 km (11.2 miles) in rain and mud to Vacon where they bivouacked then marched further to Void where they were placed in Corps Reserves during attack on St. Mihiel salient. Did not see battle so were withdrawn in French trucks (a treat) to shattered village of Rembercourt.
16 Sep 1918 Night march in rain and mud to Ippecourt hand carrying personal equipment, weapons systems and ammunition. "One of the hardest marches in their experience" (note weights above)
17 Sep 1918 Afternoon movement forward to beech wood woods near Parois to within German artillery range.
19 Sep 1918 Marched to Bois de Hesse about 15 km (9.3 miles) west of Verdun, bivouacked under trees and in thick shrubbery. Lights and smoking prohibited. Finally received horses and carts for transport of machine guns, ammunition and equipment, previously hand carried.
25 Sep 1918 Battalion moved up under cover of darkness to a position behind the 181st to await the morning artillery preparation for the attack. Along a front extending seven miles, 1,200 cannon were used and would expend $2,000,000 worth of ammunition per hour during the offensive.
26-27 Sep 1918 At 5:30am Battalion advances during first phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, Company A was in Brigade Reserve. Companies advanced following artillery barrage by French and American batteries to find the German front lines completely annihilated and abandoned, they established lines in the hills south of Eppinonville some 5 km (3.1 miles) from the German lines. Pushed line up 1 km (0.62 miles) on second day entering and clearing the ruined Eppinonville three times.
28 Sep 1918 On third day of attack, troops permanently occupied Eppinonville and advance to occupy Bois de Cierges against strong resistance and hot machine gun fire
29 Sep 1918 On Sunday the line included Bois de Cierges and ran along the crest of hills between Gesnes and Eppinonville. In the early afternoon the 181st made a determined attack with Company A & D (347th MG Bn) in support of the 361st Infantry. The advance on Gesnes was the most intense and severe action the 181st experienced. Sometime during that afternoon Albert was killed in action while acting as No 3 carrying extra ammunition for his Vickers machine gun squad during the attack on Gesnes, France.

"Albert Lorenzo Ralph of Rockland, Idaho, a Company A private, was one of the first to die in the Gesnes fight. He was acting as No. 3 in a squad carrying extra ammunition in a squad and the gun was set up and firing, bringing down the displeasure of a German battery seemingly hidden in an orchard just back of Gesnes. Ralph looked out from behind a stump to see what was happening when a shell fell as he looked out. A fragment took off the top of his head, but being a powerful man, he lived 20 minutes. Lieutenant Albert Merrill of Smithfield, Utah spoke to him several times, but got no reply."

"Of the eight or nine men killed in Company A during the war, only Ralph was killed between 3:40pm and dark during the fight for Gesnes." Maj James C. McCaustland of Spokane, Company A commander, later the 347th Battalion commander.

Colin V Dyment, American Red Cross Searcher with the 91st Division, article in Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington) Sunday, 11 May 1919
Added for Veteran Project on 12 Jan 2024 by Jon M Newton 49832039