Embrodiery Pillow - WW I Pillow Blog - WW I Pillow Hand Embrodiered Pillow, Third Army 6th Division Red Star, Sight Seein Sixth,

This a WW I Pillow Hand Embroidered Pillow, Third Army 6th Division Red Star, Sight Seein Sixth, that Sergeant Edward Leibacher had made in France. The flag was handed down with the pillow. Sadly nothing is written on the flag to tell us what meaning it had to him. We can only assume it was one that he carried to France and back.

At the time the pillow was made, many woman were knowledgeable of and practiced the art of hand embroidery and crocheting. This art form was passed down from gereration to generration. What we have left are very few of these records from the past, for a lot of them have ended up discarded. But that is the nature of today's America.

Some of the important symbolism I will try to describe. In the top left corner is the insignia of the Third Army that has been embroidered on this purple velvet pillow. The pillow has been stuffed probably with duck feathers and the edge has been bordered with a corded gold rope. On the left bottom he has embroidered the outfit he served with in France.

The middle embroideries are vivid and tight with an American Eagle clutching a shield of the colors of the flag. Underneath this is the six pointed star that depicts the famous Six Division, a six pointed star and who's motto was, "Sight Seein Sixth." Beneath the star is a stripe with gold wire embroidery that was worn by servicemen that served overseas; it is worn and tattered attesting to the years the pillow has been handled and handed down.

On the upper right hand side is his name in block lettering and bottom right corner the insignia of the medical corps

The 6th Division was composed of the following units: 11th and 12th Infantry Brigades, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th Infantry Regiments, 17th and 18th Machine Gun Battalions, (6th Artillery Brigade), 3d, 11th and 78th Artillery Regiments, 6th Trench Mortar Battery, 16th Div. Machine Gun Battalion, 318th Engineer Regiment and Train, 6th Field Signal Battalion, 6th Train Headquarters and Military Police, 6th Supply Train, 6th Ammunition Train, 6th Sanitary Train, 20th, 37th, 38th, 40th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals.

Here is the front of the pillow showing all the embroidery work

WW1 - Etched Canteen Blog - WW I Soldier Etched Field Canteen; United States Army 6th Infantry Division, Co. B, 51th Infantry Regiment; Red Star; Sight Seein Sixth; Meuse-Argonne France Engagement

WW I Soldier Etched Field Canteen; United States Army 6th Infantry Division, Co. B, 51th Infantry Regiment; Red Star; Sight Seein Sixth; Meuse-Argonne France Engagement

The 51st Infantry Regiment was organized in June of 1917 and  trained at Camp Forrest until June of 1918 and then embarked for France from Chickamauga Park, Georgia.  The unit is credited with 43 combat days of fighting and in the process lost 38 men that were killed in action and had 348 men injured. On June 1919 they began their journey back to the United States and the WWI unit was finally deactivated on the 30th of September at Camp Grant in Illinois.

In the following image we see the canteen in the closed position. Army Private Thomas G. Dean fortunately for us has left a record of his service to our country in this unique relic.  In some moment of solitude he past the time etching with a knife in this soft alunimun canteen. He left us a historical record from a very important period of his life and our country history in a most tangible form. I wonder if he was in some trench carving this on his canteen, or on that ship that brought him home after fulfilling his obligation.  It has survived almost a hundred years in some trunk or maybe in a box in in a closet, only to finally in this age of technology to be shared.

Closed canteen with his Regiment number and his division insignia

WW1 Diary Autograph Book - Dardanelles, Gallipoli Campaign, Wounded Soldiers Invalided at Woodlands Hospital , Also know as The Grange Hospital Southport; Nurse Lottie Thompson Dairy; Entries From Appreciative Soldiers Enhanced With Drawings, Poems, Photograph Signed With Serial Numbers or Regiments

WW1 Diary Autograph Book - Dardanelles, Gallipoli Campaign, Wounded Soldiers Invalided at Woodlands Hospital , Also know as The Grange Hospital Southport; Nurse Lottie Thompson Dairy; Entries From  Appreciative Soldiers Enhanced  With Drawings, Poems, Photograph Signed With Serial Numbers or Regiments

I will be posting these pages from Nurse Dottie Thompson diary a few pages at a time. There are over 150 entries from very talented, witty and very appreciative soldiers, even the privates show a degree of good schooling. There are also scattered pre 1914 drawings from friends I am assuming of her, for some are dated 1907, 1911.These entries will be from Dardanelles related.

The caption on the above entry says the following: "No room for slackers in Kitcheners Army." The soldier name was Pte T. Helliwell, 8th Manchester Regiment; 42nd Division; Invalided from Dardanelles, Nov. 13th 1915

This entry below has two soldiers writing on this one page One from a Private A. Yates with the 1/5 Lance and the other Lance Corporal G. A. Hyde with the 1/7 Essex Regulars. It begins with this name:

Pte A. Yates 1/5 Lanc Fues ?, No 2523; Wounded Aug 1915 at Dardanelles

The second is signed as follows: Le Cpl G. A. Hyde; 1/7 Essex Reg No 2511; Wounded Oct 7th 1915; Dardanelles and he signs it:

"It is not in ----?--- to -----?----- Success but ----?----- do more ----?----- it." Can you figure out what he says?

The entry below from Lance Corporal Williams of the 5th Battery Wiltshire Regular is signed: L/Cpl Williams; 5th Batt Wilts Reg.; Invaled from Dardanelles to the Grange hospital Southport

This drawing below is captioned Society Style and signed Albert Fitzgerald 1907.

This one below is captioned "Dream Girl" and was signed Private Edgar Farrar R. A. M. C. 54 Cemetery or Cemetry Road, Leeds

This is from a girlfriend: By gum! it sticks. from Elsie Norton 2/11/09

All this one says is: Och !!!

This entry below has no caption or name, but interesting

This image below shows two woman smoking which I think was a sign of a loose woman in those days. Corporal F. Broadbent of the West Yorkshire Regular wrote: "You can get on without us men, or you seem to, anyway.

This watercolor of Daisy's was done by W. Gibbons's he had another watercolor I will post later

This drawing is a very early one dated E. Holt 1911, A Scene of Cheshire

Below is the W. Gibbons watercolor I mentioned above