QUENTIN ROOSEVELT: Bay City National Guardsmen Found Airman's Grave
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Lt. Quentin Roosevelt, World War I U.S. aviator, shot down by the Germans over France. (U.S. Air Force Photo)
Pvt. Fred J. Doyle, horseshoer with Bay City 128th Ambulance Company, found Roosevelt's grave.
Most historical accounts say Lt. Quentin Roosevelt's grave was "found by American soldiers."
Who the soldiers were has never been revealed in widely circulated military reports. But, as it turns out, they were from Bay City.
Old documents about Bay City's 128th Ambulance Company, Michigan National Guard, reveal the startling local connection to the discovery of the body of the famed aviator, son of former President Theodore Roosevelt.
An old written report by Private First Class Edward S. Donoghue, Bay City, breaks the news -- nearly 95 years after the fact.
"Located just outside of Cierges, where Quentin Roosevelt was shot down in an aerial battle July 14, 1918, according to an intercepted German radio message of the same date, this terrain under German control at the time," wrote PFC Donoghue in a booklet published for the 1940 reunion of the Bay City Ambulance Companies.
The booklet recalling events of the war was presented to former members of the company. Edward Smith was captain in the Michigan Ambulance Corps and was toastmaster of the reunion banquet at Zehnder's in Frankenmuth.
"And now Press correspondents are in the area seeking his grave," wrote Donoghue. "However, his (Quentin Roosevelt's) resting place was not located until Aug. 7, 1918 when Fred (Fishy) Doyle and Ed (Jazz) Donoghue stumbled onto the much sought after grave."
Fred J. Doyle, 522 S. Farragut St., was listed on the 128th roster as a horseshoer, while Edward J. Donoghue, 407 N. Van Buren St., was a private.
"Buried in a niche in the ground -- mud heaped over him, lay the son of the famous 'Teddy' Roosevelt. The plane, motorless, was resting alongside -- it was badly wrecked from the plunge.
"A cross, crudely made from tree limbs, was standing erect at the head of the grave and was supporting a four by four inch about three feet long upon which had been scratched: "Roosevelt, American fleiger."
Smith continued: "I kicked this mound of dirt to 'check' the contents and soon discovered that a body rested within. The identification or 'dog tags' two in number, were fastened to this cross -- would have made a wonderful souvenir -- somebody finally did abscond with them."
The account seems to indicate that while Doyle and Donoghue were first on the scene, Smith himself was the soldier who discovered young Roosevelt's body in the makeshift grave, apparently German-made, where he lay.
Detail of the event continues: "The entire plane was carried away, bit by bit, within twenty-four hours, by visiting American soldiers. The Division Engineers were notified and they, in turn, constructed a respectable looking grave for the fallen American aviator."
"A few days later, Mr. Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt and daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, visited the grave of their son and brother -- they had been in Paris, having left America shortly after his death date, July 14, 1918, arriving on French shores shortly thereafter and then patiently awaiting the news of the finding of Quentin's grave."
Historical reports in the Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt note: "In 1916, Quentin had left Harvard to train as an aviator at the Long Island airfield later renamed in his honor. It was from this same field that Charles Lindbergh started his historic flight across the Atlantic.
"Quentin was assigned to the 95th Air Squadron, and during an early patrol on July 14, 1918, his squad encountered seven Fokkers that outmaneuvered his squadron's relatively slower Boche aircrafts. Quentin was shot through the head twice, crashing near Chemery, France."
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force states: "Lt. Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, was a pilot in the 95th Aero Squadron. On July 14, 1918, he was shot down behind German lines by Sgt. Thom, a German ace with 24 victories. Roosevelt's Nieuport 28 crashed at Chamery near Coulonges-en-Tardenois and his body was buried by the Germans at the crash site. Since the plane had crashed so near the front lines, the Germans had to use two pieces of basswood saplings, bound together with wire from the Nieuport, to fashion a cross for the grave.
"When the Germans retreated from the area, U.S. troops found the grave and made a wooden cross for it. Still later, Frenchmen constructed an elaborate marker and fence. On July 12, 1944, Quentin's brother, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., died of a heart attack in Normandy following the World War II D-Day invasion of France. When the American memorial was established at St. Laurent-sur-Mer after the war at Omaha Beach, Theodore's remains were buried in the cemetery. Quentin's remains were then exhumed and buried at St. Laurent beside those of Theodore."
German military propagandists tastelessly peddled pictures of Quentin's disfigured body around the world, pictures that eventually reached his family in Sagamore Hill, New York home of TR's family, the almanac states.
Quentin was buried in Chemery, and was re-interred after World War II next to his brother Ted, Jr., who died after leading his squad onto Utah Beach during the D-Day Invasion of World War II.
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker said of Quentin: "Gay, hearty and absolutely square in everything he said or did, Quentin Roosevelt was one of the most popular fellows in the group. We loved him purely for his own natural self."
On July 14, 2008 on the 90th anniversary of Quentin's death, the French villages of Saints, Mauperthuis and Touquin held a commemoration of Quentin Roosevelt.
Records of the 128th and 121st Ambulance Companies are preserved in the Bay County Historical Museum. An ambulance from the World War I service of the company, donated by Gen. Richard DeMara, is in the museum. ###
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"The BUZZ" - Read Feedback From Readers! |
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mlernst Says:
On January 15, 2013
at 07:22 AM
Dave,
Over the years, I have enjoyed your articles about Bay City's history. However, back off from politics. Your ideas are skewed WAY left. |
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MysCOlLEeN Says:
On May 02, 2014
at 05:28 PM
Edward John Donoghue was the son of Thomas and Margaret (Harrigan) Donoghue. We have a Harrigan Group history page on Facebook. This was a wonderful addition to our family history. I can't thank you enough for making this available to us. We are missing a lot of information on Edward as well as his brother, Frank. They were both married, but we don't have any record of children born to them. Thank you again.
Colleen |
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Dave Rogers |
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