77th DIVISION 308th INFANTRY OFFICERS IDED GAS MASK, HAVERSACK, BINOCULARS

Description: Nice 77th division 308th Infantry IDED Gas mask, Officers style haversack and binoculars. To a Lt. F.M. Gerolamo, CO. A of the 308th. The 308th Infantry were heavily involved in the offensive in the Argonne Forrest were they were surrounded by the Germans for 6 days know as the Lost Battalion they refused to surrender and suffered tremendously. Here is an Lieutenants officers grouping that has his gas mask bag complete with his gas mask. The bag has his name and co.which are written on the lower front. Inside cover is dated 1917. His officers haversack has a decorated design drawn on the front cover with his initials within. On the rear is his name printed. One metal buckle is missing to the strap and is missing the sling that would go over the shoulder. The binoculars are in good shape complete with the original leather sling. Nice grouping from one of the famous regiments during WWI. 2nd Lt Filander Michael Girolamo was a replacement officer to Co. A/308th following the Lost Battalion episode. He was assigned to the regiment on October 10th, 1918 and was a platoon leader. He was from New York City and had come over to France in late April, 1918 as a private with a replacement medical detachment. He went to officer's candidate school while overseas and was made a 2nd Lt. on October 1st, 1918. He came into the 308th while they were in rest and refittment mode at a place called Abri du Crochet in the Argonne. Company A had gone over the top on September 26th with 234 men and two officers. 12 days later they had 34 men left for active duty. 19 men from Company A had been in the Lost Battalion and when the survivors walked out of that ravine, three were left on their feet from the Company A contingent. The 77th was pulled off the line on October 15th and would not return to combat until October 31st. Girolamo saw some action in the last ten days of the war as the 308th pushed to the Meuse. After the war, Filander got married and had a kid and was a bookkeeper much of his life. He died in New Jersey on August 8th, 1974. Thank you, A.E.F. Services for the history !

Price: 400 USD

Location: Shirley, New York

End Time: 2025-01-22T18:11:33.000Z

Shipping Cost: 20 USD