Since September, a team of historians across the state have been diligently working to find and evaluate collections that display Missouri involvement in World War I. They have already discovered an exciting array of letters, artifacts, posters, photographs, and more. One of the most interesting discoveries this week was the handwritten diary of naval yeoman Royal Bauer, which vividly describes the daily life of a young Missourian in the Navy. Although Bauer never experienced combat, his diary is an excellent resource
because it tells us the little-known story of US Naval operations off
the coast of
France in World War I.
Bauer's diary contains a daily narrative beginning with his training in Great Lakes, Illinois and continuing through his service at Naval Air Stations in Guipavas and Paulliac, France. He describes in great detail the rigors of the Navy; training, inoculations, influenza breakouts, limited rations, and living aboard a ship. But Bauer took time to enthusiastically record his good experiences as well; appreciating sunrises over French waters, spotting dirigibles flying overhead, meeting fellow Missouri soldiers on base, and making friends with flirtatious mademoiselles from nearby French towns.
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| USS Martha Washington, which transported Royal Bauer and 24,000 other military personnel to France. Photo Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. |
Immediately after the United States entered World War I, the US Navy began to aid the Allies in securing the seas around France. The western coast and English Channel had been overrun with German submarines, which presented serious problems by blocking the delivery of troops, munitions, and supplies. The US Navy successfully waged an anti-submarine campaign, clearing the coast and occupying coastal bases to allow for thousands of American soldiers to be transported to France safely. Both during the war and today, involvement of the US Navy in the war is greatly understated. In a 1919 preface, Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was Assistant Secretary of the Navy at the time) wrote "To the men who took part in this great work too much credit cannot be given...no part of our naval activities deserves higher credit than the part they took. They have the satisfaction, at least, of knowing that the Navy and the country are proud of them. "
Ninety-three years ago last week, Royal Bauer was informed that he would be able to travel home to St. Louis after two years, four months, and twenty-one days of service. In his very last entry, dated October 23, 1919, Bauer reflects on the involvement of himself and his fellow men in the war: "We are glad that the experiences of that time are past and that we may expectantly look to the future for what it may have in store for us."
Bauer’s service record, and the records of thousands of other Missourians who served in World War I, are available online through the Missouri State Archives Soldier’s Database.
To find out more about Royal Bauer’s World War I experience, visit the State Historical Society of Missouri. Patrons can view the diary or browse the dozens of letters that Royal sent to his family while he was in training and overseas.
Sources
Husband, Joseph. On the Coast of France ; the Story of the United States Naval Forces in French Waters. Chicago : A.C. McClurg & Co. (1917). Accessible online through Internet Archive .
