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| Museum of Missouri Military History |
Dynamic images of unique World War I artifacts will be one of the many exciting features of Missouri Over There. Project staff have visited several institutions throughout the state and photographed a variety of three-dimensional items that will help us tell the story of Missouri’s participation in the Great War. From machine guns and uniforms to patriotic toys, each item represents an important part of Missouri’s contribution to the war effort.
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| Missouri History Museum |
Forty and Eight shirt worn by Samuel Frank, a veteran of the 138th Infantry, 35th Division. The Forty and Eight was formed in 1920 as a branch of the American Legion. It was a popular organization among World War I veterans because of the boxcars that were used to transport forty men or eight horses to the front during the war. The shirt is made out of horizon blue, the colors of the French army.
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| Missouri History Museum |
“Katch the Kaiser,
Win the War,” puzzle. Players were
challenged to catch the German Kaiser Wilhelm II who is represented by a small
black ball. Wilhelm was a favorite
target of anti-German sentiment and often blamed for starting the war. This puzzle is an example of the patriotic
propaganda used to motivate the Allies and demonize Germany.
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| Missouri History Museum |
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| Museum of Missouri Military History |
United States Model 1916 Lewis Machine Gun. A versatile air-cooled weapon, Allied soldiers used it as a light machine gun, an aerial machine gun, and to hold defensive positions. Developed by Isaac Newton Lewis, the U.S. army initially showed little interest in the new weapon. Belgium and Great Britain adopted it for their armies just before the outbreak of World War I. The Lewis gun could fire up to 550 rounds per minute and was issued to American soldiers in 1917 when the United States entered the war.
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| Missouri History Museum |
Fabric corsage with a tag that reads “Belgian Babies.” It was given to someone who contributed to relief efforts in Belgium. The German advance through the neutral country in 1914 resulted in a tremendous humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Americans contributed to the Belgian Relief Fund, often in response to propaganda stories of German atrocities, including the murder of babies.
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| Missouri History Museum |
United States Model 1917 helmet worn by St. Louis native William Milner Donovan. Donovan served in the American Field Service as an ambulance driver. He transferred to the American army when the United States entered the war in 1917. The M1917 was the first combat helmet issued by the U.S. Army and was almost identical to the British made Mk.I. This helmet was designed to stop a .45 caliber pistol bullet fired from a distance of ten feet.
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| Missouri History Museum |
Regimental flag of the 1st Missouri Infantry Home Guard. Originally authorized by General Nathaniel Lyon during the Civil War in 1861, the Home Guard was reorganized by Governor Frederick D. Gardner on July 18, 1917. A local defense force was necessary because the National Guard had been sent to France. The 1st Missouri Home Guard numbered 1,500 men and served in the St. Louis area. Their primary responsibility was controlling civil unrest and supporting patriotic events.
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| Missouri History Museum |
German Iron Cross 2nd Class taken as a souvenir by Sergeant Robert J. Walker, a St. Louis soldier in the 314th Engineers, 89th Division. The Iron Cross was first presented to Prussian soldiers for gallantry in 1813. During World War I they were stamped with 1914 on the front and 1813 on the reverse.
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