The History of the

75th Artillery C.A.C.

During WWI

The 75th Artillery was organized at Ft. Moultrie, SC in September, 1918. They sailed from Port of Embarkation Hoboken on October 5, 1918. The 75th returned to the States on 13 March 1919 and went to Camp Stuart, VA and then was demobilized at Camp Grant, IL that same month.

The 75th Regiment was part of the 40th Artillery Brigade. The other Regiments that made up the 40th Artillery Brigade were the 73rd and 74th Regiments. When the 75th Artillery Regiment got to France they were assigned to O&T Center No. 6 (Operations and Training) at Mailly and Haussimont, France. O&T Center No. 6. This was the training camp of the Railway Artillery. The 75th reached this place too late in the war and was not fully trained yet and saw no action at the front.

The 75th is a Regiment that I know very little on yet but need to find out more. If you have additional information please contact me. They most likely would have had been assigned to Railway Artillery if they had reached the Front. The artillery pieces that were used by the Railway Artillery were what ever could be found at the time and may have been anything from French 340mm, 400mm 19G's or may have been 8" rail mounted Howitzers or 12" or 14" railway guns.

The regiment arrived at Brest (Finistere), on October 16, 1918. The 1st Battalion and Batteries C and E proceeded to the Intermediate Supply Depot at Gievres (Loir-et-Cher) and Battery E remained there until the Armistice. The 1st Battalion moved to Alencon (Orne) on November 5th, 1918 and Battery C to Reignoc (Indre-et-Lorie) on November 4th, 1918 and remained there until the Armistice. Batteries D and E remained at Brest (Finistere) until November 1st. Battery D took station at Avoine (Indre-et-Loire) on November 5th and Battery F at LaSuze-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) on November 2d, both Batteries remained at these stations until the Armistice.

Station List of the 75th Artillery while in France, City (County)

On February 26th, 1919 the Regiment sailed for Newport News VA. On the Transport "Aeolus". I have this info about the sailing from a March 15th, 1919 edition of "The Liaison" the official newsletter of the Coast Artillery Corps. It reads as if the Regiment had not made Newport News as of March 15th. Usual voyages across the Atlantic (French ports to US ports during WWI years) took 13-15 days.

The Regimental Muster of the 75th Artillery, C.A.C.

As I find and uncover history of men who served in the 75th Artillery during WWI, I will list them here. Please if you have a family member who also served in the 75th contact me and I will add it to this list.

Captain Ernest H. Reece

Captain Reece was born 20 March 1880 in Ada, Ohio. He entered the Army on 27 August 1917 and was assigned to the Coast Artillery Training Corps at Ft. Monroe, VA. Upon completion on 27 November 1917 he received a commission as a Captain in the Coast Artillery Corps and was assigned to the 161st Depot Brigade. The 161st Depot Brigade was stationed at Camp Grant, Illinois and Captain Reece must have been there also. At some point he was then stationed in the Coast Defenses at Fort Screven, Georgia and as the 75th Artillery was being formed out of units of the South Atlantic Coast Artillery District this is how Captain Reece came into the 75th Artillery. He sailed with the 75th Artillery on 5 October 1918 and was with them throughout their duty in France. He returned with the 75th Artillery to the states on 13 March 1919. Captain Reece was Honorable Discharged from the Army on 29 July 1919.

Pvt. Henry L. Woodard, HQ Co., 3rd Bn, 75th Artillery, C.A.C.

Polly Gregory-Hussey shared with me about her great uncle, Henry Woodard who died in WWI. Polly stated that on his grave marker, along with a VFW marker she found this:

Henry L. Woodard, Pvt,
20 Oct 1918
Hdqs Co 3rd Bat 75 Arty

Polly relates this about Henry Woodard: "I don't know anything at all. I have been told he died (20 October 1918) in Europe. Mother, his niece, has a beautiful old oval framed photograph of him in his uniform from hips up in a sitting position. I have a bar ribbon of his somewhere, I must have taken it back to Mother. I am an amateur genealogist and am trying to find out a little about him. He was young, born 1 June 1898, Scurry Co, Texas and died 20 October 1918. If I read some of the information correctly he must have died after being in France only about 4 days and did not see action. I wonder what he died from?" My guess would be influenza, that killed as many as did battle deaths.

An earlier photo of Carl Palmgren most likely taken while at Fort Moultrie, SC. Visible on his left breast over the pocket is Palmgrens award for having achieved Class "A" Marksmanship, US Army, for small arms proficiency. This photo provided by Lt. Col. Ret., Hamilton.

This photo shows a seasoned veteran. Visible on his left shoulder is the shoulder patch of what looks to be that of the 1st Army Artillery. Coast Artillery Corps Regiments were commonly known to wear this shoulder patch. On his right sleeve are the markings of a 1st Sergeant, so this would date this photo from February 28, 1919 to March 31, 1919. Also you can see in his left breast pocket a First Sergeant's brass whistle by which he alone assembled all of the troops under his leadership. And it looks as if he is holding a cigar in his left hand. It was told to me that Carl did smoke heavily by the family and this may have been some cause of his Heart Condition by which he expired in 1931. This photo provided by Lt. Col. Ret., Hamilton.

Pvt. Neil Westwood Service No. 715-440, 1st Battalion

Neil Westwood was born to Martha A. and Richard Dalin Westwood on September 22, 1898 in Moab, Utah. Neil would enlist into the United States Army on February 11, 1918 at Ft. Douglas, Utah and was given his service number of 715-440. He was a Private serving in the 1st Battalion of the 75th Artillery Coast Artillery Corps. Pvt. Westwood served in France with the 75th and did return with the 75th and was Honorably Discharged from the Army on April 2, 1919.

Neil Westwood would return to Moab, Utah and live with his parents after his discharge from the Army where he worked as a general laborer. Neil would marry Ida Blake on June 1, 1920 in Monticello, Utah. Ida was born on January 12, 1900 in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and her parents were Henry Elwyn and Ida Barker Blake.

Neil was a farmer most of his life and Ida taught school. Together Neil and Ida would have 7 sons and 2 daughters. Richard E. born about 1922, Melvin N. born about 1924, Gordon L. born about 1925, Kenneth D. born about 1927, Barbara born about 1929, Dorothy, Clyde D., Blake L. and Russell C.

Neil Westwood’s family history can be traced back to England where his grandparents were born. Neil’s grandfather was Richard Westwood and he was a Brick Mason by trade, his grandmother was Catharine. Once Richard and Catharine came to America they had at least one son named Richard Dalin born August 9, 1863 in Utah. Richard D. Westwood passed away on September 5, 1929 in Utah.

Richard D. Westwood married in 1888 to Martha A. who was born in July of 1871 in Utah. Her father was born in Arkansas and her mother was French Canadian by birth. Together Richard D. and Martha would have 10 children with 9 children who lived. They were, Daughter Ellen (b. Oct. 1888), Mary A. (b. abt. 1889), Kate (b. Oct 1892), Ruth (b. July 1895), Son Neil (b. Sept 5, 1898), daughter Grace (b. abt. 1901), Son Vern (b. abt. 1903), daughter Ida (b. abt. 1909) and daughter Anna (b. abt 1911). Neil’s father Richard D. worked as a farmer and sometimes worked as a miner and lived his entire life in Utah.

Neil Westwood would pass away in Umatilla County, Oregon on September 10, 1953 where his wife Ida survived him until her death on June 19, 1990. Neil and Ida are buried in the Spanish Fork, Utah Cemetery in plot BL 3 27B.