|
CORPORAL RALPH B. ELDER
was born April 3, 1894 in Camden NJ to Marcus W. and Frances Elder. The
family had lived in South Camden in the late 1880s and early 1890s. When
the Census was taken in 1900 the family lived at 101 Marlton Avenue in East Camden. Marcus Elder was then a clerk at an oil works.
It appears that Marcus Elder passed away in the 1900s, as by the time of
the 1900 Census Frances Elder had married Asher Tettmer. The family then
lived at 610 Vine Street in North Camden.
Ralph Elder, then 16, had gone to work in one of Camden's shipyards.
Ralph Elder was living at
134 North 26th Street in East Camden
when he registered for the draft on
June 5, 1917. At that time he was working for A. H. Green in Camden,
making asbestos pole coverings. Ralph Elder had enlisted in the old 3rd New Jersey
National Guard Regiment on February 27, 1916. He was activated and went away with his regiment
on July 25, 1917. Ralph Elder was subsequently assigned to Company E, 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry
Division,
Corporal
Elder was killed in action on October 12, 1918 while serving with
Company E, 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. This unit
was part of the attack on German positions near Verdun on October 8,
1918.
The 29th Infantry Division's account record has the following account
for October 12 1918:
The
114th Infantry, 29th Division was attached to the 18th French Division,
moved from its bivouac in the Cotee des Roches into position in the
Ravin de Coassinvaux on the night of the 11th-12th October preparatory
to an attack upon the Bois d'Ormont, which the Division had been ordered
to make at 0700hrs on the 12th. In conjunction with the 66th French
Infantry, the 114th moved to attack at the hour designated.
The objective of the 114th was the enemy line between Bois d'Ormont and
Bois d'Moirey. The enemy has established a very strong dug in concrete
line of machine guns. The French artillery unit providing preparatory
fire had a severe shortage of artillery ammunition. The small amount
that was actually fired was placed to far behind the enemy lines*. The
artillery had very little effect on the enemy machine gun line and
caused very little damage. The 1st Company of the 111th Machine Gun
Battalion began its advance on Bois d'Ormont to support the 114th
advance but was forced to pull back after only five minutes due to the
heavy German Artillery. After just five minutes eleven soldiers of the 111th
were
killed.
The 114th eventually made it into Bois d'Ormont but the cost was very
high. Six officers and 112 enlisted men were killed, twelve officers and
800 enlisted men were wounded in the engagement.
On
October 12, 1918 the Bois d'Ormont was conquered at the cost of
118 casualties. Corporal Elder and Private First Class Chester
Anzide, both of Company E, and several other Camden County men
were of that number.
Corporal Elder was one of three men who rushed a German machinegun nest in the
Argonne Forest on October 12, 1918. One of his comrades was shot to
pieces, another shot through the lungs, and Corporal Elder took a bullet
through the eye, which caused his death.
Ralph Elder was 23 years
old, and was survived by his mother, of 30
North 26th
Street, Camden NJ
and several siblings and step-siblings.
|
