The George E. Boggs collection contains one photograph album, one letter, and one box of ephemera. These materials document the First World War service of George E. Boggs, and to a lesser extent his brother Hamilton Irwin Boggs. Also included are numerous photographs of the Boggs family both prior to and after the war.
The album does not have a strict order; many photographs from Boggs’ time in France are interspersed with images of family and at training camps in the United States prior to going to France. Captions are apparently written by both George Boggs and his mother Caroline. The majority of the images from France are of Châtillon-sur-Seine but other places are also represented. Please see the Subject Terms for a more complete list of locations.
Images of note include:
- George and Hamilton Irwin Boggs in uniform with their Great-Uncle James P. Boggs, Civil War veteran who was wounded at Second Battle of Bull Run (loose photo in front of scrapbook, duplicate copy on page 46)
- General Pershing awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to members of the 81st Division. (page 18)
The letter, written in France on December 28, 1918, is from Hamilton Irwin Boggs to an "Uncle Jim" (possibly his great-uncle James P. Boggs). In the letter, Hamilton Boggs gives a summary of his service in the army, and mentions George Boggs’ service.
The ephemera includes George E. Boggs' dog tags, an embroidered souvenir French handkerchief, an United States Army Air Service insignia pin, and a piece of "trench art" made from a French 75mm shell casing. Also present are eleven track and field ribbons and two medals, all from 1913-14.
George Edward Boggs was born on October 11, 1894 in Lorain County, Ohio to James Pride Boggs and Caroline M. (Booth) Boggs. During the First World War, he served in France as a member of the 4th Regiment of the Air Service Mechanics. On August 7, 1920, he married Erma L. Ralph, and they had one child together, Ruth, before divorcing. After the war, he worked as a sales representative for the Cleveland Floors Company. He died in Chillicothe, Ohio on July 10, 1953, while visiting his daughter and grandson.
George’s brother, Hamilton Irwin Boggs was born on August 22, 1892. During the war, he served in France as an officer in the Motor Transport Corps. He married Cora Mildred Balzinger on June 29, 1916, and they had one daughter, Patricia. Hamilton Boggs died on December 29, 1969 in Atlanta, Georgia.
