ENGINEERING COMMANDER'S FIELD MESSAGE BOOK DOCUMENTS FINAL DAYS OF THE WAR

ENGINEERING COMMANDER'S FIELD MESSAGE BOOK DOCUMENTS FINAL DAYS OF THE WAR
Fascinating 'Field Message Book' from the final three days before the armistice, once belonging to Col. Thatcher T. P. Luquer, the commander of the 306th Engineers Regiment, 81st Division, whose regiment served near Verdun towards war's end. This book retained carbon copies of the officer’s messages. The first page, dated Nov. 9th, 1918 - three-days before the armistice - bears an order from Luquer to 'D Company' to '...call in your platoon from Clermont and all guard north of VERDUN-ETAIN...' and the third copied page, sent two hours after the first, orders A Company to '...work on VERDUN-ETAIN road.' By this point in the offensive, Verdun-Etain Road spanned the lines between the Allies and the German defenses, thus was crucial to the Allied advance. However, a later entry from the day of the armistice relieves Company D, as '...permission has been received...from Corps Hq. to relieve one company from work on VERDUN-ETAIN highway...' This order was penned at 10:45 hours on Nov. 11, 1918 - just 15 minutes before the armistice was signed, when further military action seemed less necessary. The final order of the message book was written four days after the armistice, relieving Company A and ordering that they report to the commanding officer of the 1st Batallion. SOLD WITH: Field-used map of the Etain region, 21 x 30.5 in., printed in 1918 hand-pencilled in different colors to show the different conditions of the area's roads. While most of the roads surrounding Etain are indicated as 'good condition', a dashed red line stretches from Etain towards the region near Verdun, though the city itself is not shown on the map. Some splits and tears, many archivally repaired on the verso. SOLD WITH: Printed report by the AEF Intelligence Section about the Etain-Verdun Road, 3pp. 4to., Nov. 8, 1918 (three days before the armistice was signed), indicating that the roads are good, yet adding '...certain roads of this plane are mined, which is very probable...' Two very deep creases, just good condition. Sold with a Luquer's postwar A.E.F. pass as an Educational Director within the VIIIAC, certifying his ability to travel within the VIII Corps. A truly outstanding grouping. From the collection of Col. Thatcher T. P. Luquer, commander of the 306th Engineers Regiment, 81st Division, whose regiment saw service in Tronchoy, St. Die, Langres, and the Sommedieue sector of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Consigned to us by a direct linear descendant.