Back to the front - Death Valley

Solomon Wraight, my Great Uncle, was serving as a private with the Machine Gun Company of the 315th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. After taking part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive he had been deployed in the defensive Troyon sector.

Solomon Wraight 315th Infantry USA

Solomon had emigrated to America in August 1915 and made a new home in Philadelphia, working as a carpenter and after joining the army in 1917 he had been in France since August 1918.

On the 28th October 1918 Solomon’s regiment received orders to move back up to the front in the Grand Montagne sector.

The Official History of the 315th Infantry United States Army describes the conditions for the troops.

The evening of the 28th we again started out and hiked to the Forges Woods. About 5pm October 29th we set out on a heart-breaking march, which lasted until after day break on the 30th, at which time we arrived in the Grande Montagne Sector, recently captured from the Boche.

In that sector, we relieved the 29th Division on the site known as Death Valley, and we were to see the name justified very shortly. The carts were unloaded and sent back to Brabant. The first Platoon was on the right of our sector, the Second Platoon in the center, and the Third on the left. 

We remained there until the 8th, simply holding on, while the enemy let us have everything he had in the way of shells and bullets. The great difficulty was in getting up rations, as everything had to be brought across Death Valley, and the Germans bombarded this place continuously and mercilessly. All this time it rained incessantly, and the mud was terrible.