Johnson, Charles H.

Description

Charles H. Johnson

Charles H. Johnson enlisted in June, 1917, as a member of the 27th New York Division. He died
in France on October 30th, 1918, of bronchial pneumonia.

The 27th Infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard in World War I and World War II. The division traces its history from the New York Division, formed originally in 1908.

The 6th Division designation was changed to the 27th Division in July 1917. The division was one of only three divisions formed from units entirely from a single state’s National Guard; the other two being Illinois and Pennsylvania. However, not all New Yorkers served in the 27th. Its initial strength was 991 officers and 27,114 enlisted men.

Major Operations:
Meuse-Argonne (only the artillery),
Ypres-Lys, Somme Offensive.
Initially stationed in the East Poperinghe Line.

Battle of Dickebusche Lake,Summer 1918
Battle of Vierstratt Ridge, Summer 1918

Struggled to break the German defensive Hindenburg Line, September 1918.

Somme Offensive, 25 September
1918
Selle River, November 1918

The 27th did break the Hindenburg line during the Battle of the Somme and forced a German retreat from their defensive line and forced the Germans to a final confrontation. After a final confrontation with the retreating Germans at the Selle River the Armistice ended the fighting and the division was sent home in February 1919, to be mustered out several months later.

The division had sustained a total of 8,334 (KIA: 1,442; WIA: 6,892) casualties when it was inactivated on April 1919.