EDWARD
CATER
Yaphank
27th Division, 108th Infantry
Photo from a short history and Illustrated Roster of the
108th
Edward Cater was born in Ozone Park, New
York in 1896. He was working and living in Yaphank when
he enlisted in the army on July 30th, 1917 at Brooklyn,
New York.
He was assigned to Company F of the 47th
Infantry, New York National Guard from July 30, 1917
until December 7, 1917. At this time he was reassigned to
Co. B of the 108th Infantry, 27th division.
The 108th Infantry was sent to Camp
Wadsworth where they received advanced infantry training
for eight months.
As soon as training was completed the
108th crossed the Atlantic and landed at Brest France on
May 10, 1918. They marched into the city to "some
good old Yankee tunes".
A few days later the regiment boarded,
traveled and marched to billets in the vicinity of
Abbeville on the Somme. It was here that the unit
underwent the first phase of training under the
direction of officers and non-commissioned officers of
the Fourth British Army. Here Cater and others learned
the methods of warfare by men who had fought already.
On September 4, 1918, the troops were put
into boxcars and traveled along the coast, passing
through the cities of Dunkerque, Calais.and Etaples. On
the early morning of September 5th, they detrained in the
vicinity of Poulles.
On September 25th, the 27th Division,
including Cater's regiment, the 108th, rattled for 18
hours in boxcars heading for the area of Templeaux- Le-
Gerard.
That night they took over the trenches in
front of the Hindenburg Line.
On the morning of September 29th, 1918,
the 27th Division including the 108th prepared for an
assault on the Hindenburg Line.
The Americans and British opened an
artillery and machine gun barrage at 5:50 A.M.
The whistles blew and the American
Infantry went over the top of the trenches with artillery
shells guiding them as they advanced.
Many of the tanks assigned to support the
attack were blown up in the wire by land mines or German
artillery fire.
Private Cater was with the first wave of
American Infantry that was badly cut up while crossing
the trenches south of the Guillemont farm and Claymore
Valley.
Cater and elements of the battery made
their way into the Dirk Valley, where they established
themselves in the sunken road. While trying to advance
the Americans were stopped by machine gun fire and German
artillery shelling from the city of Bony. It was here
that Private Cater was killed. He was buried at the
cemetery at St. Emilie.
The 108th Infantry suffered horrible
losses that day. 198 men were killed, 518 were wounded,
and 126 were gassed. This number represented over half of
the regiment.
Information
compiled by
Longwood Middle School students
Dusty Drago
Stephanie Cotter