104th Machine Gun Battalion

April 1917 - April 1919

Originally the New York 1st Cavalry, the 104th Machine Gun Battalion served in the 27th New York Infantry Division. In 1916, Troop D of the 1st Cavalry joined the 27th Infantry Division to the US-Mexico border where it served for eight months during the Pancho Villa Expedition. It returned home to Syracuse, NY, on March 12, 1917.

There, the 1st Cavalry was redesignated the 104th Machine Gun Battalion and, on April 6, 1917, began preparations for action in World War I. It trained at Camp Syracuse, built over the New York State Fairgrounds.

The 27th Infantry Battalion arrived in Europe on April 20th, 1918, and the 104th Machine Gun Battalion saw action at the Dikebush and Scherpenberg sectors in Belgium between July 9 and August 30. It then participated in the Ypres-Lys Offensive in Belgium, August 31 - September 2, and the Somme Offensive in France, September 24 - October 20.

Other Resources

Items in bold are in the museum's collection.

“106th, 105th, and 104th U.S. Machine Gun Battalions Camp Wadsworth, S.C.- Mar. 2- 1918.”  New York State Military Museum. http://catalog.nysmm.org/Presto/content/Detail.aspx?ctID=ZDhjMmE5MjktYTE3Yi00M2Y0LWJmYjYtZDIxZWRlNmIxN2Vi&rID=NTg5&qrs=RmFsc2U=&q=MTA0dGggTWFjaGluZSBHdW4gQmF0dGFsaW9u&ph=VHJ1ZQ==&bckToL=VHJ1ZQ==&rrtc=VHJ1ZQ==.

“Colonel Edward McLeer, Jr., 1919.” New York State Military Museum. http://catalog.nysmm.org/Presto/content/Detail.aspx?ctID=ZDhjMmE5MjktYTE3Yi00M2Y0LWJmYjYtZDIxZWRlNmIxN2Vi&rID=MTYyMTc=&qrs=RmFsc2U=&q=MTA0dGggTWFjaGluZSBHdW4gQmF0dGFsaW9u&ph=VHJ1ZQ==&bckToL=VHJ1ZQ==&rrtc=VHJ1ZQ==.

Hancock, Clarence Eugene. “Clarence E. Hancock : Papers, 1929-1946.” Library of Congress.

“Today in History: Troop D, First Cavalry Returns to Syracuse from Mexico.” Onondaga Historical Association, https://www.cnyhistory.org/2019/03/troop-d-returns-from-mexico/. Accessed 31 May, 2022.

Tomes, William Austin, Jr. “William Austin Tomes, Jr. papers, 1892-2009.” Modern Manuscripts and Archives at the Newberry. https://archives.newberry.org/repositories/2/resources/829.