Accession No. RARE.2023.0072 : Purchased, 2022 September.
[identification of item], "Barrage: The War Diary of an Ordinary Guy" Writings by David Sidney Oakes as Published in the
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Processed by: Casey Blackmore, 2023 November; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2023 November.
David Sidney Oakes (1891-1960) was a Lieutenant with the United States Army Artillery Officers Reserve Corps and served during World War I between the years of 1917 and 1918. The majority of his service was spent overseas in England and France. During his time in the service, Oakes worked on repairs to machinery and artillery and attended school courses. Oakes was born in Kendalville, Indiana and later moved to Decatur, Illinois in the 1920s to pursure a career in retail management after his service ended. His column, "Barrage: The War Diary of an Ordinary Guy" appeared in the Decatur, Illinois daily newspaper,
"Barrage: The War Diary of an Ordinary Guy" Writings by David Sidney Oakes as Published in the
The column recounts Oakes time from his original training at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, through to his days immediately following the Armistice Agreement. The writings also describe intense trench combat at the front. The published columns that comprise the collection include annotations and corrections, indicating that this may have been the author’s own copy. Other topics covered in the column covers life in the service, including his impressions of England and France when he was stationed there and the local culture he took in.