Flavious Merrow

Margaret's younger brother, Flavious Joseph Merrow, was enlisted in the United States Army during World War I. He was assigned to the 119th Infantry Regiment of the 30th "Old Hickory" Infantry Division. He was deployed to France and served as a Private First Class and a machine gunner for his company.

Flavious was killed in action in the opening attack of the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, when the Allies assaulted the fortified Hindenberg Line. His sister Josephine Merrow received the following letter written 25 October 1918 from Flavious's commanding officer, Captain Edgar H. Bain:

Dear Miss Merrow,

By this time, I haven’t any doubt but that you have heard of your brother’s heroic death.  He was killed in action, September 29, 1918 at the battle of Bellicourt, when the 30th Division stormed and took the Hindenburg Line.  He was a machine gunner and died fighting.  I loved your brother and his death was a blow to me.  I was not in the battle, as I was not with my Company at the time.  But he did himself honor. 

 I sympathize with you good people, his sister and poor old mother.  So many of us will pay the penalty of war before it is won.

 I am here now only by the grace of God, as it does not seem possible that I could get through.

Assuring you of my deepest sympathy in your bereavement, I am

Sincerely yours,

Edgar H. Bain

Flavious is buried (Plot A, Row 15, Grave 1) in the Somme American Cemetery in Bony, France.

Lone Scouts

Chester T. Raymo and Roger D. Raymo reading Lone Scout Magazine, the weekly newspaper of the Lone Scouts of America, Chattanooga, 1918. The Lone Scouts were an independent boy's scouting organization until their merger with the Boy Scouts of America in 1924.

Arthur and Friend

Arthur Elsworth Raymo

Chattanooga, 1918

Brothers

Roger D. Raymo and Chester T. Raymo

Chattanooga, 1918

Chattanooga

From Charlotte Raymo's 1976 recollections:

[In July 1917] our family moved to Chattanooga so that our father could help build and operate the Southern Ferro Alloys Company, which would manufacture ferro silicone for use in ammunition to be used in World War I.

There had been a big flood in Chattanooga in March 1917, and it was difficult to find housing that had not been damaged by water. So the first year, 1917-1918, we lived in the St. Elmo area and attended public school--I was in the 5th Grade.

In the spring of 1918, we moved to [212] Baldwin Street, about 6 blocks from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and Notre Dame School (a 12-grade school). My three brothers and I enrolled in Notre Dame in September 1918 and became acquainted with the Dominican Order of Sisters--marvelous teachers and disciplinarians.

212 Baldwin Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, c.1918