In February of this year, I presented an article from a September, 1918 issue of The American Israelite concerning Lieutenant Sol Wise, a nephew of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who served as an aerial observer in Escadrille (Squadron) Br 111 of France’s Armée de l’air. That article – in reality, a transcript of a lengthy letter written by Lt. Wise to his parents in July of 1918 – is a clear account of the life of an aviator on the Western Front during the final year of the “Great War”. Lieutenant Wise presents a vivid picture of aerial combat, and, gives details – in an almost light-hearted way – about aspects of daily life between combat missions (accommodations, food, and the Escadrille’s Cadillac 8 automobile) at BR 111’s bases at Villers-en-Lieu and Pars-les-Romilly.
Further research has shown that the article in The American Israelite was not the only account that Lieutenant Wise penned about his war experiences. This was found at Ancestry.com.
Among the growing number databases at Ancestry.com are “United States World War I Jewish Servicemen Questionnaires”, from 1918 to 1921. These records were originally part of the Records of the American Jewish Committee’s Office of Jewish War Records. As described at Ancestry’s website, these, “…surveys [questionnaires] were sent out by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Office of Jewish War Records as part of an effort to document the service of Jews in the American armed forces. The AJC felt it important to both record and publicize Jewish service – in particular casualties and decorated soldiers – in the war and sent out 16,000 questionnaires soliciting information on soldiers they believed to be Jewish. The questionnaires came in 2- and 4-page versions, though both forms asked for the same information. The longer forms were typically sent to officers, casualties, or next of kin.”
Intriguingly; disturbingly; curiously (and more…) despite the accumulation and collation of all this information, no publication resulted from this vast amount of material, at least in terms of a volume (or volumes) presenting biographies for and details about the military service of American Jewish soldiers during the First World War.
Fortunately, Lieutenant Wise received, completed, and returned his copy of the AJC’s questionnaire. This is presented below. In light of the details in the article from The American Israelite, the information recorded by Lt. Wise is surprisingly sparse, but it’s still an interesting supplement to that 1918 publication.
Sol’s WW II Draft Registration card, also from Ancestry.com, is shown below.
Sol passed away on January 5, 1974, and is buried with his wife, Florence (Stevenson) Wise, at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, in Fort Pierce, Florida.
References
U.S., WWI Jewish Servicemen Questionnaires, 1918-1921 (on Ancestry.com)
Wise, Sol, Interesting Letter From Aviator, The American Israelite, September 9, 1918
Escadrille VB 111 – VC-111 – Sop 111 – Br 111
Biographical Profile for Sol Wise, at FindAGrave
Photograph of Sol Wise’s matzeva by FindAGrave contributors Ken & Nancy