Here you go. As you read below it sounds like most of the 1st Texas Cav was reorganized into Machine Gun and Field Artillery Batallions. A MG Bn was a WWI era concept, supplemented the 2 Infantry Regiments in one of the Brigades of the Division (Square Division, 4 Inf Regt's, 2 per Bde). A US Army WWI Infantry Division was a large unit (~28K), much bigger than it's WWII younger 'triangular' brother. The 131st, 132nd, 133rd named units eventually all became FA units over the years. I think current FA Bns from each regimental lineage still serve; I am sure on the 133rd. Will check more.
TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD IN WORLD WAR I
W. D. Cope
The entire National Guard of Texas, as it existed in 1917 was mustered into the Federal service, Texas Guardsmen constituting the major portion of the 36th Division and a part of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division.
The Rainbow Division, which was the first National Guard Division to go overseas, was composed of National Guard troops from all parts of the United States, Texas, furnishing the 117th Supply Train. which was made up of Motor Truck Companies 1 to 6 inclusive, from Dallas, Austin, Houston and Big Spring. The glorious record of this division, the many engagements in which it participated with honor and distinction, the praises, citations, and decorations which were won by this division as a fighting unit, and by its individual members, are known to all who followed the history of the World War in the making. I shall not therefore dwell at length upon the fortunes of this division, but shall hasten to the consideration of Texas’ Own—
The 36th Division
Certainly my report would not be complete without some account of the achievements of this division, composed very largely of Texas National Guardsmen, which, although it sailed for France at a much later date than the Rainbow Division, nevertheless saw fighting that was quite as fierce, and achieved quite, as much glory (in the hearts of Texans, at least) as any American Division in France. If space would permit, I would submit to you in full the official history of the 36th Division as it was compiled by Captain Alexander White Spence of Dallas, who was Aide-de-Camp to Major General William R. Smith, for a more comprehensive, and, at the same time, more thoroughly interesting account of this division’s activities could scarcely be written. I very much regret that funds have not been available for the publication of this history, so that a copy thereof might be placed in every school and every public library in the State of Texas. To the manuscript of Captain Spence’s history which has been filed in this office, I am indebted for the principal facts set forth below:
The 36th Division, which as such, was organized between August 5th and October 15th, 1917, was composed of the Texas and Oklahoma National Guards, Texas furnishing about eighteen thousand officers and men, while Oklahoma furnished about twenty-five hundred officers and men. To this was added at later dates, some eight thousand, five hundred drafted men. From the time of its organization until it was ready to move overseas, the Division was commanded by Major General E. St. John Greble. He was succeeded by Major General William R. Smith, who commanded the division from the time it sailed for France, in July 1918, until its return to the United States in the spring of 1919.
Organizations which went to make up the 36th Division. were the 1st Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Henry Hutchings, and consisting of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Regiments, Texas Infantry; the 2nd Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General John A. Hulen, and consisting of the 1st, 5th and 6th Regiments, Texas Infantry, and the following separate organizations:
The 7th Texas Infantry, the 1st Texas Cavalry, the 1st and 2nd Regiments, Field Artillery, the 1st Battalion of Engineers, Headquarters Train and Military Police, Division Headquarters Detachment, Division Headquarters Troop, 1st Field Signal Battalion, Ambulance Companies No. 1 and 2, and Field Hospital Company No. 1.
With the exception of the 1st Infantry Brigade, one squadron of the 1st Cavalry, Battery A, 1st Field Artillery, Companies A and B, 1st Engineers, and Field Hospital, Co. 1, all of these organizations had come into existence since the declaration of war against Germany. The old Guard had served on the Mexican Border from May 9, 1916 to March 26, 1917, when it was mustered out of Federal Service, only to be called back again five days later (with the exception of the Brigadier General and his Staff, Field Hospital Co. No. 1, Battery A, 1st Field Artillery, and Companies A and B, Engineers) and sent to the Border, where it remained until early in October when it was ordered to report to Camp Bowie at Fort Worth. The new units which were organized during the Spring and Summer were all mustered into Federal Service on August 5, 1917 and ordered to report immediately to Camp Bowie.
The organization of the various National Guard units into a division was not an easy task, for, in the first place, many radical changes were necessary to make the units conform with the new Tables of Organization which had just been published by the War Department; and. in the second place there were certain inharmonious elements, thrown together in the new organization. The Division Commander and his staff were of the Regular Army, and at that time Regular Army officers and National Guard officers did not have the respect for each other that they were to gain in the days of training and fighting that followed. The situation was not improved by the arrival of a large number of Reserve officers, fresh from the First Training Camp at Camp Sheridan, Ill. The National Guard officers, who had worked hard, and not infrequently spent considerable money from their own pockets in organizing their units, were inclined to resent the presence of these new officers; while the Reserve officers, who had just completed a very strenuous course of training in order to secure their commissions, were often inclined to regard the National Guard officers as men who had obtained their commissions through political influence, regardless of merit. Finally, the National Guards of Texas and Oklahoma had each cherished the hope of being the nucleus for a separate division, and each was opposed, at the outset, to the amalgamation.
The reorganization went steadily forward, however, being completed, on paper at least, by October 15. and in the months of hard training that followed old prejudices were laid aside and gradually forgotten.
In the conversion of the Texas and Oklahoma National Guards into the 36th Division, the following plan, as outlined in Memorandum No. 56, Headquarters 36th Division, September 23, 1917, was followed:
New Organization Formed From
Division Headquarters Troop Texas Headquarters Troop
132nd Machine Gun Battalion
(4 Company) M. G. Companies of the 3rd and 4th Texas Infantry and the 1st Oklahoma Infantry.
71st. Infantry Brigade
Brig. General Henry Hutchings, Commanding
132nd Machine Gun Battalion
(3 Company) M. G. Company of the 1st Texas Infantry, (nucleus).
141st Infantry 1st Texas Infantry (less M. G. Company and 2nd Texas Infantry.
142nd Infantry 7th Texas Infantry and 1st Oklahoma Infantry (less M. G. Company).
72nd. Infantry Brigade
Brig. General John A. Hulen, Commanding
133rd Machine Gun Battalion
(3 Company) Machine Gun Troop, 1st Texas Cavalry, (nucleus).
143rd Infantry 3rd Texas Infantry (less M. G. Company) and 5th Texas Infantry.
144th Infantry 4th Texas Infantry, (less M. G. Company and 6th Texas Infantry).
61st. Field Artillery Brigade
Brig. General George Blakely, Commanding
Brigade Headquarters One lettered troop, 1st Texas Cavalry, (surplus men thereof to Trench Mortar Battery).
131st Field Artillery (3 inch guns) 2nd Texas Field Artillery.
132nd Field Artillery (3 inch guns) 1st Texas Cavalry (less 2 lettered troops and M. G. Troop).
133rd Field Artillery (6 in. Howitzers) 1st Texas Field Artillery.
111th Trench Mortar Battery One lettered Troop, 1st Texas Cavalry plus surplus men from Troop assigned to 61st F. A. Brigade Headquarters.
111th Regiment Engineers
Col. W. J. Barden, Commanding 1st Battalion Texas Engineers and 1st Battalion Oklahoma Engineers
111th. Field Signal Battalion
Major G. A. Robinson, Commanding 1st Texas Field Signal Battalion.
111th Train Headquarters and Military Police.
Major John H. Zachary, Commanding. Texas Train Headquarters and Military Police
111th. Ammunition Train
Major Donald R. Bonfoey, Commanding. 1st. Separate Squadron Oklahoma Cavalry( nucleus for horse section,) Motor section skeletonized by selection of suitable men from entire division.
111th Supply Train
Major J. H. Zachary, Attached Skeletonized by the transfer of suitable men from entire division.
111th. Sanitary Train
141st. Ambulance Company 2nd. Texas Ambulance Company.
142nd. Ambulance Company 1st. Texas Ambulance Company.
143rd. Ambulance Company 2nd. Texas Ambulance Company
144th. Ambulance Company 1st. Texas Ambulance Company
141st. Field Hospital Company 2nd. Texas Field Hospital Company.
142nd. Field Hospital Company 1st. Texas Field Hospital Company
143rd. Field Hospital Company 2nd. Texas Field Hospital Company.
144th. Field Hospital Company 1st. Oklahoma Field Hospital Co.
111th. Engineer Train Transfer of officers and men of the 111th. Engineers
