Without a doubt the GAS ATTACK was the finest and most complete weekly periodical published by any unit during the Great War. Under the direction and authority of the Camp Wadsworth Y.M.C.A., the first issue of the WADSWORTH GAS ATTACK AND RIO GRANDE RATTLER was published at Camp Wadsworth, S.C. and is dated November 23, 1917. It continued under this name until Issue Number 14 (February 23, 1918) when it was renamed the GAS ATTACK OF THE NEW YORK DIVISION. Publication was suspended after the division left for France. There are two post-war issues; "France, Christmas 1918" and the "Home Again" issue which was published after the division returned to New York..
Everything that one would expect in a professionally done periodical could be found in its pages: news from home, the battle front and local as well as reports from camp and the units of the division; sports; humor, satire, art and cartoons. Several features appeared in all but the first few issues. Favorites were "DERE MABLE" by Lieutenant Edward Streeter and the "IDEAS OF ETHELBURT JELLYBACK, PRIVATE" written by Private Charles Devine, Ambulance Co. 108. Cartoons by Corp. Bill Breck and Private Dick Kennedy, 102nd Supply Train, were very popular and appeared several times in each issue. Streeter, Devine, Breck and Kennedy all provide a humorous, yet highly informative, look at the trials and tribulations of the World War One Doughboy. The artwork of Raeburn Van Buren, newspaperman and magazine illustrator and member of the 107th, is featured on the covers of several issues (No. 9, 11, 12, 19, 21 and 22). It would appear that the 27th Division had a vast pool of literary and artistic talent and put it to good use on the pages of the GAS ATTACK
MAY 8, 2010 Complete issues of THE GAS ATTACK have been digitized by the NYS Military History Museum (see "LINKS" page of this website). To view an issue click on the cover. Be patient. Covers take a few seconds to load but the text pages load very quickly.Special thanks to JIM GANDY, assistant librarian / archivist at the New York State Military Museum for undertaking this extraordinary project.
November 23, 1917
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November 27, 1917
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December 8, 1917 DON'T...BE GASSED
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December 15, 1917 ...NIGHT IN THE CAMP TRENCHES MANUAL OF THE WRIST WATCH
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December 22, 1917
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December 29, 1918
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January 5, 1918
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January 12, 1918
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January 19 , 1918
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January 26 , 1918 DERE MABLE
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February 2, 1918
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February 9 , 1918 WORLD BREVITIES
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February 16, 1918
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February 23, 1918
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March 2, 1918
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March 9, 1918
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March 16, 1918
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March 23, 1918
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March 30, 1918
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April 6, 1918 CAMP SPORTS
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April 13 , 1918
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April 20 , 1918 CARTOON
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April 27, 1918 ADVERTISMENTS
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May 4 , 1918
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Christmas 1918 WHAT THE MEN MUST WEAR
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Home Again, 1919
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