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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1914-1918
  • Branch of Service: Navy; Army
  • Unit of Service: American Ambulance Field Service; USS Corsair (SP 159); Naval Aviation Service
  • Location of Service: Connecticut; Atlantic Ocean; Bay of Biscay, France; Lacunae, France; Brest, France; France; Italy
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant; Quartermaster Third Class

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“All men who have fought in this war will agree on one thing--that this is the last war we want to fight for some years to come.” (Memoir, page 1)

During World War I, a conflict of extreme carnage, volunteer ambulance drivers played a key role in transporting the wounded from the battlefield and preventing additional deaths. One such driver was First Lieutenant Longshaw Porritt, a Connecticut native who enlisted in the American Ambulance Field Service in March 1917 before the United States had entered the war. Following a stint on the Western Front, he transferred to the Navy, and then went on to serve with the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front. The 272 photographs in his collection offer a rare glimpse of the Italian side of World War I, while the assorted manuscripts tell another side of his own personal story--that of being unable to qualify for war benefits because his “official” military service lasted for less than 90 days.

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[ Photo Album ]

More Resources

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[ Document in French, "Ordre de mouvement" ]
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[ Identification document for Porritt with thumb prints ]
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[ Porritt's commission from the American Expeditionary headquarters in France [1/25/1918] ]
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[ Red Cross travel document [in Italian], March 1918 ]
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[ Certificate from the Royal Italian Army, awarding Porritt the Italian War Merit Cross [1918] ]
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[ United States Navy war service certificate, showing that Porritt served from September to December 1917 ]

Show more resources (37)

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[ Letter from the Connecticut State Treasurer rejecting Porritt's application for a Connecticut WWI bonus on the basis of Porritt having served less than 90 days during WWI ]
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[ Letter from E.F. di Savoia, Italian Army General Staff, praising his soldiers for their recent repulsion of a German attack [June 18, 1918] ]
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[ Handwritten memoir written in support of Porritt's application for the Connecticut World War I bonus ]
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[ Typed copy of the memoir submitted in support of his application for a Connecticut World War I bonus ]
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[ Typed statement by Porritt, written from the Italian war zone, June 8, 1918, defending himself from charges that he favored fair play "for the Boche after the war". ]
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[ Postcard to Porritt from unknown writer; document is in a foreign language ]
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[ Unidentified document, partially obscured by envelope with writing in German ]
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[ B&W image of a Red Cross ambulance and a bombed out building, captioned "Camoufloogie - ville" ]
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[ Postcard with a drawing of a soldier on one side, and handwriting in Italian on the other, undated ]
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[ Scene from Dante's "Purgatorio" with writing in Italian on one side and four names and addresses on the other side ]
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[ Page from a "Connecticut Roster" with Porritt's name and biographical information highlighted ]
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[ Assortment of drawings and personal papers, including Porritt's Ambulance Service identification papers and clippings of favorite poems ]
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[ Propaganda postcard in Italian, "Proclamation of the King, May 25, 1915. "To you the glory of accomplishing the work of your fathers with such heroism, etc.,…" ]
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[ Legal tender for ten cents cash, issued January 2, 1918 ]
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[ Legal tender for fifty cents, issued January 2, 1918 ]
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[ Legal tender for 1 Lira, issued January 2, 1918 ]
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[ Legal tender for 20 Lire; writing under the Vente Lire reads "cash certificates should be accepted by everyone for their entire nominal value". ]
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[ Banknote for 1 Kroner [?] with warning in German and Hungarian that counterfeiting banknotes is punishable by law ]
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[ Postage stamp in German honoring "our fallen heroes" [gefallenen helden] ]
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[ Postage stamp in German ]
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[ Postage stamp in German ]
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[ Postage stamp in German ]
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[ Postage stamp in German ]
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[ 20 centime Italian postage stamp ]
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[ Pamphlett inviting the Italian people to celebrate Fourth of July with their American compatriots, who have contributed mightily to the Italian war effort ]
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[ Postcard depicting a wounded soldier smearing blood over the word "Caporetto", a reference to the Battle of Caporetto [Oct. - Nov. 1917], during which the Germans broke the Italian lines ]
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[ Blank "Feldpostkarte" [Field Postcard] ]
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[ German propaganda drawing by Fritz Koch-Gotha, "U-Boote heraus!" [U-boats are out!] and a poem by Rudolf Presber ]
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[ Italian propaganda, "Out with the barbarians! Subscribe to a Victory Loan". ]
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[ Italian propaganda poster by Mario Borgoni. ]
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[ Italian war bond poster by M. Vinca [?], "Nostro Padre ha dato la vita / Voi non negherete il denaro / Sottoscrivete!". Our father gave his life, etc. ]
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[ Legal tender for two lire, January 2, 1918 ]
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[ Legal tender for 5 centimes, January 2, 1918 ]
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[ Legal tender for 2 Kronen [crowns] charged against the bank of Austro-Hungary ]
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[ Four pages from an English language Italian military newspaper, "Ciao" [April 1918] ]
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[ Two German language newspaper clippings, "Gross slaughter between the Brenta and Piave [rivers]" ]
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[ American YMCA postcard with depiction of a soldier gripping a knife, shouting "To us!" ]

About this Item

Title

  • Longshaw Kraus Porritt Collection

Names

  • Central Connecticut State University
  • Porritt, Longshaw Kraus
  • McGuckin, Briana

State of Birth

  • CT

Home State

  • CT

Headings

  • -  Porritt, Longshaw Kraus
  • -  World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1914-1918

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: American Ambulance Field Service
    • Location of Service: France; Italy
    • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1917-1919
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: Veteran

  • World War, 1914-1918

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: USS Corsair (SP 159); Naval Aviation Service
    • Location of Service: Connecticut; Atlantic Ocean; Bay of Biscay, France; Lacunae, France; Brest, France
    • Highest Rank: Quartermaster Third Class
    • Dates of Service: 1917-1917
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: Veteran

Materials

  • Photograph: Copy photographic print [272 items] -- Photograph (collected 1917 - 1918)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [4 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Civilian papers (certificates, forms, wills, etc) [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Artifact: Artifact photocopy or scan [17 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Photograph: Digital print [1 item] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 01/06/2012)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [7 items] -- (collected 1918)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [18 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1917 - 1920)
  • Manuscript: Creative works [9 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 10/26/1974)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/86295

Cite as

  • Longshaw Kraus Porritt Collection (AFC/2001/001/86295), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Central Connecticut State University, Longshaw Kraus Porritt, and Briana McGuckin. Longshaw Kraus Porritt Collection. 1917. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86295/.

APA citation style:

Central Connecticut State University, Porritt, L. K. & McGuckin, B. (1917) Longshaw Kraus Porritt Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86295/.

MLA citation style:

Central Connecticut State University, Longshaw Kraus Porritt, and Briana McGuckin. Longshaw Kraus Porritt Collection. 1917. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.86295/>.