Norwich Boys Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice for Their Country
Utica Saturday Globe, April 1921
Private Arthur F. Sterritt (left) and Private Paul F. Sage (right)
Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]: The bodies of two more Norwich lads were laid to rest this week in their native land after the long journey from France.
Private Paul F. Sage and Private Arthur F. Sterritt were boyhood chums and both were members of Company M, One Hundred and Seventh Infantry and both were killed in action in the same battle September 29, 1918. Their bodies were laid to rest in France, but upon the request of relatives, were later to be sent home. They arrived in Hoboken this week and funeral services were held Thursdya in New York. Their final resting place will be in Arlington Cemetery.
The boys are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. George E. Sage, of South Broad Street, who were in New York City for the arrival and funeral services of their sons, Elmer Sterritt, a brother of Arthur, who resides in new York, was also present at the service.
Private Paul Sage Offers the Supreme Sacrifice;
First Norwich Man to Lose life in Battle
Norwich Sun, November 12, 1918
Private Paul Sage, son of Mr. and Mrs. George E. Sage of 85 Rexford street, is believed to have been killed in action when the allied forces began their big drive of September 29th. The news was conveyed to his parents in a letter received this afternoon from an Australian soldier who fought side by side with Paul in the trenches. The Australian, British and American forces were evidently fighting together when the great drive began, as the letter from the Australian states that Paul, who was known to have been with the British, was shot and fell within a few feet of him. The letter says that he, the Australian, picked up the body, and removed it from the immediate battle field. Later he removed a diary, some pictures and other things from Paul's pockets and sent them to his parents in Norwich. Together with the letter they were received today. The information concerning his death is probably reliable as Mr. and Mrs. Sage identified the pictures found in his pockets as some which they had sent their son in France. There appears to be little doubt, but that the information is correct, as it is presumed that the Australian soldier was personally acquainted with the Norwich boy. The diary, the letter stated, was held up by the censor, but will be sent later. Private Sage is the first Norwich boy to lose his life in action with the Expeditionary Forces, and is the fifth from this city to make the supreme sacrifice. He enlisted in the Mohawk regiment early in the war and was later transferred to Co m of the 107th infantry when the militia was federalized and soon afterwards sent across. Letters received form him say that he was company runner, that is, bearer of messages between commanding posts. This detail is one of the most perilous engaged in by fighting men, the company runner being the mark for many German snipers and machine gun nests. Mr. Sage is endeavoring this afternoon to get in touch with the war department and ascertain the truth. The name of his son has not appeared in any of the American casualty lists, the delay probably being due to the fact that he was billeted with the British on the western front.
Arthur Sterritt Killed in Action
Norwich Sun, November 14, 1918
A double grief has come to the home of Mr. and Mrs. George E. Sage of 85 Rexford Street. On Tuesday Mr. Sage received a letter from an Australian comrade of his son Paul telling of his death on the battlefield of France. This afternoon, Mrs. Sage received an official notification from the war department stating that her son, Arthur Sterritt was killed in action on Sept. 29th. Arthur Sterritt and his step-brother Paul Sage enlisted together in the Mohawk regiment. Both were transferred to Co. M. of the 107th infantry and were doubtless killed in the same drive. They had been overseas since May and had seen much of the hardest fighting that our American boys had to go through with. Arthur was born on Oct. 3, 1891. He had lived in Norwich almost all of his life, and was educated here, where he leaves hundreds of friends to mourn his death on the field of battle. Beside his mother and step-father, he is survived by two brothers, Elmer, with the forces in France and George of this city, and one sister, Mrs. Julia Breed, also of Norwich.
Three Norwich Boys killed on Sept. 29
Norwich Sun, December 7, 1918
George E. Sage on Friday received official announcement from Washington of the death of his son, Paul Sage. The message stated that he was killed in action on September 29. Mr. Sage had a letter from an Australian soldier, received November 1, in which he told of the death of Private Sage, who was billeted with the writer and went into action with him. The fact that the war department made no official announcement of the casualty was probably due to the fact that the soldier was not in an American detachment. The date given in the telegram (September 29) was the same as that which Mrs. Sage's son, Arthur Sterritt, was officially reported as killed in action. Private Floyd Pudney was the third Norwich boy to "go west" on that day, the first of the great allied drive that ended in the victory of our arms.
Splendid Tribute Paid to the Memory of Private Paul F. Sage
Norwich Sun, December 30, 1918
The memorial services for the late Pvt. Paul F. Sage, which were held in the Baptist church in South New Berlin Sunday, were among the most impressive ever held in that church or in that vicinity. A large number of the young man's former friends motored from Norwich to pay their last tribute to the dead. The Norwich Home Defense Corps also motored to the neighboring town and attended the services in a body. Four cars made the trip from Norwich and arrived to find the church already well filled. At the opening of the services the auditorium was packed with one of the largest congregations ever seen there. The church choir and orchestra added materially to the memorial service and the sermon was an inspiring call for those remaining at home to live worthily of the boy who had died so gloriously. The gold star placed on the service flag of the church for Paul Sage is the only one of its color among 24 stars of blue. So far as is known, he is the only member of this church to give up his life in the cause for which he fought. The young man was the son of George E. Sage of the firm of Sage & Harrington of Norwich.
Norwich Pays Honor to its Soldier Dead
Norwich Sun, April 19, 1921
Dead, yet living on forever in the lives of those nearest and dearest to them, and held by their supreme sacrifice immortal among those that have given life for country's cause, two more funerals of this city's heroes who were killed in action in the World War, were held Tuesday, and fitting respect paid the memory of the departed.
The funerals were those of Arthur F Sterritt and Paul F. Sage, sons of Mr. and Mrs. G.E. Sage of this city [Norwich, NY]. Services for the former were held in St. Paul's church at 10:30 o'clock, with burial in St. Paul's cemetery, while services for the latter took place in the First Baptist church at 2:30 o'clock, with interment at South New Berlin.
Citizens and comrades united in the services and each was buried with military honors. Touching and beautiful were the services, the tributes of respect of Norwich residents to those who had fallen in battle. Hundreds turned out to view the funeral processions and to participate in the grand memorial of the glorious dead. the streets were lined with solemn faces. High school students and faculty formed a line either side of East and West Side parks while the funeral procession moved through the streets.
Business was suspended during the hours of the services, all stores being closed between 10 and 11 and 3:15 and 3:45. The services were most impressive. Over each casket there was an American flag, and there were many beautiful wreaths of flowers. Between 60 and 70 American Legion members and former service men were in the line of march, to honor the Soldier dead. Members of the G.A.R. ad Spanish War Veterans, also the Red Cross and many representative citizens were also in the funeral procession.
At the services for Mr. Sterritt in St. Paul's Church, the pastor, the Rev. J.S. Tiernan celebrated a solemn requiem high mass; the Rev. Clement Shanehussy, formerly of this city, of Syracuse was deacon; the Rev. Theodore Provost of Oxford, sub-deacon; and the Rev. Walter A. Sinnott, who is chaplain of the local post of the American Legion, preached the funeral sermon at the close of the mass.
The Rev. H.R. MacMillan preached the funeral sermon over the body of Mr. Sage, paying a glowing tribute to his memory and the supreme sacrifice he had made for his country. The services were largely attended.
Members of the local post of the American Legion had charge of the services. The bearers at both funerals were Charles Riley, Charles Pflanz, J. Edward Sullivan, J. Mason Taft, Francis Conroy and Charles Burgess, the latter who came as an escort to the bodies when they were brought home. The color bearers were Clarence Wickman, Leroy Coe and George Rowe. The firing squad was in charge of Leon Haines and was composed of Nathan Squires, Ernest Bennett, Geo. Johnson, Lester Rider, Glenn H. Sprague, Raymond Williams, Norman Tiffany and F.H. Moore. The musicians were Earl Elliott, William Smith and Robert Hultzen. the caisson riders were Fred Manning and Howard Gueker and the horsemen were Lynn Skinner, Fred Curnalia, Robert Soules and David Grant.
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