Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 6:34am

April 10, 1918: The Angel of the Trenches Earns His Nickname

 

Joao Baptista DeValles was born in 1879 in Saint Miquel in the Azores.  At the age of 2 his family moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts.  His first name anglicized to John, he quickly proved himself a brilliant student, eventually being fluent in six languages.  Ordained a priest in 1906 he served at Falls River at Espirito Santo Church, founding the first Portuguese language parochial school in the United States while he was there.  He later served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New Bedford and was pastor at Saint John the Baptist Church, also in New Bedford.

After the entry of the US into World War I, he joined the Army as a chaplain, serving with the 104th regiment, a Massachusetts National Guard outfit, part of the Yankee (26th) Division, made up of National Guard units from New England.  The Yankee Division arrived in France in September 1917, the second American division to arrive “Over There”.

The 104th was a hard fighting outfit, serving in all of the major campaigns of the American Expeditionary Force.  For heroic fighting at Bois Brule in April, 1918 the French government awarded the regiment a collective Croix de Guerre, an unprecedented honor for an American military unit.  There were quite a few very brave men in the 104th, and among the bravest of the brave was Chaplain DeValles.  For his heroism in rescuing wounded, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest decoration for valor in the United States Army.  Here is the text of the citation:

104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, A.E.F.
Date of Action: April 10 – 13, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John B. De Valles, Chaplain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near
Apremont, Toul sector, France, April 10 to 13, 1918. Chaplain De Valles repeatedly exposed himself to heavy artillery and machine-gun fire in order to assist in the removal of the wounded from exposed points in advance of the lines. He worked for long periods of time with stretcher bearers in carrying wounded men to safety. Chaplain De Valles previously rendered gallant service in the Chemin des Dames sector, March 11, 1918, by remaining with a group of wounded during a heavy enemy bombardment.
General Orders No. No. 35, W.D., 1920

One of the many horrors of the trench warfare of World War I, was the plight of wounded soldiers trapped in No Man’s Land.  Night after night Father DeValles would go out to rescue Allied and German wounded, risking his life to save theirs.  After one such mission he was found the next day wounded and unconcious next to a dead soldier he had been trying to aid.  The newspapers began to refer to him as the Angel of the Trenches.

He was known to the men of the 104th as Father John.  For his courage and good humor he was popular with his fellow soldiers.  He would routinely make “loans” to his fellow soldiers who needed assistance, after making certain that the money would not be used for immoral purposes.  He recorded the “loans” meticulously, but when Pay Day rolled around, he would invariably tell his orderly to rip out the page of his journal containing the “loan” record.  The French government recognized his heroism with the Croix de Guerre and membership in the Legion of Honor.

Father DeValles’ life was brief after his service in World War I.  His health had been wrecked by his wounds during the War, and especially by the mustard gas he had breathed in.  He died on May 12, 1920 at age 41, a few hours before his distinguished Service Cross arrived.  All of New Bedford mourned his passing.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Tuesday, April 10, AD 2018 10:54pm

A far greater Distinguished Service Cross was probably being given to him by his Commander and Savior when the earthbound Cross was nearing it’s destination. Again.. another fine example of some of Christ’s chosen souls who would lay their own lives down for a stranger, an enemy, a brother.

Thanks Don. Promise kept for Fredrick. (Rosary prayed)
Asking Jesus now to bless you and your family.. extended family as well..TAC.
God is so very kind and generous to all.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Wednesday, April 11, AD 2018 6:08am

“Greet them ever with grateful hearts.” Chapter heading in Laurence Stallings’, The Doughboys.

Past four years, I’ve daily (?) read Kipling’s Irish Guards in the Great War, 1st Battalion (his son served with the 2nd Batt.). Early on in the war, the “brass,” recognizing the importance of the chaplains to men’s morale, ordered them to stay back during battle. The chaplain’ response, according to Kipling was something like, “What is a wound when a soul is to be saved?”

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top