Figure 1.--There was a home and school for some 500 refugee children at Toul in northeastern France. They were orphaned children. The Toul children wre fortunate in that not only dud they get food and supplies from the American Red Cross, but the American servicemen arriving in 1917 took a special interest in their welfare. This is a classroom scne for the yonger vhildren who ssem to be mostly boy.

Toul is a small town in northeastern France, siouth of Lorine. Loraine itself had een occupied by the Gernans in the Franco-Prussian ar (1870-71). . The town is situated at a strategic point, the intersection of the Moselle Rver which divides into the river proper and the French canal system. Toul was one of the refugee centers located closest to the front. We have not found much informtion on the facilities. Most of he material we have found suggest that it was primarily a children's home with a school for the children. There were about 500 children cared for at Toul. We note a wonderful well-lighted classroom for the children. Toul was also the primary base of the American Air Service which arrive (1917). It was the base for many of the 45 American squadrons deployed in France. The Americans referred to the area around Toul as the Toul Sector and two of the most important Amerucan offensives were launched here: the St. Mihiel Offensive and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 1918). The Meuse-Argon was the largest American offensive of the War. After the American Expeditionary Force commenced combat operations, the refugee center was conveted to a hospital for wounded Americans.

Created: 1:22 AM 11/8/2022
Last updated: 1:22 AM 11/8/2022