American Soldier's Manuscript Notes on French Hand Grenades

Small stapled volume (cover title: "La Madelon. 25 Cartes-Lettres Pliees") of removable bla411571nk letter-writing paper on adhesive perforated stubs which has been used by an American soldier as a notebook devoted to the operation and construction of French-issued hand grenades in World War I. Well-worn, a few leaves loose or detached, the perforations slightly detached in places, chips on the wrappers, stapled oxidized, fair only, but fascinating, cohesive, and pleasing. Inside front cover has the owner's name of Lynn M. Irvine, as well as the names of three other American soldiers and a note that "Vathimenil is the place where we went to school." The notebook bears a couple of different dates in August, 1918. Vathimenil is in Northeastern France, and must have been very close to the front lines. The volume contains several pages of pencil notes about hand grenades, and of the most interest are six or seven relatively crude technical drawings of the grenades. The rear cover bears a self-portrait of the author studying a little book with pictures of hand grenades. The notebook also bears a few personal notes by Irvine about the towns where he was billeted and money that he received in April, 1918. Irvine (1889-1952) was a lawyer from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Military records show that he was gassed and wounded ("Slightly") during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in September of 1918.…