Influenza Epidemic of 1918: Impact In Branford

The following content is adapted from Ted Braun's book "The Barkers of Branford: Life in America Through A Local Lens". Details at www.BarkersOfBranford.com

Three hundred and fifty-one Branford men served in the military during World War I. Eleven of those who served died while on active duty. The records show that only three died of wounds in combat.

The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. It caused more deaths worldwide in one year than the war caused in four. It struck one in every four people worldwide and killed over 10 % of those infected. In the US alone, 675,000 people died. In the war effort, more of our soldiers died from disease than from combat: 57,460 to 50,280 respectively.” Llewellyn Barker (1850-1937) of Branford expressed the fears of many on his diary pages..

“The Spannish influenza is raging in the camps and is fatal” 9/27/1918

"The Spannish influenza is killing more than the war" 10/30/1918

Its impact was felt locally and caused the death of three of Branford’s finest. One theory is that the influenza spread from a military training camp in Kansas in February of 1918 and went across the sea with the troops that spring. Another had its start in a huge army training camp in Etaples, France the year before. Regardless of its etiology, John Corcoran was among its victims.

“First Branford Man Dead In The Great War” 5/17/1918 (New Haven Evening Register)

“Sergeant John Joseph Corcoran, whose death occurred in France of lobar pneumonia, April 22, is Branford’s first death in the war, and … after a telegram had been received from Washington by Mrs. Corcoran Thursday morning at 9:30, a vein of sadness passed through the entire town. St. Mary’s church bell tolled the sad news. Joe, as he was known here, had been in the battery since July, 1907… He reinlisted in 1916 and at his death was mess sergeant for battery E. field artillery, 102d regiment. Joe was a popular fellow; everybody knew him. Great sympathy goes out to the young widow and his father, brothers and sister, all of whom live in Branford.”

Llewellyn was employed at Malleable Iron Fittings (M.I.F.) at the time and wrote:

"I worked in the shop until noon afternoon our room shut down in honour of Joe Corcoran the first war victim of Branford" 5/17/1918

A second more deadly wave appeared in the fall of 1918 and quickly spread across the globe. Harold Ives was one of the two additional military lives taken. He lived at 195 Montowese St in Branford and had been working at M.I.F. when called to serve. He succumbed to the flu at Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook, NJ on 10/13/1918. Martin Paull, another Branford Doughboy, died five months later from influenza on 3/18/1919.

The raging pandemic hit the local citizens not only by mourning the loss of their boys in the service of their country. Thirty-four Branford citizens died at home from influenza and pneumonia in the last four months of 1918 alone. It did not cease its destruction until the summer of 1919.

***********SOURCES OF INFORMATION***********

Carol R. Byerly, Fever of War: The Influenza Epidemic in the U.S. Army During World War I, (New York University Press, 2005)

Service Records From Connecticut World War I, 1917-1920, Office of the Adjutant General, V. I. pages 75, 83

“All Connecticut, Military Questionnaires, 1919-1920”

New Haven Evening Register, Branford Section, 5/11/18

“Origins of the 1918 Pandemic: The Case for France” 2/20/2006 http://www.npr.org/templates/s...

“The site of origin of the 1918 influenza pandemic and its public health implications”, John M Barry, http://www.translational-medic...

New Haven Evening Register, Branford Section, 5/17/1918

“1918 Flu Pandemic”, http://www.history.com/topics/...

“Statistics of the 1918 Epidemic of Influenza in Connecticut: With a Consideration of the Factors Which Influenced the Prevalence of This Disease in Various Communities”, C.-E. A. Winslow; J. F. Rogers, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Mar., 1920), pp. 185-216, Oxford University Press, p. 201