Belleau Wood A.E.F. Telegram Canvas

Château-Thierry Sector – 6 June 1918

Monument / Archive Series

This canvas reproduction captures a battlefield-style telegram issued from:

Office of the Signal Officer, G.H.Q., A.E.F., France
June 7, 1918
2nd Division – Château-Thierry Sector

Marked:

BELLEAU WOOD
Bois de Belleau, France
6 June 1918
49.1020° N | 3.2310° E
French Map Sheet 57

“Advanced through wooded strongpoints; fixed bayonets. Close combat.”

Historical Background

On 6 June 1918, U.S. Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments, 2nd Division, advanced into Belleau Wood under devastating German machine-gun fire.

The terrain was dense, splintered woodland.
Strongpoints fortified.
Interlocking fields of fire.

Orders were simple.

Fix bayonets. Advance.

The fighting became brutal close-quarters combat. Marines moved from tree line to tree line, clearing machine-gun nests with rifle, bayonet, and hand grenade.

Signal traffic during this period was concise and operational — location, sector, action taken.

This canvas re-creates the tone and format of American Expeditionary Force field communications, preserving the urgency and restraint of wartime reporting.

No embellishment.
No theatrics.
Just the record.

The Design

• Aged parchment field paper aesthetic

• Period-correct A.E.F. header formatting

• Château-Thierry sector designation

• Authentic battlefield coordinates

• Red Belleau Wood 1918 campaign stamp

• Archival military type treatment

The piece is designed to feel recovered — not reproduced.

Why It Matters

Belleau Wood marked the moment the American Expeditionary Forces shifted from reinforcement to decisive combat force.

It became inseparable from Marine Corps identity.
It marked the beginning of sustained American momentum in World War I.

This canvas preserves that moment in signal form.

A report.
A record.
A declaration.

Ideal For

• Marine Corps offices

• Veterans’ spaces

• Military history collectors

• Study rooms and libraries

• Leadership programs and PME environments

• Anyone who understands what “Fixed Bayonets” means

Product Details

• Museum-grade canvas

• Archival-quality print

• Fade-resistant inks

• Ready to hang

• Part of the Belleau Wood 1918™ Archive Series

Belleau Wood 1918™
Honor the Legacy of the American Expeditionary Forces.

Product features
- Matte stretched canvas on 0.75" slim profile for a contemporary look
- Printed with UL-certified Greenguard Gold latex inks for vivid, non-toxic color
- Durable cotton-poly canvas (333 g/m²) with proprietary coating for lasting detail
- Hand-stretched on responsibly sourced radiata pine frame with soft rubber corner dots for stable hanging
- Slight size tolerance +/- 1/8" due to handcrafted stretching; select domestic US shipping restrictions for largest sizes

Care instructions
- If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.