Original Item: Only One Available. The 108th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the New York Army National Guard. It was first formed in 1898 and has been in continuous existence since 1907. As National Guardsmen, Soldiers of the 108th Infantry can be called upon to serve the state and federal governments. The 108th has served in the Spanish–American War, the Mexican Border War, World War I, World War II, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

This lovely 36 ½” x 26” map is French in origin and we believe to be apart of a larger “Campbell” map collection. This would have been in a set and denoted each location by the No. at the top left corners after making comparisons with other examples we have seen. The only difference being that this map is in fact labeled as having been owned by Private Leonty Petrow Borotka, a Russian native who moved to the United States in the years leading up to the outbreak of the war. Borotka enlisted on June 23, 1916 with Company H, 47th Infantry, New York National Guard. He later served with the Machine Gun Company, 108th Infantry Regiment for the duration of the war. He served overseas from May 10, 1918 to December 30, 1918. His time was cut short overseas for either an injury or sickness, but the cause is unknown. He is seen being sent back to the United States with the Sick and Wounded Base Section Number 3, Hospital Number 33, Detachment Number 4. We have not been able to locate much information on his service, making for a wonderful research opportunity. Included with the map is a photocopy image of Private Borotka.

The overall condition of the map is quite nice, but does appear to have been used and looked over quite often. There is some crease and fold separation as well as tearing on the sides. All details are still present and easily discernible.

Comes ready for research and display.

On October 1, 1917, as New York National Guardsmen trained at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, the 108th Infantry Regiment was formed pursuant to a general order. By the same order, 1,350 men were transferred in from the 74th New York Infantry (Buffalo) and 293 men from the 12th New York Infantry (New York City). In November 1917 the regiment was organized into the 54th Infantry Brigade as part of the 27th Division. By 31 May 1918 the whole regiment had arrived in France. The 27th Division (minus division artillery) was attached to British forces for training and issued British rifles and machine guns. The Division ended up fighting alongside the British and Australians for its entire combat service. The Regimental Scout Officer of the 108th noted that "we were supposed to leave behind the customs and traditions of the U.S. Army, in which we had been so carefully brought up, in order that we might study and adapt ourselves to those of our Allies, the British, with whom our lot had been cast for the duration of the war." This included living on the British Tommy's relatively scanty rations.

The 27th Division initially served in the trenches around Ypres alongside the British from July to September 1918. In September, the New Yorkers joined the British Fourth Army in the infamous Somme region, facing the Germans' formidable Hindenburg Line. Ordered to advance on 27 September, the 27th Division was unable to hold its gains. Several members of the 108th Infantry Regiment were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions in the area of Ronssoy on 28–29 September: Private Daniel Moskowitz, Co. F, Private Morris Silverberg, Co. G, Private (First Class) Edward P. Pierce, Co. D, Corporal James Paul Clark, Co. F, and Sgt. Martin M. Smith, Co. G. The 54th Brigade attacked as part of the Hundred Days Offensive on 29 September. German artillery, poison gas, and machine guns took a heavy toll as the Americans struggled through barbed wire and shell holes to reach the Hindenburg Line. The 108th penetrated the German defenses at Quennemont Farm, although they were stalled by severe casualties and an enemy counterattack, and Australian units were sent in to complete the assault. Many leaderless Americans joined in the Australian attack without orders. This engagement is officially called the Battle of St. Quentin Canal. Private First Class Frank Gaffney of Company G later received a Medal of Honor for his heroism. The 108th joined in the pursuit of the retreating Germans, engaging them at Jonc de Mer Ridge, the Selle River, and Catillon. The 500 survivors still on duty were pulled out of the line to rest on 21 October, three weeks before the Armistice ended the fighting.

The 108th Infantry suffered 1,763 casualties—including 331 dead—in three months of combat out of 3,056 men in the ranks. Most of these casualties occurred in the Hindenburg Line attack. Reasons for the heavy losses included a lack of experienced leadership and the eagerness of the Doughboys, who often made frontal assaults on enemy machine gun nests. Additionally, Allied artillery did not "soften up" the Germans with a preparatory bombardment before the attack, for fear of hitting Americans lying wounded from an earlier assault. Nevertheless, as 27th Division commander Major General John F. O'Ryan remarked: "That the 108th Infantry ... should have broken through the maze of wire that existed and in the face of machine guns firing from every trench and nest, lodged one battalion in the main position, now seems an extraordinary feat."

In March 1919 the 27th Division returned to New York and was mustered out of federal service. The 108th once again became the 3rd New York Infantry, although it was designated the 108th Infantry for a second time in October 1921. In 1925 the 108th adopted a distinctive unit insignia featuring a fasces held by two lions.