During WWI, the Piney Grove Training Camp provided recruits with basic instruction. As many as 5,000 young men at a time lived in tents, and later wooden barracks, as they prepared for life at sea.
Here a sentry stands guard at the Cosgrove Avenue entrance to the training facility. Today, this is the area near the intersection of Cosgrove and McMillan Avenues.
In the photo above, a idles as a seaman speaks to the driver. The seaman standing guard is holding his rifle, a Springfield carbine and is wearing his enlisted dress blues (note the white spats). While wearing spats, the seaman tucks in his bellbottoms. There’s a strap to go under the instep of the shoe, which laces up the side. The bell to the right is rung to signify the arrival of senior officers with the number of strikes denoting his rank.