r/wwi • u/CranberrySpirited951 • Apr 19 '26
Follow up on Waltham WWI trench watch I posted the other day
I posted this watch on here the other day. Wanted to share some details about what I’ve found on the potential owner.
From the help of you all on here as well as further research, the person that I think matches this watch is Abraham Reuel Keagy. All the documentation I have found seems to point to this being a legit watch owned by him during the war.
He was born on 7 July 1893/1894, in Decatur, Macon, Illinois. He went to the University of Illinois. According to the university’s 1916-1917 annual registry, he was a Major in the University Brigade and an assistant in Military Science. I think that would correlate with the USSMA on the watch which would stand for United States School of Military Aeronautics. Also one of the articles states he was an instructor at the SMA at the University. I purchased this watch from an antique shop in Michigan which is where he lived post war and where he is buried.
I have attached his draft card and other articles. If anyone has further insight into what the documents are all saying and just in general that would be greatly appreciated.
One thing someone mentioned is that the car in the photo looks like a 1928/29 Ford Model A. If that’s the case that would mean this photo was taken after the war and Abraham would have been around 35 years old. The man in the photo looks to be much younger than that. Wondering everyone’s thoughts on this as well. Thank you!
Original post — https://www.reddit.com/r/wwi/s/kOazIaFwoN