Owen "Glen" Tudor letter to his mother - March 30, 1918
Transcript
[Censor signature] March 30, 1918 On Board Transport. Dearest Mother. It seems that I always have some good excuse for my poor handwriting. Last time it was because my hand was stiff with cold. Right now I am perched on the uppermost bunk of this line of bunks and if I only had a nut to nibble on I would make an excellent squirrel. I can just peek out below a large water pipe which makes me do a fancy tumbling stunt to get out of my bunk to the floor. However it is great fun so far & if I don't get sea sick it will be great fun. Just show me a situation no matter how serious, that a
Transcript
[page 2] soldier can't find something funny about & I'll show you a [ms illegible: 1 wd] with whiskers. Our bunch is together here having bunks close together & we are having a great old time. I am the top man there being four bunks one over the other, and I am naturally right up near the ceiling. I have lots of litle crooks & crannies up here to put all my small articles such as tooth brush - paste - comb , brush, etc. The bunks are canvas which make me the object of attack from beneath but when the fellow below [ms illegible: 1 wd] that I just reach over the side I stick my hand in his face. I have the advantage for it is much easier to fight down then up.
Transcript
[page 3] We designate the bunks as 1st floor flat, 2nd floor fat etc. We have a light near & pass papers & magazines up & down which we can read while reclining luxuriously. [ms incomplete] The grounds about the piers are very closely guarded & are enclosed by a high iron fence. So once inside the pier we were free from the curious gaze which
Transcript
[page 4] follows us everywhere. Red cross women served us hot coffee & buns and in a short while we were hiked onto the ship. We were immediately assigned bunk space & got rid of our packs on our bunks & rested. [ms incomplete] There are a great many places that we are not allowed to go into but I have managed to get on as many details as possible which has enabled me to hike around quite a bit. In fact I have been about every
Transcript
place from the [ms illegible: 1 wd] room to the mizzen top mast. We are getting the last eats hear that we have had for some time. We get butter at almost every meal which is sure different from army feed. [ms incomplete]
Transcript
It is a beautiful sight. When we got up Sunday morning we were out of sight of land. The sea has been very calm - several have been sea sick & it is very funny to see them make a hurried dash for the rail. I had better not crow too much for I may be feeding the fishes myself soon, but I am feeling fine so far. The reason I am so busy is because I am helping on the ship "Daily" - the Hatchet of which I am going to enclose a complete file if no accident occurs. I am very busy now with the Hatchet. I am doing a good bit of the compositing. It is certainly lots of fun & it make the time pass quickly. your loving son Glen.
Details
| Title | Owen "Glen" Tudor letter to his mother - March 30, 1918 |
| Creator | Tudor, Owen Glen |
| Source | Tudor, Owen Glen. Letter to his mother. 30 March 1918. Westover, John G., Collection, 1910-1946. C3733. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this March 30, 1918, letter to his mother, Owen "Glen" Tudor described boarding and settling in to the ship that will take he and other soldiers of the 35th Division from Camp Merritt, New Jersey, to Europe. Tudor, a Maplewood, Missouri, native, served in the 128th Field Artillery in the 35th Division during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--War work--Red Cross; Camp Merritt (N.J.); United States. Army. Division, 35th; World War, 1914-1918--Transportation |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | C3733 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | March 30, 1918 |
| Language | English |