Powhatan H. Clarke letter to Mother - July 2, 1918
Transcript
No 25. July 2 My dear Mother: Here we are once again with nothing much to write about. It certainly is funny being out of the air service I cant quite get used to it. Of course I am carried as Air Service on detached duty but I am so thoroughly detached that it amounts to being in a different service and it
Transcript
As I told you I
Transcript
to be 14 but the service is just being organized so things are not all as planned. They have me stuck off in a little village a thousand miles from nowhere. When I was ordered to Paris I thought I was going to stay there, but no such luck. Out I go to the edge of civilization. I dont believe the population of the village is 100. I am staying in the best house in town with an old woman who cant do enough for me and as far as quarters are concerned I am well fixed. I have a big sunny room with a big soft bed (which gets a lot of use). The interpreter stays a cross the hall. Regular routine as follows. Breakfast about 7:00. Half-an hour work in the office or better half an hour watching the clerk and first sergeant work and singing my name a couple of times. Then loaf read (if there
Transcript
[page 2] to every well regulated French house) & there we discuss cabbages & kings. The interpeter is an interesting old man. He is a Belgian by the name of Van Aaken and has been pretty much all over the world. Managed plantations in South America & India, & been in the ivory trade in Africa. He is well educated and if it wasnt for him I think I
Transcript
On the way back I stopped at the office and when I got back to the house Madame had the glasses ready. Can you beat that. The house isn
Transcript
The three French corporals attached to the company consider it their privelege to address me as
Transcript
[page 3] When all four had finished the chant would change a little & they would do a dance a little different. They kept this up till twelve and believe me the villagers were sore. They wanted me to stop them last night but common sense told muh
Transcript
a day on which we get our previsions etc. Outside of that if you want to get anywhere you walk & the nearest approach to a good sized village is six miles away. The service is not organized yet
Transcript
A major commands the work so you see its pretty small as yet. As it grows there will naturally be promotions & I
Details
| Title | Powhatan H. Clarke letter to Mother - July 2, 1918 |
| Creator | Clarke, Powhatan H. |
| Source | Clarke, Powhatan H. Letter to Mother. 02 July 1918. Clarke, Powhatan Papers. A0293. Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Powhatan H. Clarke wrote to his mother about his new job with the Labor Bureau and the new town where he was located. Clarke served with the 21st Aero Squadron and Labor Bureau A.E.F. during Word War I. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; Labor bureaus--United States; Soldiers--Recreation |
| Subject Local | World War I; WWI |
| Site Accession Number | A0293 |
| Contributing Institution | Missouri History Museum |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond those allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Missouri History Museum: 314-746-4510 |
| 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. Contact the Missouri History Museum's Permissions Office at 314-746-4511 to obtain written consent. |
| Date Original | July 2, 1918 |
| Language | English |