Sidney Towner Phelan letter to Gene - August 27, 1917
Transcript
August 27 [1917] Dear Gene, I have been at the front two weeks. I have worked constantly never getting more than twelve hours rest out of every forty eight. I worked one stretch of 60 out of 68 hours and another of 56 hours without sleep. I eat about two meals per day and rotten food. I freeze in spite of a raincoat and an overcoat. I either smother in dust or bury myself in mud. The living conditions are pretty bad but I seem to thrive on this and am feeling fine.
Transcript
I get all the excitement and thrills I could imagine. I have been through shell fire and gas and experienced heaven and hell in my sensations.I have seen all kinds of sights wonderful and horrible. A whole hillside blasted with the most terrific shellfire I could imagine. A road blocked with dead horses and men. Some wounded and dead blown and shattered to pieces. I am very glad I am here but if I stayed for the duration of the war it would drive me mad. Six months will be enough for me.
Transcript
I have seen lots of prisoners come in. They seem to be glad to be captured and many of them come voluntarily. A big bunch came one day and the next day more came over and brought mail of the first bunch. The prisoners are very well treated. You should see the way they take to their food. The worst they get is to fall prey to American souvenir hunters. Rex has talked to lots of them (he speaks a little German) and his opinions are changed. He says they are a good bunch and hate the Kaiser as much as we do. We will be on repos in a day or so (for about a week). We need it too as the men are exhausted and most of our cars are near wrecks as the result of bad roads, constant use, accidents, and shell fire. Most of the cars have been hit and are quite full of holes, mine among them. Give my love to Cousin Miriam. Towner
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to Gene - August 27, 1917 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to Gene. 27 August 1917. Sidney Towner Phelan Papers, 1899-1960. A1209. Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Sidney Towner Phelan, a St. Louis, Missouri native, wrote this letter to Gene while serving as a volunteer ambulance driver in France during World War I. In this letter, Phelan wrote that he had been at the front for two weeks and described his working conditions and work schedule. Phelan also detailed the many harrowing experiences he had on the front lines. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France; American Red Cross. Field Service; Gas; World War, 1914-1918--Medical care; Prisoners of War; World War, 1914-1918--Chemical Warfare; Ambulance driving |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | A1209 |
| 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 | August 27, 1917 |
| Language | English |