Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - August 13, 1917
Transcript
August 13, 1917 Dearest Mother, We are now within twenty kilometers (about 15 miles) of the front. We will stay here for a few days, until our division goes into action and then we will move up with them. Last night we slept in our cars again and got up at 5:00 this morning. We started out at 6:00 and got here at about 10:00. We haven't had anything to eat yet barring a cup of coffee. Today's run has been most interesting. We have passed through many villages and we have yet to see one that isn't wrecked. We can count over 20 observation balloons from here and there are lots of aircraft maneuvering about dropping signals etc. We see no one but soldiers and we see lots of them. On the road we see lots of camions driven by Japs. Aside from a few broken down truck carts there is only military traffic along the road. We see generals whizzing by in their big staff cars and all that stuff.
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I can hear the big guns very plainly but you could hear them two nights ago. The last town we stopped in (last night and all yesterday) was full of soldiers and officers, ambulance men, and field service men. We saw lots of U.S. officers. Our mail followed us up here and got here half an hour after we did. That's pretty good don't you think so. I only got one letter a long one from Nenaine. I can't understand why you don't get my letters. I write often enough. Have my pictures come yet. I left them with "Cupps" Scudder to send. Mrs. Birkhead said that in answer to your question as to whether to send stuff to her or some charity organization to send them to her. Is Val coming over? If he does he should come in the Red Cross. It's raining to beat the dickens now but I am in my car
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and very well sheltered. There are a lot of Jap laborers in this town funny little men with jet black teeth. It gives them an unnatural appearance. I will keep writing at every opportunity I get. Don't worry about me and if you get no news remember that means I am all right. Rex got two letters today one from Zola and one from his mother. Rex is looking fine and very much on the job. He rides around in a peach of a little staff car in real luxury. Jack Harris is on the same car with our section mechanic. That man has quite an interesting story. He is a huge giant. Rex looks weak beside him. He is English by birth but speaks nothing but French (and a little broken English) At the outbreak of the war he enlisted in the Foreign Legion and won the Croix de Guerre. Then when England took her over from the foreign legion they took
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Curtiss. He was almost immediately discharged from the British Army because he couldn't speak English. He then joined the American Ambulance and has been there ever since. He is a wizard on motor cars and is the most valuable man we have with us. He is only a private in the ranks but he would probably be a section director if he could speak English. I miss you lots Mother but I am mighty glad I am here. Lots of love, Towner
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - August 13, 1917 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to mother. 13 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 his Mother while serving as a volunteer ambulance driver in France during World War I. He wrote numerous letters to his mother while overseas. In this letter, Phelan wrote that he was 15 miles from the front and, described what he had encountered on his way to the front such as planes, balloons, big guns and Japanese laborers. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France; American Red Cross. Field Service; World War, 1914-1918--War Work --Red Cross. World War, 1914-1918--Japanese laborers; Airships; Ambulance driving |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; Dirigibles |
| 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 13, 1917 |
| Language | English |