Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - December 18, 1917
Transcript
I. [December] 18, 1917 Dearest Mother, Today I received your letter no.(1) and also the check. Thanks just loads for it but don’t do it again---get something nice for Janet instead. You need that money at home a lot more than I do. I got a letter from Fax today. As usual he sent it to an address that he made up out of a combination of several of my old addresses. Isn’t that just like him. I will be glad when I see him over here but at the same time I hope it won’t be soon. There isn’t the same future in the infantry as there used be before this modern warfare. In the old days the chances were in your favor but not now. It would
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be a good hunch for Fax to transfer to the artillery if that can be arranged, Your idea of numbering your letters is a great hunch---I am going to do the same thing. I am sure that I am getting less than half of my mail. Up until October my mail came regularly since then I have received very little. We have again lost our division owing to a repetition of the circumstances that led to our losing the chaussers. We are now unattached and are staying in the same village we were sent to after losing our first division. That probably means we won’t see any action for a long while. Ge. Roux had just a few days before welcomed us to his division shaken hands with us and promised to personally give us the
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[ms illegible: 3 words] Now of course we are no [longer] with the division and no telling [how] long before we officially have it presented. It’s too bad that the fourragere didn’t come in time for Parker Torns to wear it. I am glad he landed safely. I am very comfortable here---I have a room for which I pay all of 7 ½ sous per day. I have hot water (to shave with) brought up to every room every morning. That is real luxury. Yesterday we had a long convoy through a hilly woody country. As there was a heavy snowfall the night before you can imagine the scenery. Thank Aunt Winnie and Jane
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Matthews for what they have sent me. I haven’t received them yet but perhaps I will. When I go on permission next month I will have my picture taken and send you some (if I can) or get May Birkhead to send them if I cant. I am glad Val is in uniform. Has he had any of his training yet. Tell him what [ms illegible: 1 wd] Johnson told me---that if you have confidence you can learn to fly in two weeks. He also said not be impressed with what his instructor says about its difficulty as most instructors greatly exaggerate that to the detriments of the pupils. Lots of Love, Towner From S.T.Phelan U.S.A.A.S. 146 S.U.5 Par B.C.M. Paris
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - December 18, 1917 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to mother. 18 December 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. In this letter, Phelan wrote that his unit lost its division and was unattached. He also mentioned being awarded the fourragere. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France; World War, 1914-1918--Medals |
| 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 | December 18, 1917 |
| Language | English |