Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - July 20, 1918
Transcript
July 20, 1918 [censor’s stamp] Dearest Mother, Got back to the section two days ago and found them acting as a reserve section in a big attack. We are getting some action but not of a steady variety. Of course you know more of what is going on than I do but I know enough to feel that it is the beginning of the end and I think there is an outside chance of the end coming this year.
Transcript
The American troops are showing a really wonderful fighting spirit their sole idea is to get as many Bosche as possible and they don't know the meaning of the word quit. I think that after a little experience our whole army will be shock troops. That and the fact that the initiative lies with the Allies once more is the basis for my belief that this is the beginning of the end the end of course is complete victory.
Transcript
The night of my return to the section I had for me the novel experience of having a Bosche avion fly low and turn loose his machine gun in our direction. We dodged for cover and he flew off looking for bigger game. We have a temporary post now in a town I was quite familiar with when it was whole and populous. Now, well, it is the most knocked to bits place I have ever seen. On my permission I ordered four more of my photos sent to you. I also sent one to Gene and one to Ellen Lee Hoffman. I have heard from Fax he did not mention his appendix so I suppose he is all O.K. He says he wants to get with me and I think that quite probably he will be able to. I also have news of Rex. He is a civilian engineer in the aviation service. He has good prospects of getting a commission a heart murmur or something standing in the way. Lots of love, Towner
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - July 20, 1918 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to mother. 20 July 1918. 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 was acting as a reserve unit in a big attack. He also described being shot at by a German plane and explained that the town they were in had been knocked to bits. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France; Marne, 2nd Battle of the, France, 1918; World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations |
| 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 | July 20, 1918 |
| Language | English |