Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - July 31, 1917
Transcript
[American Ambulance Hospital of Paris] July 31, 1917 Dearest Mother, I got your letter of July 11th today. Gee you don't know how I look forward to them. It seems as if I never get any mail. I have lots to tell you about many things. The U. S. Army has turned us over to the American Red Cross. They have one ambulance field service known as Norton Harges. That is the one Marion Lambert and Sid Ripley joined when they left the Field Service. They are at the front now. It's a damn fine organization (the Red Cross) and not at all the same as the Red Cross was when we were neutral. Mr. Perkins of the Red Cross made us a speech in which he said they would try to place each man where he was most useful and best satisfied. I don't know just how things will work out but I feel we are under square men and I
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[American Ambulance Hospital of Paris] hope they send us to the front. Men who talk of wanting to go to the front aren't popular with any of the big men. Their attitude is personal desires should count for nothing you will be placed where you can render most service and are most needed. Two of our men have received citations in the Order of the Day of the Army. They are Gordon Sutherland and Harry Cross. They jumped in the Seine and pulled out a boy. He was already drowned as they got him just too late. They worked for an hour trying to bring him to but it was no use. Gordon Sutherland is a St. Louisan and is my corporal. The other night I went out with one of the fellows to take dinner with some American friends of his. There was a little
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[American Ambulance Hospital of Paris] French girl there who was quite a beauty. We had a wonderful meal and quite a good time. I didn't get home until 2:30 A. M. so I was rather tired in the morning. That was night before last. The two nights before that we had Immerman air raids that kept us up until 3:00 A. M. So you see I need a little sleep after three nights on just a little. Those two air raids were very dull, not a bit spectacular. I was very disappointed. When the signal of an air raid comes (the sirens blowing all over Paris) we get dressed go to our cars and take them out of the yard. This is for two reasons. If a bomb fell in the yard it would wreck every car while out on the street we can spread out. Then we must be prepared to evacuate this hospital if necessary.
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[American Ambulance Hospital of Paris] We stay out until the recall signal comes. Then we park our cars and go to bed. On both occasions we heard a little firing saw searchlights sweep the skies and a bunch of aircraft carrying lights. That only lasted about fifteen minutes but the recall wouldn't come for two hours. There was really very little to see. You want to know every detail of what I do so here goes. Yesterday I spent 100 francs for a raincoat. It's a mighty good one. It's lunch time now. Lots of love Towner P.S. You might send Gene that copy of my letter to Dr. Lowe.
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[Newspaper clipping] Missouri Ready To Do Its Bit, Delcares Mr. Marion Lambert St. Louis Manufacturer, Here in Ambulance Service, Tells How German Played "Marseillaise."
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[Souvenir Ticket in French] LA VEILLEE DES TOMBES
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - July 31, 1917 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to mother. 31 July 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 the U. S. Army had turned his unit over to the American Red Cross which had one ambulance field service known as Norton Harges. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France; American Red Cross. Field Service; Ambulance driving |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; American Ambulance Hospital of Paris |
| 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 31, 1917 |
| Language | English |