Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - May 16, 1918
Transcript
May 16, 1918 [censor’s stamp] Dearest Mother, Just one year exactly since left St. Louis. I thought the war would be over by now. Jack Carter's section left yesterday morning. They are going to a nasty sector where there is much fighting going on. They had a perfect day for the trip. How I envy them.
Transcript
I saw Jack the other day and he gave me some [sanguinary] tales of this sector. I knew it was quiet but Jack says that the French and Bosche make no attempt to keep hidden or to get each other. He says there was one Bosche who used to ride around on a wheel within full view of the French and was never fired on. That doesn't sound like war but it's really common sense as each side can make things rotten for the other side and in a quiet sector
Transcript
no military object is served by stirring up things so they have sense enough to leave each other alone. Personally I want to see those things before I believe them as I haven't seen a quiet sector yet. This section got a letter from General B________ commanding our old division. It expressed regret that we weren't with them and promised to have us attached if his division ever comes back to this sector. I surely hope this sector gets real hot for as long as it's quiet our division won't come back. There is a chasseur of the crack battalion of our division here. He is a fine fellow and reminds me of a banty rooster. We had a few Bosche fly over last night and drop stuff in the neighborhood. They made quite a racket enough to get me up to see the show. As usual there was nothing to see. Lots of love, Towner
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to mother - May 16, 1918 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to mother. 16 May 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. He wrote numerous letters home while overseas. In this letter, Phelan described what it was like in a quiet sector based on a friend's observations. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France |
| 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 | May 17, 1918 |
| Language | English |