Edward G. Fenwick Letter, 04 December 1917.
(Image)
60EGF19171204
December 4 1917
Letter from Edward Fenwick to his father, Edward T. Fenwick.
Transcription:
December 4, 1917
France
Dear dad, You can’t imagine what a comfort this old pen has been to me. It is writing just as good as ever. The one big trouble I find with it is that it is so good every one wants to borrow it.
I read the article from “The Home Journal, and say it was great. Also gave it to some of my friends to read and they all agreed with me that it was a regular masterpiece. The little story in Young Peoples was also fine. The author must surely have been to France during the war or he couldn’t have depicted the things he did in such a graphic way.
Just got back from the
[page 2]
front line Poste de Secours yesterday morning. Had a good nights rest last night and now I am on duty at headquarters. I go out again day after tomorrow. The Germans have started using gas shells again. Our boys have brought in seven already. I only hope they will be all.
The other night I had to go to a post in the woods that was only two hundred yards from the Bosh trenches. I had to turn around and in doing so was forced to race my engine. Of course to me the engine sounded like a battery of seventy fives. On top of that a rocket went up from the bosh trenches and I thought my last day had come. All of the country is heavily wooded around here
[page 3]
thank goodness. The rocket turned out to be a star rocket. They go up like an ordinary rocket but when they burst they emit a brilliant white light which continues to burn appearantly [sic] suspended in mid air for a couple of minutes unless shot down by an opposing rifleman.
The Boshes are a rather suspicious lot so they send them up when ever they hear any unusual noise. I was sitting in the office writing this letter when a call came in for an ambulance and as I was on duty I went. This trip was about a twenty five mile one and I had hardly returned, gotten my supper and comfortably seated myself before the fire we have in our room when another call came in.
[page 4]
It seemed that a train had hit one of our ambulances knocking off the back end but not hurting the driver. Fortunately the car was empty. This man was stationed at an advanced post so up I had to go. The Boshes shelled the poste and vacinity [sic] for four hours last night and when they stopped the French started. I didn’t sleep much as the firing was almost continuous. You can bet I am going to sleep tonight. There is no chance of my being called on unless one or the other start a drive.
Sorry I couldn’t get this off yesterday but I had to go very quickly. Give my best to all the family. Here’s hoping you have a most successful year. Lovingly your son,
Edward.
Transcription:
December 4, 1917
France
Dear dad, You can’t imagine what a comfort this old pen has been to me. It is writing just as good as ever. The one big trouble I find with it is that it is so good every one wants to borrow it.
I read the article from “The Home Journal, and say it was great. Also gave it to some of my friends to read and they all agreed with me that it was a regular masterpiece. The little story in Young Peoples was also fine. The author must surely have been to France during the war or he couldn’t have depicted the things he did in such a graphic way.
Just got back from the
[page 2]
front line Poste de Secours yesterday morning. Had a good nights rest last night and now I am on duty at headquarters. I go out again day after tomorrow. The Germans have started using gas shells again. Our boys have brought in seven already. I only hope they will be all.
The other night I had to go to a post in the woods that was only two hundred yards from the Bosh trenches. I had to turn around and in doing so was forced to race my engine. Of course to me the engine sounded like a battery of seventy fives. On top of that a rocket went up from the bosh trenches and I thought my last day had come. All of the country is heavily wooded around here
[page 3]
thank goodness. The rocket turned out to be a star rocket. They go up like an ordinary rocket but when they burst they emit a brilliant white light which continues to burn appearantly [sic] suspended in mid air for a couple of minutes unless shot down by an opposing rifleman.
The Boshes are a rather suspicious lot so they send them up when ever they hear any unusual noise. I was sitting in the office writing this letter when a call came in for an ambulance and as I was on duty I went. This trip was about a twenty five mile one and I had hardly returned, gotten my supper and comfortably seated myself before the fire we have in our room when another call came in.
[page 4]
It seemed that a train had hit one of our ambulances knocking off the back end but not hurting the driver. Fortunately the car was empty. This man was stationed at an advanced post so up I had to go. The Boshes shelled the poste and vacinity [sic] for four hours last night and when they stopped the French started. I didn’t sleep much as the firing was almost continuous. You can bet I am going to sleep tonight. There is no chance of my being called on unless one or the other start a drive.
Sorry I couldn’t get this off yesterday but I had to go very quickly. Give my best to all the family. Here’s hoping you have a most successful year. Lovingly your son,
Edward.
[4] p.