WW1 1918 letter from U.S. soldier in France describing air raid

$80.00 CAD

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Three-page letter written to Hartford Wisconsin.

France, Friday October 11, 1918

Dear Folks,
 
Everything is quiet and lovely outside of the distant booking of the big guns so will drop you a few lines until someone hollers “Lights Out” for then you know a raid is on. Had one last night & it was a corker to be sure, for he came close. When he dropped his first one, last night, simply made one dive, very similar to the kind I could make when playing football in days of yore and landed stomach first under a Quad truck well when I did finally come out from under there. I was sure a fine looking mess for I laid in the mud and of course my luck is always to pick out the muddiest of muddy places. Had a good laugh when it was all over for one of our new men asked me who dropped the bombs? I said: “Nobody dropped any bombs”. “Well who the H--- made all the racket then?” he said. He was the same boy that for the past week was wishing for a Boche plane to come over as he had never been in a raid. Had his bellie full now you can be sure!!! Said he didn’t know what was the matter nor was he scared but somehow his knees knocked together. Yes folks, they do that the first few times until one gets used to it.
 
(TOP OF PAGE: Please don’t let any of my letters get with that kissed paper)
 
Had a couple of letters from Floss today telling me you were back home again and that you Mary was driving Doc out on his calls. Keep up the good work for I’ll be home to relieve you. Won’t need lights at night anymore Doc, for I have done driving so long without them over here that I don’t think I will ever get back to the old way again Ha! Ha! How are you feeling now? I hope ever so much better. Tell ‘Buckers’ I think the Kaiser has left Germany already!!
Love to all Jimmie

 

American YMCA envelope with censor stamps and postmarked ‘US MILITARY POSTAL EXPRESS No 702 18OCT1918

Envelope bit beat up. UL corner missing. Letter folded horizontally in three.