Will, Grace, and World War One

Paris May 25th 1918: My Dear Grace - I intended to write you a big long letter this A. M but just seems I don't have time to-do any thing Arrived in Paris the 23d haven't received any mail yet, Pat got 2 or the 3 letters forwarded from N. Y.  I saw Frank Bowman last night and he just came in and bade my good by he is going out to th front again. I like Paris very much, but I would rather live in a place where I could understand what they were talking about Now dearie I am very sorry I can not write you a long letter as I have so much to-do, but just remember, I am thinking of you all the time and I love you more than I dare tell you, Will try and write you a long letter to-morrow, Give my regards to the fellows as ever Will

On May 21, 1918, Will wrote a postcard from Southampton, England, to Grace, letting her know that he was about to depart for France:

Only the envelope survived from this letter, perhaps because its contents were lost or removed by a censor.

Excerpts from May 17, 1918: My Dear Grace - I just had Pat. so made he didn't know which way was up, he said he would of went at it and licked me if he tho't he could do it, but he didn't think he dared try if, You know I was to have an interview this A. M. and Pat this P.M., Well when I came back, I says to him I am going to Paris to-morrow and work in a Warehouse, eh says what about me. I says you stay here, and then I kept telling him about Paris + the fellows & Etc, he was just about crazy, well after while I told him that I hadn't had my interview yet, well then he was mad Ha! Ha! but you see I can handle him so, I should worry, It was pretty hard to see the fellows leave yesterday for France, as they were our bunch, but we will go later I wish I was good at writing letters and could tell you all the wonderful rights, I don't like London - I love it. New York & Chi, are not in it and the people, well the Americans can never be like them, if ...

Excerpts from May 17, 1918: My Dear Grace - Altho I wrote to you this morning, I have some new paper now, and I want to show off, so I will write to you again... I suppose it is June now, but the time you are reading this letter, our wedding anniversary will of passed, I guess the first time we have been apart on that date... you know I feel sometimes as if I could never be happy in T. C. again, every thing is so limited to do any thing thats big the people the town and myself., don't you know, here in this work, you are somebody as a 2d. Lutenent even, you are saluted and etc also the Y.M.C.A. in fact every body shows respect to you, Perhaps it is because they do not know you X No that isn't it, the fact is at home every body does know you from the time you were a baby and they take you as a matter of course you have no chance to enlarge. You know Grace, as I have said before you are the one that is haveing the hard time in this, here I am seeing all the wonderfu...

May 15th 1918 My Dear Grace - Well  we "done" London yesterday, saw all the principal sights, went with a party of YMC.A fellows and were out all day, was pretty tired last night, I am enclosing a "bit" of straw taken from the stable of the Kings riding horse, or the Royal stable back of Buckingham Palace, it was a great day I certainly like London, it is so old old old , lots of buildings built in the 15th and 16th century, and all the buildings of even later dates are so artistic, its just wonderful. I am so sorry that you can't see some of it, I have decided that you shall come to London, if the war is over before I go back that is meet me here and we will take a trip, I mean this, I will stay here with the Y.MC.A untill you come as, I no doubt, can stay as they will want men for 2 yrs after the war is over Some of our men and a few of the girls are being sent back they are not the king for Y.M.C.A. Well Grace, have just come back from head qu...

Excerpts from May 13, 1918: My Dear Grace - How do you like my new home, Ralph and I have a fine large room with shower and tub. Tub is as big as a small lake, I certainly took a good bath last night, I put if off for a few days on the boat as it looked as if we might have to take one any time, I am enclosing a piece cut out of the London paper that I think the censor will let go thro' that was our convoy and believe me a sub don't have much chance with thoes chasers. won't be able to tell you any thing outside of what I send from the paper London certainly looks good o me Every thing is nice and green the little parks are beautiful, have decided to send the whole paper and is small, I have marked the piece that refers to us. Started this letter this A.M. but have been so buys, that I did not have any time untill just now and it is 6:30, picked you out some knives Meat knife hope you will like them I understand you can not get them in the U.S. Just bought a sh...

Note: this is the only letter in the collection written to Will. Why it survived when no others did remains unclear. May 13 - 1918 Dear Will: - I just received a letter from mama in which she sent me your address, so I am writing you tonight. I suppose but this time you are in France, and I am wondering if you and Ralph will be together. Yu will certainly have many interesting experiences before I see you again - but perhaps you may feel like writing to me sometime and I shall be glad to hear from you. I think if I were a nurse I might be on my way to France also - perhaps I could even learn to be one before the war is over. How time flies and how things change! It seems that the whole world has changed since I left home - and of course, in a business way, this war has made conditions entirely different. I must tell you that I am now floor-walker on the second floor. Can you imagine me? I want to run up home in a couple of weeks if I can - and I'll surely miss you bu...

The day Will arrived in Britain, he purchased this copy of the Illustrated Sunday Herald .

Will's "Aliens' Restriction Order" card lists him aboard the steamer Victoria arriving in Tilbury, Britain, on May 12, 1918.

Excerpts from letters written at sea, April 26-May 11, 1918: My Dear Grace - We left the US. yesterday and are in convoy, are on a fairly good sized boy, Sorry I did not have time to see Florence. In my rush to get ready, I slammed the door a taxi and broke the glass the driver tried to string me $3.00 I offered him a $1, he said he would call a cop, well in got the cop and I paid $1, they don't string me if I can help it... I have the soft side of a settee to sleep on, but had a good night rest. Ralph is in the next state room and also has a settle to sleep on there are 2 births and 2 sette in a state room. This is a beautiful day, you would not think you were out on the ocean by the size of the waves We had drill at 3: P.M my boat is No 4 and so is Ralphs, and believe me if anything happens I will be right there when the bell rings all rigged out, two ladies are in our boat... I have my pockets full of English French and American money, don't know whether I go...