Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This collection contains correspondence related to Brewster E. Littlefield's service with the United States Army's 101st Engineers during World War I. Littlefield wrote around 110 letters to his family in Braintree, Massachusetts, about his experiences in France, which included service in the front lines. The collection also includes letters about Littlefield's death, poetry about the war, and photographs.

This collection (155 items) contains correspondence related to Brewster E. Littlefield's service with the United States Army's 101st Engineers during World War I. Littlefield wrote around 110 letters to his family in Braintree, Massachusetts, about his experiences in France, which included service in the front lines. The collection also contains letters about Littlefield's death, poetry about the war, and photographs.

The Correspondence series (135 items), which comprises the bulk of the collection, contains letters that Brewster E. Littlefield wrote to his parents from September 25, 1917-October 31, 1918. Early letters pertain to his journey to France via Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Southampton, England. After arriving in France in October 1917, Littlefield wrote about his daily experiences with the 101st Engineer Regiment. He discussed his living quarters, his religious life, and his work as a gas mask specialist, which involved frequent travel by motorcycle and on horseback. Littlefield also commented on his training exercises, which included a simulated gas attack, and mentioned his pride in the American "doughboys." He spent time in the trenches and near the front lines, traveled around France, and attended training in Paris; his letters include descriptions of artillery attacks, aerial warfare, and gas attacks. He reflected on the impact that the war had on him, such as his gradual adjustment to shelling. On several occasions, including in his final letter, he remarked on close encounters with German bombs. Littlefield also wrote about his relationship and correspondence with a girl named Almira, an encounter with German prisoners of war, and the impact of the influenza epidemic.

Additional correspondence items largely postdate Littlefield's death. In November 1918, the Littlefield family received a telegram and official letter notifying them of Brewster E. Littlefield's death, and they later received 2 letters from his army acquaintances about the precise circumstances of the incident. Later correspondence relates to Littlefield's personal effects and final paycheck. Two sets of military orders concern other American soldiers.

The Poems, Photographs, and Currency series (20 items) contains additional materials related to Brewster E. Littlefield and the First World War. Two typed poems concern soldiers' experiences during the war. Seventeen snapshots and card photographs (one of which is dated December 1, 1941) show families, a dog in the snow, and World War I-era United States soldiers in uniform, including Brewster E. Littlefield. The final item is a one-franc note.

This collection is comprised of 51 letters that 2nd Lieutenant Erwin A. Thomas wrote to his family in Pontiac and Brown City, Michigan, while serving in Europe during World War I. Thomas, a member of a machine gun company in the 125th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division, discussed his experiences in the trenches, offered advice to his younger brother, and described his travels in France, Luxembourg, and Germany during and after the war.

This collection contains 51 letters (plus additional enclosed letters) that 2nd Lieutenant Erwin A. Thomas wrote to his family in Pontiac and Brown City, Michigan, while he served in Europe during World War I. Thomas, a member of a machine gun company in the 125th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division, discussed his experiences in the trenches, offered advice to his younger brother, and described his travels through France, Luxembourg, and Germany during and after the war. Also included are 2 letters that Erwin's cousin, Gideon E. Foster, wrote to the Thomas family, and a reprinted newspaper article.

Erwin wrote one letter to his parents, John C. and Lucy Ann Foster Thomas, from Fort Custer, Michigan, in September 1917, and sent his remaining letters from Europe between March 6, 1918, and May 1, 1919. In mid- to late 1918, Thomas shared his impressions of France and of military life. He spent significant time in active combat in the trenches along the Western Front, and described the effects of constant artillery fire. On September 2, 1918, he mentioned his participation in the Oise-Aisne offensive, and in his postwar letters, he occasionally commented on his trench experiences in further detail. Thomas also reassured his parents that he frequently read his copy of the New Testament, from which he sought comfort during his breaks from the frontline fighting. While in France, he visited Quentin Roosevelt's grave (August 11, 1918). Thomas often signed his letters as "a true soldier boy," and took pride in his military accomplishments, which included awards of merit.

After the war, he wrote about the armistice, peace negotiations, and his experiences in Germany. He provided his impressions of some of the freed parts of France and of the area around the Rhine River, where he was stationed throughout early 1919. In his letters to his brother Walter, he encouraged him to continue his violin lessons.

The collection also contains two letters from Private Gideon E. Foster to John and Lucy Thomas, his aunt and uncle, about his service with Battery A of the 330th Field Artillery, which did not see active combat on the front (November 14, 1918). Erwin Thomas also sent his parents a typed copy of a New York Herald article entitled "Three Cities Wait to Welcome Thirty-Second Division" (February 3, 1919).

This collection is primarily made up of 32 letters that Frederick McGill wrote to his sweetheart, Louise Rochat of Glen Cove, New York, while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. McGill wrote about his training at Camp Mills, New York, and about his experiences in France, which included service on the front lines.

This collection is primarily made up of 32 letters that Frederick McGill wrote to his sweetheart, Louise Rochat of Glen Cove, New York, while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. McGill wrote about his training at Camp Mills, New York, and about his experiences in France, which included service on the front lines.

From August 1917-October 1917, McGill discussed life at Camp Mills, where he was a member of the 69th Infantry Regiment, Company M. He mentioned daily activities, such as drilling, and told stories about other soldiers, including one who committed suicide. In November 1917, he wrote a brief account of his voyage to Europe on the USS Agamemnon, and, from December 1917-October 1918, he shared news from France. McGill commented on the scenery and local customs, and occasionally referred to his participation in active combat. He described aspects of life in the trenches, such as soldiers' propensity for losing personal items, the difficulty of adapting to the noise of shellfire, the effects of a mustard gas attack on his regiment, and plane crashes. While traveling behind the front, McGill and other soldiers sometimes bathed in shell-holes. He composed his final from Camp Hill, Virginia, in March 1919. Undated items include a Christmas card, a coupon entitling McGill to a Christmas package, and two embroidered cloths. Enclosures include a snapshot of a soldier, newspaper clippings, and ephemera from McGill's time on the Agamemnon.

This collection is made up of 4 essays that Michael B. Kenny wrote about his travels in France between December 1918 and February 1919. Kenny, an overseas secretary for the Knights of Columbus based in Paris, France, described Paris landmarks and visits to Angers, Château-Thierry, and Reims. He often wrote about the effects of the war on the locations he visited.

This collection is made up of 4 essays (6 total pages) that Michael B. Kenny wrote about his travels in France between December 1918 and February 1919. Kenny, an overseas secretary for the Knights of Columbus based in Paris, France, described Paris landmarks and visits to Angers, Château-Thierry, and Reims. During his time in Angers, France, in December 1918, he and his companions attended mass, helped officiate a series of boxing matches between American soldiers, and distributed sweets and other goods to hospitalized soldiers. Kenny noted his admiration for Red Cross nurses and also described the town's castle. In early January 1919, Kenny went to Château-Thierry, where he reflected on the United States Army's role in the eponymous battle that had taken place around six months prior to his visit. He celebrated the accomplishments of the 69th New York National Guard (later the 165th United States Infantry Regiment), an Irish regiment, and visited a military cemetery. At the time of his visit, previous inhabitants had slowly begun to return to the town.

Kenny's third essay concerns his trip to Reims, France, in late January 1919. While traveling to Reims by railroad, he viewed the extensive damage to the countryside, including shell holes big enough to form residential cellars. He saw little evidence of current human or animal presence, though he could usually locate each ruined settlement's Catholic church, which often formed the center of a cluster of homes. His description of Reims focuses on the city's near-complete destruction and abandonment, with empty shells lining the streets and obscuring the sidewalks. He noticed an unexploded shell that remained within a damaged cathedral. Kenny walked to a section of intact German trenches. The final essay includes descriptions of several Paris landmarks, including the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, and Les Invalides.

This collection contains letters that Morris Rea Paul wrote to his parents about his experiences as an ambulance driver in France during World War I. Paul described his service along the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 and later discussed his travels in France and Germany.

This collection (132 items) contains around 115 letters that Morris Rea Paul wrote to his parents about his experiences as an ambulance driver in France during World War I. Paul described his service along the Western Front in 1917 and 1918, and later discussed his travels in France and Germany.

The Correspondence series (123 items) contains letters dated May 22, 1917-April 16, 1919. The first 6 items pertain to Morris Paul's decision to volunteer for the American Ambulance Field Service (later the American Field Service) in 1917. The letters concern requirements for entering the service and practical information for men traveling to France. The series also contains a copy of a recommendation letter for Morris Paul, as well as letters Paul received from the minister of a church in Brockton, Massachusetts, and from a friend, who sent Paul a check in lieu of a gift.

Morris Paul wrote the remaining letters to his family between July 1917, when he embarked for Europe, and April 1919, after his return to the United States. In his first 2 letters, Paul commented on his experiences aboard the Touraine while sailing from the United States to France. In France, he provided details about the ambulance service; one letter includes a diagram showing the relative distances of hospitals to the trenches and locations of ambulances and relief cars (August 24, 1917), and another contains a pencil drawing of an ambulance driver in a helmet and gas mask (September 4, 1917). Paul served in the trenches and mentioned hearing artillery barrages and witnessing an airplane battle. He recounted several occasions on which he escaped death and reflected on the emotions associated with being a soldier. In his letter of August 29, 1917, he enclosed a piece of a German soldier's hatband. The series also contains a French-language military order (October 18, 1917).

The Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, and Ephemera series (9 items) mainly concerns Paul's military service. Photographs depict Paul as a child and in uniform around 1918. A group of newspaper clippings pertain to the ambulance service and medal citations. Other items include equipment lists, an address list for ambulance service members, and a broadside advertisement for volunteer ambulance drivers.

The Stephen D. Brown diaries (approximately 2,000 pages) pertain to the Pennsylvania soldier's service in the United States Army during the First World War. Daily entries are reconstructed from Brown's letters, notes, and ephemera, and cover his entire time in the army.

The Stephen D. Brown diaries (4 volumes; approximately 2,000 pages) pertain to the Pennsylvania soldier's service in the United States Army during the First World War. Daily entries are reconstructed from Brown's letters, notes, and ephemera, and cover his entire time in the army, from his enlistment in the Pennsylvania National Guard (July 13, 1917) to his return from France (July 1919).

Volume 1 (July 13, 1917-June 26, 1918) includes stories of camp life and of Brown's training at the Philadelphia Armory and Camp Hancock, Georgia. While in camp, he wrote of both military and non-military experiences and frequently expressed his opinions about the army. In the spring of 1918, Brown's unit embarked for Europe, where they continued to train prior to approaching the front lines.

Volume 2 (June 27-November 10, 1918) chronicles Brown's experiences near the front. Though he never participated in direct combat, he was subjected to heavy artillery fire and occasional gas attacks and took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of September-November 1918. Brown detailed various aspects of military life and front-line warfare, such as shells passing overhead and the presence of vermin in captured German trenches.

Volume 3 (November 11, 1918-April 2, 1919) and Volume 4 (April 9-July 31, 1919) cover Brown's final months of military service, which he spent taking classes at the University of Toulouse (covered more thoroughly in Volume 4). On July 1, 1918, he left for the United States, and he reached Philadelphia on July 26, 1919.

This collection contains 24 letters, 18 postcards, and 1 greeting card that Private First Class Thomas Knowles of New Bedford, Massachusetts, sent to Ruth Blaisdell of Waltham, Massachusetts, while he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during and just after World War I. Knowles described his experiences while serving at the front with the 101st Engineer Regiment, while recuperating from an injury, and while traveling in France, Luxembourg, and Germany with a military unit attached to a press corps.

This collection contains 24 letters, 18 postcards, and 1 greeting card that Private First Class Thomas Knowles of New Bedford, Massachusetts, sent to Ruth Blaisdell of Waltham, Massachusetts, while he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during and just after World War I. Knowles described his experiences while serving at the front with the 101st Engineer Regiment, while recuperating from an injury, and while traveling in France, Luxembourg, and Germany after the war with a military unit attached to a press corps.

Knowles wrote one letter to Blaisdell from Boston, Massachusetts, in September 1917, while awaiting his deployment overseas; an undated letter recounts his journey from England to France. He sent his first letter from France on October 25, 1917. He discussed his quarters and the food in France, and described his experiences, including active combat, while serving with Company C of the 101st Engineer Regiment. Knowles commented on his difficulty sleeping during his time in the trenches, and described the events that had led to his hospitalization; he received treatment for a leg wound and gas exposure (June 5, 1918). After spending time at a hospital and a recuperation camp, where he commented on the good treatment that he received, Knowles was assigned to an army unit that accompanied newspaper correspondents.

In his later letters, most of which date after the armistice, Knowles wrote about his travels in France, Luxembourg, and Germany with press corps "section G 2-D." The collection also includes 18 postcards depicting cathedrals, streets, and other scenes from his post-armistice experiences, occasionally with his brief comments or personal notes, as well as 1 German-language New Year's greeting card.

The Walter Crane papers contain 88 letters, 2 postcards, and 1 Christmas card written by Corporal Crane to Ruth Backof, a former high school classmate, while he served in the Machine Gun Company of the 138th Infantry Regiment during the First World War. He described his experiences in training at Camp Clark, Missouri, and Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma. Crane also reported extensively on his involvement in combat along the Western Front, including his service in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and on life in the trenches.

The Walter Crane papers contain 88 letters, 2 postcards, and 1 Christmas card written by Corporal Crane to Ruth Backof, a former high school classmate, while he served in the Machine Gun Company of the 138th Infantry Regiment during the First World War.

Crane wrote his first letters while training at Camp Clark in Nevada, Missouri, in September 1917. He inquired about mutual friends and reminisced about his time at McKinley High School in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving to Oklahoma's Camp Doniphan in late October, he discussed his fellow soldiers, training exercises, and leisure activities. On December 25, 1917, he copied lyrics to a soldiers' song entitled "When Our Machine Guns Are Starting to Roar (for Me and My Gal)," and mentioned that his unit played sports in their spare time. Several envelopes bear the skull-and-crossbones insignia of the 138th Infantry Regiment's Machine Gun Company.

In April 1918, Crane moved to Camp Mills on Long Island, New York, and made final preparations to travel overseas. A May 14, 1918, letter provides an account of the trip. He first wrote from France on May 25, 1918, describing his journey across England. The remaining letters contain his impressions of France and news of his military engagements. Crane's vivid war letters mention both simulated battles (July 30, 1918) and real engagements. His stories of life in the trenches include several featuring trench rats. Between August and October, he wrote about his experiences in combat along the front lines just before and during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive -- the letters dated August 18, 1918, and October 6, 1918, are especially detailed. After November 1918, Crane’s company stayed in training near "Grimaucourt," France, despite the armistice. He continued to describe his daily life and on December 12, 1918, he copied three pages of poetry written by Sergeant S. F. McElhiney, a member of his company. On April 23, 1919, he wrote his final long letter while aboard the USS Kroonland, and, after he landed in the United States on the 29th, he sent Ruth a brief telegram.

The two French postcards are dated October 9 and December 21, 1918, and the Christmas card (1917) bears the insignia of Crane's unit. These three items are filed with the correspondence.