Letters (complete with spelling corrections)

August 2nd 1915

Dear Mom and Dad,

How are you guys doing? I hope Dad can manage the farm without me, I know it’s been hard on you guys me not being there and all but I have to fight for our country and I hope that you can understand that. I’ve just finished my training and now the rest of the battalion and I are off to Britain to get a little bit more training. I’ve made a lot of friends here everyone is really nice. I will write again soon.

Love,

Your son, James Chase

September 18th 1915

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you very much for the box full of cakes Mom me and my friends over here really liked them. I’m glad that you guys found someone to help you out on the farm because for awhile I was worried that you guys would fall behind at harvest time. Well England is really great, I’m staying right now at a bank managers house is it really nice. In eight days we’re being sent off to France to help out with the allies defense. I can’t wait to get there it sounds like a great adventure. Thanks again for the cakes. I miss you both.

Love,

James

October 2nd, 1915

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have been on the front now for only a week but I’ve already seen so much death. The trenches are horrible. The mud goes up to your shins and the boots aren’t designed to keep to water out so we always have to change our socks. The Germans constantly bombard us with artillery fire. The old hands say that they always do this before the launch a big offensive so we are all waiting for the attack. But until they come we have bigger things to worry about, like the rats for example. The rats over here are huge. They are about the size of kittens. They get so fat eating the corpses of men who died in no mans land. The rats will try to steal our food and when your sleeping they will walk upon you just to eat the crumbs off your shirt. Two days ago a German sniper picked one of the new hands that came over with me off. He stood above the trench covering and was shot threw the head. I was sadden at first but Derek one the old hands told me that this was one of the best ways to die, quick and painless. Derek has sort of taking a liking to me and is now teaching me everything that he has learned in the war. Derek has been here since the 2nd battle of Ypres. He tells me tales of clouds of gas that cling to the ground and slowly kill any man who in unlucky enough to breath it in. This strange weapon is called Chlorine Gas. I’m not sure what it does but if you inhale it you’re damned to die a slow and painful death. Derek has told me what it is like to fight in hand-to-hand combat, and see the look into the eyes of a man as he dies. He has seen so much for a man his age. He is only a few years older then me and I believe he thinks of me as a little brother. I’m glad he has taken me under his wing; the old hands don’t like the new hands because of their inexperience in battle don’t like most of the other new hands. I must leave now get some rest before my watch tomorrow.

Love,

James

November 13th, 1915

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write back. I hope that I didn’t worry you two too much. I have been in the trenches for a month, and I have gotten used to the lifestyle. I am now no longer one of the new hands, because I have served in three battles. I will only tell you about the first though because it was my first taste of battle. Six days after I wrote my last letter to you guys I awoke to the sounds of men screaming and shots being fired. I saw my fellow men rushing to take their positions and fire upon whatever was heading our way. I didn’t know what to do so I panicked and took my position, that’s when I saw they. Hundreds of Germans charging our trench line without even thinking I started to fire my rifle at them. My first couple of shots missed but then I hit a German in the stomach and he fell to the ground with a cry of pain. I didn’t even realize it at the moment but I had just killed a man. We kept firing at eh advancing wave of Germans but they were getting closer and closer. Our commander started shouting the order to get ready for close combat. A few minutes later the Germans jumped into the trench with us. I quickly pulled out my knife and stabbed the man closest to me. I turned around before I could look at him, and talked another German to the ground. We rolled around in the mud for a few minutes before Derek came up and stabbed him in the back. Not the most honorable thing to do but in war honor isn’t important, staying alive is. The battle went on like this for a long time, about an hour or so. The Germans they ran away from the trench so we manned our positions again and began to fire upon their retreating ranks. The other two battles I have been in we attacked the German line and have won. We have captured 21 miles in the past two months and command is very impressed with us. Do not worry for me I know how to survive and the war will be over soon.

Love,

James

February 18th 1916

Dear Mom and Dad,

My time in Europe has been one tragic event after another. Three days ago Derek was killed by a shell as he was coming back from no mans land. He shouldn’t even have been out there; we had just come back from an assault on the German line. The attack failed and we were retreating back to our trench Derek stopped to help a wounded man and as he was carrying him back a shell went off and blew him to bits. It seemed so unfair Derek has been in Europe since Ypres. He survived Chlorine gas, and all of the battles we’ve had just to get killed by a shell as he was helping a man. I wrote a letter to his family explaining what happened. I know the army will send them some crock-pot letter about how he died for glory and his country. They send the same letter to every family and often they don’t know what actually happened. So I wrote letter for them and for myself. I needed to do one last thing for Derek after everything that he has done for me. An hour or two after he died I was made sergeant. It’s like everyone else has moved on and I know that I will too. I’ve lost so many friends out here that death is natural to me. But I never thought Derek would die. He went through so much and lived to tell the tales. It just seems weird that he could die now, that he too is mortal like the rest of us. I have go now I’m supposed to meet some of the new hands. Take of yourselves guys, and happy Valentines Day.

Love,

James

April 2nd 1916

Dear Mom and Dad,

Yesterday my division was sent to Ypres where we are now holding the line. There isn’t much action and it’s a nice break from the usual fighting that I’m used to. Don’t get me wrong the Germans are there and we still shell them and they shell us, but there is no charging or assaulting. I have been enjoying this time in Ypres. One of the new hands we just got is really smart and I have taken him under my wing as Derek took me under his. The new hands name is John. John is 18 two years younger then I. It seems that all of the new hands are young. Just kids really, not even old enough to be considered men. It makes me wonder, what is going to happen if the war doesn’t end and lose all of our young men? Would the government make the age requirements lower? Or would they start recruiting older men? I am not sure of the answers to either one of these questions and that scares me. I am sorry this letter is going to be a short one I have to report the dead list to my platoon leader. Happy Easter you two.

Love,

James

June 28th 1916

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am glad to here that you guys had a great Easter. I enjoyed mine here. They had services and I was given some time off. I got to stretch my legs and meet some of the locals. They are really kind. I don’t know how they can stand it. Knowing that tomorrow their little town could be overrun with Germans. Sometimes I pity them. Forcing them to place their trust in people whom they’ve never met and hope that they can defend them. Other times I envy them. They get to live their life without knowing what it is like to have your best friend die in your arms, or to see a man lose his leg by a shell explosion. Perhaps I am biter about the subject but after eight months over here even the most optimistic man will become cynical. There is some talk that we will be removed from Ypres to the South but I don’t know if that has any truth to it. If it does I’ll tell you guys about it in my next letter home. I am sending over $5 for Dad’s birthday, I don’t know if you’ll get it because sometimes when they scan our mail money and valuables get stolen. But if it gets to you buy something nice. Good Bye

Love,

James

September 1st 1916

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Chase,

I Lt. Com. Cliff Jackson regret to inform you that your son James A. Chase has died in the field of battle. He died for his country. His death is tragic but his sacrifice ahs paved the way for us to defeat this terrible foe. He died in the battle of The Somme. His belongings are now being sent to you with this letter. I offer my condolences I did not know James but I knew the type. He was brave, smart, and kind. He lived a hero’s life. And died a hero’s death.

Sincerely yours,

Lt. Com. Cliff Jackson

September 3rd 1916

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Chase,

You do not know me but I was a friend of sergeant Chase. My name is John and I am writing to tell you what happened to James. I know that the army sent you a letter telling you that he died, but James once told me that he wrote a letter to the parents of his dead friend. So I am now doing that for you two. James was a great and glorious man, but his death was not. He died along with 19,oo other men. This was not a battle but more like a blood bath. It wasn’t so much an attack as a slaughter. James died because of the stupidity of British High Command. I was one of the lucky ones and I made it out with just and wound in my left arm. This may not have been what you two wanted to hear but it’s the truth. I am so sorry for your loss. James was a great man and I will always remember him.

Sincerely,

Corporal John Harris