WW1 Era Letter Written by U.S. Soldier in Europe. He writes of the pretty landscape in Belgium, preferring Belgium to France, and more interesting content. 1918. Details in comments.

by Heartfeltzero

5 comments

  1. This letter was written by Maurice Johnson. He was born in 1895. During the war, he served with the 148th infantry regiment, 37th Infantry Division. He writes of many interesting topics, including his time spent in Belgium.

    The letter reads:

    >“ 22nd December 1918

    >My Dear Winifred –
    Your letter dated the 27th November reached me yesterday, believe me i surely enjoyed every word of it. I was somewhat surprised also to hear from you and did not know I had such a friend. My mail was delayed some place and it worried them very much at home for at one time they waited nearly nine weeks before hearing from me. I could never understand why they never received my mail for ever since we arrived overseas, I made it a practice of writing to mother at least once a week.

    >Wherever we were at, the old 37th Division surely seen its share of fighting oversea. We are credited with being on five different fronts and three battles. The last was never fought as the morning we went over the top, no Germans could be found and before we went far, the news of Germany signing the Armistice reached us. I have been with the old company ever since we landed oversea. Never have I left it going through everything O.K. but still have my nearly close calls and I surely can thank myself for my good luck, that I am still safe and sound. I have seen many of my very best friends fall on the firing line but nothing hit us any worse than when we lost our first sergeant on the night before our first drive in Belgium when a Dutch shell hit the head of the company claiming twelve as its victims.

    >I went to camp Sheridan with over a hundred and fifty fellows from home and around there but now there is less than 25 of the old bunch left together, some being casualties while others were transferred to other outfits. We never received over a couple days rest from the lines until after the armistice was signed. We landed over here July 5th and seen our first line trenches on the 29th and was in the line until the 11th of November 1918. It will be just six months tomorrow since we pulled anchor in Hampton Roads and set sail for France on the U.S.S. (?) and was on the water just thirteen days. It surely was a long ride across but enjoyed the ship O.K. I would have never missed what I have seen over here and experienced for nothing and surely am glad I was never left back in the states. Of the two countries, I prefer Belgium and I never saw such a happier bunch in my life than the Belgians we met on our drive from Olsene to the River Escaut Oct 31st to Nov 5th. We received the glad hand every place. The 73rd Brigade is somewhere around here, but do not know where. I never heard from Pilly since we left Alabama last May.

    >The well known Flanders surely is a sight itself as it is now but a mass of ruined towns and villages and far reaching swamps making almost impassable. Belgium is a very level country and it being so low causes many swamps but where there has not been much fighting going on, one could not lay eyes on any prettier land. The principal crops of Belgium are sugar beets, turnips and tobacco. The Argonne drive was easy compared to the one in Belgium at least we met (?) with strong resistance near Olsene and at the Escaut River. We are now located about 12 miles from the North Sea near Dunkirk awaiting either to go home or to be put into the army of occupation and go to Germany, I don’t know which.

    >I hope we are bound for the old U.S.A. We have seen nearly all or been through most of the principal cities of France and Belgium. Covering most of our travels on foot. From new Lexington to Logan now would only be a nice afternoon walk, for me. We are permitted to write about mostly anything now except slurs against the government and mention the name of casualties.

    >The sulfur surely has struck the states very hard, almost as bad as the war. We are quartered now at a flander farm in a barn and I think the man who built it forgot to nail the boards on the sides for there’s nights the air surely comes through and the only thing that keeps it from blowing over is that there are to many places the wind comes through. We spent thanksgiving in Belgium near Courtrai and had some very good slurs for our thanksgiving dinner. But our Xmas dinner is going to be the best money can buy so I hear and already they have about a hundred chickens, oysters, champagne, wine, candy and etc. ordered so I figure we will have a very good Xmas but nothing compared to the one we had a year ago at camp Sheridan Ala. The so called pretty (?) and Belgian Mademoiselles do not compare to the U.S.A. girls and I so far I been very careful. Well Winifred, no doubt you will enjoy your Xmas far better than we will but don’t forget to write and tell us about it. Hoping you and all are well and that you spend a most joyful and Happy Xmas.

    >As ever,
    Your friend
    Maurice.

    >Co. H 148th U.S. Infantry
    37th Division .

    >P.S. Tell Edna to tell Pilly to drop us a card for we are always glad to hear from somebody. “

    Maurice would return home to his family. He passed away in 1960 and is buried in the New Lexington Cemetery in Ohio.

  2. Thanks alot OP. I have always been intrested in military history but this part is my favorite= the soldiers side.

    Their toughts..memories… opinions. Experiences. Bad or good.

  3. Great post. So Flanders was mainly swamps and tobacco fields with not so pretty Flemish mademoiselles. But we were a happy bunch!

  5. Sadly there were others who like the like the landscape. some failed painter with a horrible mustash, made aweful paintings of some local churches during his time off

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