Introduction
The following is compiled from Sid’s letters home to Alberta Douglas (which went to his daughter) and Sid’s war diary (which went to his son). Both were kind enough to grant me (his granddaughter) access.
Lost were an unknown number of letters which must have been written while Sid was at Camp Custer. His sister Charlotte's son remembers a trunk filled with Sid's WWI photos, which somehow ended up in Charlotte's posession but no longer can be found. Anyone who is a family historian can imagine the cry stifled when I heard this. Still, I count myself more fortunate than many to have letters, diary and the 329th Barrage Book, which give one of the more complete accounts of daily life for an American artillery soldier.
[Brackets] are used in transcription of Sid's writings, when ink was blurred, written over, and/or where cursive scrip was not clear (such as proper names). I left out the sections of personal letters that were chit-chat about folks back home or that were repetitious, leaving in what I thought would be of most interest to family. Family members may contact me for full transcripts.
Journal titles are my only change to Sid's writing, and were added to help readers locate sections from the archive that may be of most interest.
Click on thumbnail prints to expand photos.
If readers suspect typos, please email me and I will check the text entry against the originals. Thanks.....
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