TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINDALE NEWS MAY 10, 1918 P. 3
March 31, 1918,
Hdq. 70th Aeroplane Squadron, Somewhere in England.
Dear Father and Mother:
No doubt you have received my last letter and card telling you that I have arrived safe over here, so you will not be terribly surprised when you get this.
We left New York a few days after the first of March; in fact the last letter I wrote was written the night before we went on the boat. We came over on a liner, now used as a cargo and troop ship. The ship was uneventful--nothing so very much out of the ordinary happening. I was seasick the first two days out and recovered from that only to fall a victim to an attack of grippe which kept me somewhat under the weather for four days and as a result I did not get to feeling anything like myself until we were nearly all the way across; however I am feeling fine now.
The ocean is wonderfufl, but terribly monotonous to one who has spent all their life on "terra firma." One who has never been out on the ocean cannot possibly conceive of its vastness. One thinks of it as the Atlantic or the Pacific, as the case may be and lets it go at that, never stopping to think what the word implies, but when he gets out there a thousand miles or more from land then it is realized what the word means.
As to the submarines, I know no more about them now than when I started overseas as I was not fortunate, or unfortunate enough as the case may be, to see one of them. I do know, however, that the English sailor thinks of them as a grim joke and to say that he holds them in contempt is saying it mild, for of all things he hates, judging from his talk, it is the German submarine, and judging from the cool, serious matter-of-fact way he goes about his business he will not fail to do all he can to exterminate them.
England is somewhat of a revelation to me. It is a much prettier country than I expected to see. Of course it is a densely populated country. One, even in the rural districts, is most always in a stone's throw of a house: funny looking houses they are, too; all of stone or brick, no wood.
I don't know how one would like the people over here; I have seen very little of them since landing as the regulations of the camp where I happen to be stationed, do not permit an American soldier to roam around at will; if they did I am afraid they would not have much of an army at any one time; however I am hoping to obtain a little liberty some time while here as there are some points of interest that I want to visit.
I do not know what we are going to do here in England other that we came here for training purposes and just what the nature of the training will be I have not the slightest idea; whatever it is though I am sure it will be done in a good and thorough manner for that is the only way they do anything over here. Everybody over here (the English) thinks of winning--no other thought seems to enter their mind. The entire country and its resources are in the hands of the government. I am telling you that it is very evident that this country is feeling the results of the sacrifices it has been called upon to make--still they go on--and one can see by their determined manner that they will never quit.
I believe this is all to write this time, so will close. Do not worry if you do not hear from me as often as you have been for it is a long way across the Atlantic and mail service is very uncertain and naturally my letters will be more or less infrequent; but will write as often as I possibly can.
Your boy,
LEN.
NOTES: Leonard Harrison Hamby was born on November 30, 1887 in Lowell, Arkansas and died on March 8, 1957. he is buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery in Bay Pines, Florida. He enlisted on November 28, 1917 and was discharged on June 27, 1919. He departed from New York for France on March 6, 1918 on board Ship 510. He was serving as a Private in the 170th Aero Squadron Aviation Section Signal Corps. He departed Brest, France on June 5, 1919 arriving in Hoboken, NJ onboard the Leviathan on June 12, 1919. He was serving as a Corporal in the 170the Aero Squad. He was writing to his parents Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Hamby of Lowell, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
March 31, 1918,
Hdq. 70th Aeroplane Squadron, Somewhere in England.
Dear Father and Mother:
No doubt you have received my last letter and card telling you that I have arrived safe over here, so you will not be terribly surprised when you get this.
We left New York a few days after the first of March; in fact the last letter I wrote was written the night before we went on the boat. We came over on a liner, now used as a cargo and troop ship. The ship was uneventful--nothing so very much out of the ordinary happening. I was seasick the first two days out and recovered from that only to fall a victim to an attack of grippe which kept me somewhat under the weather for four days and as a result I did not get to feeling anything like myself until we were nearly all the way across; however I am feeling fine now.
The ocean is wonderfufl, but terribly monotonous to one who has spent all their life on "terra firma." One who has never been out on the ocean cannot possibly conceive of its vastness. One thinks of it as the Atlantic or the Pacific, as the case may be and lets it go at that, never stopping to think what the word implies, but when he gets out there a thousand miles or more from land then it is realized what the word means.
As to the submarines, I know no more about them now than when I started overseas as I was not fortunate, or unfortunate enough as the case may be, to see one of them. I do know, however, that the English sailor thinks of them as a grim joke and to say that he holds them in contempt is saying it mild, for of all things he hates, judging from his talk, it is the German submarine, and judging from the cool, serious matter-of-fact way he goes about his business he will not fail to do all he can to exterminate them.
England is somewhat of a revelation to me. It is a much prettier country than I expected to see. Of course it is a densely populated country. One, even in the rural districts, is most always in a stone's throw of a house: funny looking houses they are, too; all of stone or brick, no wood.
I don't know how one would like the people over here; I have seen very little of them since landing as the regulations of the camp where I happen to be stationed, do not permit an American soldier to roam around at will; if they did I am afraid they would not have much of an army at any one time; however I am hoping to obtain a little liberty some time while here as there are some points of interest that I want to visit.
I do not know what we are going to do here in England other that we came here for training purposes and just what the nature of the training will be I have not the slightest idea; whatever it is though I am sure it will be done in a good and thorough manner for that is the only way they do anything over here. Everybody over here (the English) thinks of winning--no other thought seems to enter their mind. The entire country and its resources are in the hands of the government. I am telling you that it is very evident that this country is feeling the results of the sacrifices it has been called upon to make--still they go on--and one can see by their determined manner that they will never quit.
I believe this is all to write this time, so will close. Do not worry if you do not hear from me as often as you have been for it is a long way across the Atlantic and mail service is very uncertain and naturally my letters will be more or less infrequent; but will write as often as I possibly can.
Your boy,
LEN.
NOTES: Leonard Harrison Hamby was born on November 30, 1887 in Lowell, Arkansas and died on March 8, 1957. he is buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery in Bay Pines, Florida. He enlisted on November 28, 1917 and was discharged on June 27, 1919. He departed from New York for France on March 6, 1918 on board Ship 510. He was serving as a Private in the 170th Aero Squadron Aviation Section Signal Corps. He departed Brest, France on June 5, 1919 arriving in Hoboken, NJ onboard the Leviathan on June 12, 1919. He was serving as a Corporal in the 170the Aero Squad. He was writing to his parents Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Hamby of Lowell, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD