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Preferred Citation:

Lois M. Ross Letters, 1918 November 8 and 1919 April 24, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William and Mary.

Content Description

Four page letter to Lois Ross from Raymond Ross dated November 8, 1918. He tells her that he is somewhere in Belgium and that this is his fourth front line assignment. He reports that he likes Belgium much better than France. Additionally, he mentions that he participated in the Battle of Argonne Forest and inquires if she had heard about it.

26 page letter from James Crawford to his classmate, Lois Ross from Clarksville High School in Clarksville, Ohio dated April 24, 1919. James is writing from Pauillac Gironde, France at the end of World War I. James is in the United States Navy and is part of the submarine crew of the U.S. Nucleus, #2. He recalls his service in the Navy in support of the war, starting on a transport, sailing to Brazil, serving on the West Coast, and then finally as part of a convoy that went over on the Atlantic Ocean to offer assistance as they fought the German guns and u boats. Once in France, Crawford starts off in Brest but soon transfers to Pauillac just before the armistice was signed. He remains in that city as part of the occupation and assistance to the French Army. He discusses traveling to the trenches and collecting helmets and weapons only to discard them upon his return after he discovered that he missed the last transportation to the barracks and had to walk 4 miles to get home. Crawford also describes Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors, and reports that the Treaty will be signed there officially ending the war.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Argonne Forest (France)
• Gary Alonzo Barranger
• World War, 1914-1918
• World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Submarine
• World War, 1914-1918--Belgium
• World War, 1914-1918--France