Thursday, December 27, 2018

Wilson Sailor Write Home to Mother, 1918

From the Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Dec. 27, 1918. This article doesn't give the name of the mother or the last name of the sailor. 

Letter to His Mother

November 21, 1918
My Dearest mother:

I guess I can tell you what we have been doing over here the last year as the censorship has been raised.

For the last 11 months we have been doing patrol duty and chasing the Huns and today they came out and surrendered to us. One who says the navy has not done anything in this war is certainly wrong, for I think they have done about as much as any bunch of sinners. Just think about it. I was aboard one of the ships that the Germans surrendered to, guess that is a little honor, is it not?

We got on the way last night at 12 o’clock and met the German navy at 9:20, and like all the rest of the Huns they, too, are yellow, and raised the white flag and surrendered to us without firing a shot and we brought them in to one of the English ports, and take it from me they were some ships, but that is all.

We have only sunk one submarine and the way we got that one was one of our propeller blades hit it while it was trying to get into one of our ports by coming in under us. I guess you will read about all of this in the papers before you get this but maybe they will not name the ships that were in it so I thought I would tell you about it. I think we will go to London to parade and some places in France, but one thing I know we will have some celebration over what happened today, for this is the only time in history that any fleet ever came out and surrendered without firing a shot and it will e one day that I will never forget, and I don’t guess the Germans will either, for I know it certainly did hurt them to give over a fleet like they did today, for they gave millions and millions of dollars worth of ships. I can say one thing, the Germans were sure down and out to surrender ships like that without fighting for them. But I don’t care, as long as I had the honor of being on one of the ships that got the Hun.

You can tell everybody at home about this if you want to for it will be in all the papers.

The King of England was aboard yesterday. That makes the second time he has been aboard, and the King of Belgium has been aboard once, so you see we have had a few men of royal blood, as the English call them, aboard this ship, and there is no telling who else will come aboard before this ship goes back to the good old U.S.A.

John Adkins was also out with us but he was on another ship, and Frank Farmer was aboard this ship, and myself, are the only boys from home who helped the Allies to get the German high seas fleet.

When we get back to the States we will be wearing two good charms V-shaped on our arms, which represent one year’s service in foreign waters.

One think I can say is that we certainly have not had a soft job over here for it sure is uncomfortable out in the North Sea at night where you could not tell when you would be hit by a torpedo, and so rough at sea you could not eat anything for 22 hours and could not sleep.

Well, we cove ship tonight when means no sleep for the next 24 hours, which will make 48 hours since I had any sleep. Has the army anything on that?

I do not know but one thing I would like to have now and that is a good homemade and home cooked dinner, but no telling when I will get that.

I will have to close, so give my love to all.

Your son,
Cary

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