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Byrl Sylvester under enemy fire and bombing; wounded by shrapnel

August 31, 1917 - September 6, 1917


PAGE 101

Love, Byrl.
August 31, 1917- G. F. Sylvester and family returned Monday evening from an auto trip to Port Byron, Ill. where they have spent a few days at the home of their daughter.
Letter
Thursday, September 6, 1917

France
Dear Folks,
Have not written for several days. We have moved back to the front and are all back on the job. Once again we are under fire. The past few nights we have had a wonderful moon. The "Bosche" planes have been very active dropping bombs in several of the camps and villages. A few nights ago one flew over and, spotting our white tents,, he dropped six near our camp but he failed to accomplish his purpose. Most of the men lost a nights sleep out of it, sitting on a distant hillside. We were a little handicapped because at this place we have no "abris" or underground quarters.
The nights are already getting cold and we will soon be in the rainy season. Heavy coats come in handy at this time. Have received your smokes sent August 10. Also the pictures and your letter of August 14. The pictures are very good. You all look happy and in the best of health. Notice my letters are appearing in the NEWS at home. Please see that just the ones that might be of interest are given to Mr. Mack. I don’t like too much of that stuff.
In my last letter I spoke about the ambulance work here being taken over by American officers. We will all serve out our six months. I am trying to make plans now to get home at Christmas time. As it takes nearly two months to get mail over and back, I believe it would be a good idea to send over some money. I will need at least one hundred by November first, if Dad will write to Mr. Lyon Case in the First & Security Minneapolis. The Minneapolis bank will send over any amount and have it credited to my account in Paris. The bank here is the Credit Lyonnais. The correspondent bank over here for the First and Security. Just have the First and Security send the amount over credited to my account here. McKenzie had it sent this way and it came through fine.
Who took the dandy pictures of the house and lawn? Edwin Jr. looks like a regular ______ in those long pants. I’ll bet they are a pair of my old ones at that. You must have been camping according to one of the pictures. Noticed in the paper that Dad has been fishing. Nettie and Meta both write often and their letters together with your own are reread many times. Hope you received the two pictures I mailed in the last letter. I have others but am afraid to send them on account of being lost in the mail. It is now getting dark and a light rain is coming down on our anti water proof tent. Am mailing two pictures of the German plane I told you about.
Love, Byrl.
Western Union Telegram
Byrl Sylvester was wounded in back and thigh twelfth September not seriously is at present in French hospital at front and doing very well all possible care will be taken of him both by French and Red Cross authorities stop accept sincere sympathy and expression of pride in the way Sylvester had done his work.
Norton
Mr. Sylvester
Plainview, Minn.

My dear Sir:
Before reading further let me assure you that your son is O. K. He was wounded today while on duty at a poste de secor, his comande, Bob Hall, of Minneapolis, I regret to say, was killed outright. Your son has two wounds, one in leg and one in shoulder, and will probably be in the hospital not over three weeks. There is POSITIVELY no need for


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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."


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