Tag Archives: WWI

Amanuensis Monday-Letter From Home (Oak Park Ill.)

Letter to Kaye from his Aunt Hattie (Hattie Amelia Copeland Kaye)

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Oak Park Ill.
Dec 2, 1918
My Dear Kaye

Just think, I am too late , to even send you a Christmas card. And can only express my best wishes for the very Happiest Year you have ever experienced.

My heart is so full of joy and gratitude that this “little scrap” is over that I need only the assurance, that you and Cecil are both well. And will soon be at home again. How we shall appreciate our everyday mercies in the future. If I had you both here, I would given you such a hugging, as you never have had. I am not saying it would be the embrace most desired, but it certainly would be heart felt.

Your very interesting and most welcome letter of the 30th of Oct. reached me, one day last week- And I presume this will not reach you this year. All the time I am writing I have the feeling you may be home before this reaches France.
The mails have been terrible tied up. And the ? of those whoes boys and sweathearts & husband over here has been terrible. And we in this country are still receiving long casualty lists in the papers each day, It seems hard that very many homes that were so happy  when news came that the war was over were so soon to be saddened by reports of death and wounded.

Words would fail me and time too to describe the wild joy of people everywhere when the whistles blew and bells rang to the limit of ? for hours. The city went wild but why attempt to describe what I realize you have heard about though letters that are more frequent then mine and I know have left little for me to tell what will be news.

But really I never expect to experience such thrill of….

There are many more pages to this letter, but the beginning is so full of promise and hope that her loved nephew and son would return home safe. Sadly one did not return home alive and her son died shortly after returning home.

To remind you Kaye was killed on November 29 1918, just three days before the above letter was written.

Happy Hunting!

Thursday Treasures out of the past

There are many treasures in my home. Dishes from the reaches of time, sitting undisturbed in my china closet. Family photos and much much more.

There is one that came to me truly as a treasure. A prize finding its way back home so to speak.

Its journey begins on November 29, 1918 in the open fields of France. A pilot practicing communication with the ground. Sadly that day was his last. I have received different detail as to what happened, but basically it was a misjudgement with the throttle.

Now to November 29, 2009 it is funny how things work out. Ninety one years after the accident. I receive an email from a gentleman saying he had seen the memorial page that I had dedicated to the young man. His letter was short and sweet.  My Grandmother has your Great Uncles dog tags. Being a careful internet user. I wrote back and asked this young man the 20 question, after I did some research. I really couldn’t under stand why they would have his dog tags. I was understanding that one was to remain with the body and one was to go his commander to indentify his body and to be sent on.  The young man answered my questions to satisfaction and I then contacted his grandmother. The tags and been locked in her fathers lock box these past ninety some years. They had been looking for its home.

Alex. K. Ogilvie 2nd Lt. Dog Tag

Kaye, as he was called by his family, was to have been married when he returned home. This of course never happened. So being his grand niece I felt this was a good home as any and they were sent to me. I have been given many more treasures concerning Kaye, but to me this is the one that should have never happened. Call it serendipity, I call it Gods hand working his wonders in the rhelm of men.

Happy Hunting! May your treasures be many!

note: Bi plane in Wordless Wednesday 08/17/2011 is believed to be his or what is left of his aircraft.