WWI FEB 1918 AEF Letter 14th ENGINEER Regt. in France GREAT CONTENT

Description

World War I soldier's letter, 2 pgs., approx. 4-7/8" x 7-7/8", dated
"France, Feb. 24th, 1918"
, from Capt. (later Major) Robert G. Henderson, 14th Engineer Regimen (Ry), to his sister-in-law, "Mabel" (married to his brother, Harry P. Henderson).
Includes the original envelope, addressed to Mrs. H.P. Henderson, at New York City, with Feb. 27, 1918 dated ARMY POST OFFICE postmark, red British "Passed by Censor" handstamp, and with Capt. Henderson's self-censor signature at bottom left, and with "O.A.S." (On Active Service) written at top right.
The 14th Engineer Regiment was recruited in New England, mostly from railroad men, and arrived in France in the fall of 1917. They did important work repairing railroads, building railroads and bridges, often under gun and artillery fire.
Great content
, writing of having his sleep disturbed by German airplanes dropping bombs, "when "Fritz" comes over on moonlight nights and drops "bon-bons"; He also writes that he wishes they were with the AEF rather than with the BEF (the 14th Engineers were among the first American soldiers in France, and were the first in the front lines, attached to British Corps, before the American troop build-up in France allowed for their participation in the fighting. He also writes of the "great Boche offensive" everyone is speculating about, but he thinks they won't go on the offensive, for if they do, they will "catch Hell".
Includes:
"Dear Mabel,
Your peanuts came in today and they certainly were fine. Mother sends me Fatimas regularly, so that I don't know of a single thing that I lack here. We now have with us a YMCA secretary who shares my hut with me for the present and does not seem astonished at my language, which is shocking on occasions. Hope to have a moving picture machine soon.
The weather is so-so, fairly dry though. Fritz is not particularly troublesome as yet and we are pretty busy. We seem to be more or less of a fixture here and while I would rather be with the AEF than the BEF, there are a great many compensations....
I can assure you that my nights are not disturbed except when Fritz comes over on moonlight nights to drop bon-bons and even that doesn't disturb me if I've actually gone to sleep.
We are all wondering when & where this great Boche offensive, that everybody is talking about, is going to develop. I'm betting that he is not going to offense, because if he does, he certainly will catch Hell.
Six months in France; how long it seems; and how short..."
Very Fine.
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