William Earl Relf (1887-1964) served in World War I. He was drafted in Sept 1917, trained at Camp Funston in the first half of 1918, and set sail in June 1918. He returned to the US in 1919. One of his letters home was published in the local newspaper.
“Say, tell all the folks to take time and write; they will live just as long. They all have writing desks or tables to write on, and it is much easier than writing on a board on your knees in the trench. We boys read each other’s letters, we are so glad to hear from home. ”
From W.E. Relf’s letter published in the Modern Light, a local newspaper, for Columbus, Kansas on 17 October 1918, page 11
Picture is of William E Relf and his wife, Ella Crookham, dated 1918.
Letter transcribed:
From Wm. E. Relf
August 21, 1918
Mr. Thomas Relf, Columbus Kansas
Dear Father and Mother and Homefolks:
I received your letter with Ella’s and was glad to get word from home once more. This leaves me well and hope it will find you the same. Yes, Dad, I see Rooks and Larson and lots of the Cherokee county boys. They are in the same company and battalion with me. But I am working in the offers’ mess hall and the other boys are on the line. I am in the trench helping cook. I suppose you can see me carrying “chow”. I am have some experience over here, and lots of shells bursting around me. One bumped me on the elbow, something more than a mule kick. It was a “dud.” It never burst. It came down through the mess hall and spoiled the officers mess. Ha, ha! I get upon the parapet and watch the shells burst in the air, and then jump in my dugout before the pieces fall.
The Huns are on the run; they don’t like the way the Americans fight. They say they shoot to kill. Guess the Americans are a little rough with them, but who started the row. Guess they don’t think of that.
I see air raids every day from where I am.
I saw Dick Chase’s letter in The Modern Light, and from other boys I know. I like to get the papers from home. I like to see what the neighbors are doing. How are Ben and Charley making it? Tell Charley he ought to have this kind of a thresher that two men turn by hand and one feeds it. Some thresher.
This is an awfully rough country. Mountains rather than hills.
Say, tell all the folks to take time and write; they will live just as long. They all have writing desks or tables to write on, and it is much easier than writing on a board on your knees in the trench. We boys read each other’s letters, we are so glad to hear from home.
Give all the “kids” my address and let me hear from you all. Good-bye.
W.E. Relf
Rooks & the Cherokee County Boys
Company G, Relf’s company, made their “debut in the froont line trenches” on August 15th, according to the Company History, digitized at Missouri Digital History. The company historian recorded the events after their arrival, naming Rooks, who is most likely the same Rooks mentioned by Relf in his letter:
Sims tried to wing a fox early one morning with his automatic rifle, and Rooks tried to kill the rats of No-Man’s-Land with hand-grenades, but otherwise nothing of importance happened except the barrage of the morning of August 19th, which the Germans threw over in a vain attempt to cut off the patrol which the company had out that night.
page 3
The “duds” kicking like a mule
The training season for Company “G” came to an end at last, and in the first week of August they were taken to the front in motor trucks…. In the Lucey section of the Toul sector Company “G” received its first baptism of fire. On the morning of August 7th reveille was sounded, not by the blast of the bugle but by the discordant whining of German shells. This was in the Bois de St. Pierremont, to the left of the little village of St. Jean….Dodging anti-aircract “duds” furnished much harmless sport for the boys.
page 2-3
Finding the Yellow Bricks 