WWI AEF Officer's Letter Mar. 1918 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
"Same old place, March 17th"
(France, 1918), from Capt. (later Major) Robert G. Henderson, 14th Engineer Regiment, to his brother & sister-in-law, Harry & Mabel Henderson.
Includes the original envelope, addressed to Mrs. H.P. Henderson, at 27 Washington Square, New York City, and forwarded to her at the Hotel Traymore, Atlantic City, NJ, with ARMY POST OFFICE double-circle postmark covered by an "OPENED BY CENSOR" label affixed over the right edge of the cover, red British PASSED BY CENSOR handstamp, and at bottom left is Henderson's self-censor signature, "R. G. Henderson" (as an officer, he could to this).
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 a revue show given for them by the men of the British Corps, and he includes the program of the show, titled "Cheer-I-O", "presented by 'The Bull-Dogs' (Corps Concert Party)" - quite likely the only existent copy of this program. He writes in great detail of the show, with the "female" lead played by a young British Lieutenant, who "was a peach and made a tremendous hit", and that "the English are certainly trying very hard to understand and like the Americans". He also writes of making a long inspection trip of the back areas, and on his return, playing baseball in a game between the married and single officers, "before a highly amused crowd of enlisted men". He writes that
"The big guns are so close now that my hut shakes with the concussions and every day we expect the old Boche to start something he can't finish",
and comments on the lack of active participation by American troops in the fighting, asking "When is the United States going to get into this war?"
Includes:
"Dear Harry & Mabel,
...Let me detail some of my doings lately. Day before yesterday we were invited to a special concert for us given by the Don-Acs (this is Signals jargon for D.A., which in turn stands for Divisional Artillery). It was a little vaudeville show with good songs and a pretty good violinist. Last night the Corps invited 10 officers and 60 men (120 actually went) to attend the Corps show. Imagine a long Adrian hut lighted by electricity and with a real stage, real scenery and a
real
orchestra. The leader was a Doctor of music who was found breaking stone on the road as a private in a labor company. And it was a real show with splendid music and stunts taken from the latest London revues. The heroine, a young British Lieutenant, was a peach and made a tremendous hit. They introduced many allusions to the Yanks in their songs
and the whole thing went with a tremendous vim. The English are certainly trying very hard to understand and like the Americans. I am sending the program along.
This afternoon, after returning from a long inspection trip in the back area, I played baseball, the single officers beating the married officers 15-14 before a highly amused crowd of enlisted men. In addition to all these things, we are doing a little work.
The big guns are so close now that my hut shakes with the concussions and every day we expect the old Boche to start something he can't finish..."
Very Fine.
COMBINED SHIPPING FOR MULTUIPLE ITEMS.
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