Letters, 1910 - 1927

Item — Box: 6542

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: This collection relates to Doherty’s service during World War One. Of especial interest to historians and students of the Great War are more than sixty letters written to his parents between July 1917 and March 1919, describing his activities and experiences. His service on the fighting front in northwest France and southern Belgium encompassed the great German offensives of March-June 1918, and the subsequent Allied advance which culminated with German acceptance of the armistice terms in early November. Doherty’s unit, the 3rd Worcestershire Regiment, was stationed at Faveuriel, France, near the River Somme, when the German Army launched a massive attack on that sector of the British lines on 21 March 1918. Like the rest of the Army, his unit was pushed back some 40 miles over the course of the next six days in heavy and costly fighting. When the line finally stabilized, the regiment was pulled out of the line for a rest, but was then sent to the Ypres sector, in southern Belgium, just in time for the next of the German onslaughts, which targeted that area, in particular Mt. Kemmel, in late April. Many of the letters are relatively brief and the military censor’s hand is often evident, but several of the letters, in particular that of 24 May 1918, contain vivid descriptions of Doherty’s front-line service. The remaining material consists of official correspondence relative to Doherty’s service in France, several brief telegrams to his parents, a few photographs of Doherty, a small number of personal items, including announcements for his undergraduate and medical school commencement exercises, some items relative to his participation in post-Great War American Legion activities, a photocopy of his obituary from the Selma Times-Journal, and a another newspaper photocopy from June 1918 with printed excerpts from one of Doherty’s letters home.

Dates

1910 - 1927

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.