World War I "filleuls de guerre" letters sent to Mary M. Engel, 1914-1919.

ArchivalResource

World War I "filleuls de guerre" letters sent to Mary M. Engel, 1914-1919.

Collection includes autograph manuscript letters (with envelopes) and postcards from soldiers serving with the World War I French armed forces sent to their "marraine de guerre," Madame René Engel [listed in the papers also as M. M. Engel and Mary M. Engel] in Paris. Letters record worries over the war, concern for their families at home, imprisonment, health, loneliness, many other details concerning the war, and often listed where they were stationed. Writers include soldiers in hospitals, some held as German prisoners of war, and those on the front lines of battle. There are only a few letters from Engel to the servicemen, and there is a letter in English from an American concerning one soldier and her efforts on his behalf. A few letters from others to servicemen are included. Many folders also contain notes in French kept by Engel on each soldier, specifying where the man was stationed, his rank, the dates he wrote, what goods were sent to him, and other details. Many notes include the names of an American correspondent assisting the man. Some notes record that the soldier was deceased and the location of his death.

14 boxes (6 linear feet)

eng,

fre,

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7802611

Houghton Library

Related Entities

There are 2 Entities related to this resource.

France. Armée

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The Charles Henri, comte d’Estaing Journal Militaire traces the efforts of France to engage the British military in Europe during the American Revolutionary War. After d’Estaing unsuccessfully attempted to defeat the British navy in North America between 1777 and 1780, he turned his attention to allying with Spain for the siege on Gibraltar. The Franco-Spanish forces blockaded Gibraltar from to December 1779 to February 1783, and though they succeeded in taking Minorca on February 5...

Engel, Mary M.,

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The "marraines de guerre" scheme was a system of philanthropic pen-pal correspondence begun during the First World War in France. The system was first proposed in French newspapers and quickly caught on with French women to aid the war effort. Wartime godmothers (marraines de guerre) would correspond with servicemen godsons (filleuls de guerre) on a regular basis and supply them with emotional support via letters and also send them such small luxuries as they could afford in the for...