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Richard Leith as a young doctor, shortly after World War I.
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
War or Conflict: World War, 1914-1918Branch of Service: ArmyService Unit/Ship: Medical CorpsLocation of Service: Salisbury Plain, England; FranceHighest Rank: CaptainCollection Number: AFC/2001/001/1745
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"I was more frightened than I was at the front." (Letter, December 1, 1918)
Like Eugene Curtin , Richard Leith was an American physician attached to the British Expeditionary Force in World War I. He arrived in France in October 1917, well ahead of most American combat forces, and his early letters back home reflect the optimistic view that the war would be over by spring; he even tells his brother that he doesn't think American troops would have to fight. Leith stayed in Europe for several months beyond the November 1918 Armistice, treating refugees and victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic.
More Resources
[ Memo recommending new treatment for trench foot [December 24, 1917] ]
[ Extract from 18th Div. Orders No. 84 [December 3, 1917] ]
[ Memo: Dental and Opthalmic Arrangements New Area [December 24, 1917] ]
[ Letter from the Chief Surgeon's Office [October 25, 1917] ]
[ Medical arrangements of 18th division No. 8 [November 8, 1917] ]
[ Your inoculation return for November [December 20, 1917] ]
Show more resources (172)
[ Medical Arrangements 18th Division ]
[ Letter from Liaison Officer, U.S. Army, Re: Promotion [May 29, 1918] ]
[ Memorandum [July 16, 1917] ]
[ Medical Arrangements [December 10, 1917] ]
[ Scrap torn from "Memorandum on Gas Poisoning in Warfare" ]
[ Letter from Quartermaster ]
[ Letter from Quartermaster ]
[ Letter from Chief Quartermaster to Richard Leith [September 20, 1917] ]
[ Letter from Quartermaster [November 7, 1917] ]
[ Letter and mileage form from Quartermaster [September 20, 1917] ]
[ "O" Forms "Messages and Signals" ]
[ Letters from Quartermaster [September 29, 1917] ]
[ Letter from Quartermaster to Richard Leith [December 10, 1917] ]
[ Letter from Quartermaster to Richard Leith regarding life insurance [December 10, 1917] ]
[ Orders [September 13, 1917] ]
[ Orders to proceed to New York for embarkation ]
[ Questionnaire [January 4, 1918] ]
[ News clipping "Spring to get on job today" [March 21, 1918] ]
[ Menu card from the U.S.M.S. New York, "Last morning of voyage while in the Mersey River' [September 7, 1917] ]
[ Card, announcement of employment [November 1, 1906] ]
[ Memorandum on Gas Poisoning in Warfare with notes on its Pathology and Treatment ]
[ The Army Service Schools Correspondence Course, Bulletin VII, 1917 ]
[ Headquarters American Expeditionary Forces Bulletin [October 28, 1917] ]
[ Public No. 90 65th Congress, amendment to an Act of Congress ]
[ Scrap of paper with address on it ]
[ Hotel bill [October 1917] ]
[ Clothing bill from Ropers, Ltd. ["Midsummer 1918"] ]
[ Envelope [January 24, 1918] ]
[ Bill for clothing from Ropers, Ltd. [Christmas 1917] ]
[ Christmas card with autographs ["In the Field. Christmas Day, 1917"] ]
[ Subscription form for the New York Herald ]
[ Cablegram [December 22, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [December 25, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Richard Leith from F. P. Bouton [December 17, 1917] ]
[ Biography, "A sketch of the life of Richard B. Leith, Medical Doctor, Attached to the British Forces in World War I" ]
[ Letter to Mother [August 11, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [August 11, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 12, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 13, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 13, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 15, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 16, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother from Washington, D.C. [August 17, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [August 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [August 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [September 9, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother [September 12, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [September 12, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [September 18, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [September 26, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [September 30, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [September 30, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 2, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 10, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 14, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 19, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [October 26, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [October 30, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 30, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [November 6, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [November 9, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother [November 14, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [November 14, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [November 18, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [November 18, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [November 21, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [November 21, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother [December 3, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [December 3, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [December 7, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [December 7, 1917] ]
[ Envelope [December 17, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [December 17, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [December 17, 1917] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [December 26, 1917] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [January 3, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [January 3, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [January 13, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [January 13, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [January 26, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [January 26, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [January 30, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [February 6, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [February 6, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [February 10, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [February 15, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [February 15, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [March 14, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [March 14, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [March 24, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [March 31, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [March 31, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [April 12, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [April 12, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [April 17, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [April 17, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [April 2, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Father and Mother [May 2, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Father and Mother [May 2, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [May 5, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [May 5, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [May 14, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [May 14, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [Saturday May 18, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [Saturday May 18, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [Sunday May 26, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [Sunday May 26, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [June 6, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [June 16, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [June 23, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [June 27, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [July 14, 1918] ]
[ Letter to mother [July 18, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to mother [July 18, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [July 24, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [July 24, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [August 2, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [August 2, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [August 6, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [August 9, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [August 9, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [August 18, 1918] ]
[ Transcription of letter to Mother and Father [September 15, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [September 22, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [September 22, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother and Father [October 8, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother and Father [October 8, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [October 19, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [October 19, 1918] ]
[ Transcript of letter to Mother [November 17, 1918] ]
[ Letter to Mother [December 1, 1918] ]
