WW1 Letters

Written by Private John L. Dilger - B Company, 330th Infantry Regiment

These two original World War One letters were written by a soldier named John L. Dilger who was a member of Company B of the 330th Infantry Regiment to his wife Edna Dilger.

The first letter is written on an envelope and is dated December 6, 1918. It was send from Laigné, France, to the soldiers wife Edna in Hammonton, New Jersey. The second letter is written on US Army stationary from Camp Dix, New Jersey while he was with Company 15 of the 153rd Depot Brigade. The letter has no date but was presumably written shortly after joining the army. In the letter he talks about being quarantained which happened to multiple units to try and stop the outbreak of Spanish Flu.

Private John Leslie Dilger

John L. Dilger was born on July 4, 1887 in Hammonton, New Jersey to John Dilger and Margaret Leslie Dilger. He joined the military on June 25, 1918 (service number 2963786) and was first assigned to 346th Infantry Regiment, 87th Division. Before shipping overseas he married his wife Edna. On August 24, 1918 he boarded the SS Ceramic to cross the Atlantic and join the AEF in France. Once in France John Dilger was transferred to Company B, 330th Infantry Regiment to receive further training. Eventually he returned to the US aboard the SS Iowan arriving in Hoboken, NJ on April 17, 1919. He was discharged one week later on April 25.

John Dilger returned to his wife Edna and they settled in Pennsylvania. At some unknown time they moved to Florida where he passed on June 26, 1972.

click on the images to enlarge and read the letter