Myfanwy Thomas: Hard Times of World War I My name is Myfanwy Thomas. I live in Great Britain with my wonderful, loving mother, Helen Noble Thomas, and my two siblings. My mother is going through a very difficult time right now because it has only been two years since the death of my father. It is April 9, 1919. Today in school we talked about the war that went on for several years. It was difficult for me to talk about because of my fathers death. My teacher told us that in October of 1914, the French army attempted to attack the German forces on the Western Front. They moved through Arras and Lens.
The French army was forced to withdraw because of a German counter attack. The French army was able to keep Arras, but lost Lens to the Germans. This was called the battle of Arras. Arras is where my father was killed only two years ago. We studied many other My mother began keeping a diary when she found out my father, Edward Thomas, enlisted in the British army. Today I came home from school and told my mother that we learned about the battle that my father was killed in. She decided to share her diary with me. As I opened the little blue book I read: Today Edward went to London looking for work.
I received a telegram from him. I will never forget that moment. The telegram said he had enlisted as a private in the Artists Rifles. I knew this wasnt going to be easy, but I tried to prepare myself for it. I remember reading the telegram and crying to myself, no, no, no, not that. But deep down I knew it had to be this way and it was the only right thing to do. I never realized my mother was so upset about my father going to fight in the war. I knew I would miss him, but I always thought he would be back. I knew that it would be hard, but I always thought I could handle not having a father for a few years.
I continued: At work today, at Bedales boarding school, I told my co-workers of Edwards decision to enlist in the army. When I told a leading member of staff that Edward had enlisted, he said disapprovingly, Thats the last thing I should have expected him to do. This hurt me terribly and I hated him for it. Dear Diary, (only days before Edward leaves for the Western Front) 1915 The past few days have been very busy. Everyone is coming to the house bringing presents for Edwards departure and wishing him well. They joke with him about his new short, army haircut and about his newly grown mustache.
They joke with him about how perfect his army salute was. It all seemed so happy, but when all of our friends had gone, our good-byes would be hard. Edward reminded me where all of the important documents were. He gave me the key to the box that held our marriage certificate and the childrens birth certificates and his life insurance policy. This broke my heart when he mentioned his life insurance policy. I wouldnt need it, would I? I just I remember when my father was going away to fight in the war. I had been saying good-bye to him for weeks. I prayed every night for his safety on the ship. me this seemed to be the most dangerous part of going away to war. It was a horrible picture in my head, with the huge waves crashing up against the little helpless tugboat filled with soldiers. The only thing I could do was pray for my father every night. I read on and I came to the entry in my mothers diary about the day my father left. Dear Diary, (Edwards departure for the Western Front) 1915 It was a quiet day. No sounds except for a train whistle off somewhere in the distance. I stood watching Edward leave me to fight in the war. In a way I was proud of im and happy for him, but I was sad to be losing him too.
We called out to each other until I could no longer hear his voice. There was nothing but the mist and snow and the silence of death. Then I stumbled back to the empty house. Dear Diary, Sometime 1916 Edward was made a junior officer and transferred to the Royal Artillery. He sent me some of the war poetry he began writing last year. The first one I received was In The flowers left thick at nightfall in the wood This Eastertide call into mind the men Now far from home, who, with their sweethearts, should Have gathered them and will do never again.
The poetry he wrote was so beautiful. I knew he could write like that, but how did he do it in such a time of depression. His next poem was much longer, but just as good. It This Is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong This is no case of petty right or wrong Can judge. I hate not Germans, or grow hot With love of Englishmen, to please the newspapers. Beside my hate of the Kaiser is true love:- But I have not to choose between the two, Or between justice and injustice. Dinned With war and argument I read no more Than in the storm smoking along the wind Artwart the wood. Two witches caldrons roar.
From one the weather shall rise clear and gay; Out of the other an England beautiful And like her mother that died yesterday. Little I know or care if, being dull, I shall miss something that historians Can rake out the ashes with perchance The phoenix broods serene above their ken. But with the best and meanest Englishman I am one crying, God save England, lest We lose what never slaves and cattle blessed. The ages made her that made us from dust: She is all we know and live by, and we trust She is good and must endure, loving her so: And as we love ourselves we hate her foe. Edwards poetry was so moving. But what did all this mean….
Edward was killed by an exploding shell at Arras. It seems as though this diary was a form of therapy for my mother. She did not have to talk to anyone else about what she was going through. My mother decided to share her diary about my father with me. I am very glad she did because now I understand more of what she was going through. Aside from being a mother and a father during the war while my father was away, she now was the permanent mother-father figure. She not only had to keep house and are for three growing children, but she also had to provide the financial stability for the family that would put food on the table.
The time after the war has been difficult for many people all over the world. Women who had been able to hold masculine jobs while the men were away fighting had to give up those jobs when the men returned. Curious development occurred in those women who kept working. In some cases though, as in Helen Thomas situation, women had to keep working because the deaths of their husbands made them the sole providers Apart from the cultural and socio-economic conditioning, several things pointed o the identity crisis as the most powerful factor apparently holing women down, just as they were ready to break new ground for themselves.
The experiences of women during the war have done little to encourage the search for a new identity. There was not much open resistance to the part of women to go back home and resume their wifely and motherly duties when the men returned. Many women who were forced to quit working could not afford to quit for the simple fact that they had to provide financially for their families. In the end, many women had a very difficult time after World War I.
