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William Post Nugent was in love with Hazel Adele Jagger. Only one thing could keep them apart: a world war. The story of their wartime romance is told by a collection of letters preserved by the Southampton History Museum.
William (“Bill”) Nugent was born in Southampton in 1893. His family lived in the house now known as the Rogers Mansion (headquarters of the Southampton History Museum), where his father, Dr. John Nugent had his medical practice. It is easy to imagine young Bill playing in the hallway outside his father’s office. Although Dr. Nugent sold the house to Samuel L. Parrish in 1889, the family remained in Southampton. That is where Bill met and courted Hazel Jagger, a descendent of Southampton's early English settlers. Although Bill went off to Cornell University in 1912 to study mechanical engineering, he maintained his connection with Hazel. That connection was about to be tested.
Although war in Europe began in 1914, America had remained largely neutral. That changed in 1917 when the United States entered the war on April 2. It would take another year for American troops to finally arrive at the front lines. Bill was one of those troopers, joining the U.S. Army Engineer Corps in September 1917. After training at Camp Devens in Massachusetts, Bill shipped out to England in February 1918. Bill was now one of the nearly four million American soldiers that were separated from friends, family and loved ones.
Throughout history soldiers have faced loneliness while serving their countries. Letter writing to and from home was one way to remain connected to people “back home”. Bill’s first letter to Hazel was written from the troopship U.S.M.S. New York, reassuring his “Dearest” that he was safely on his way to join the American combat force organizing in England known as the American Expeditionary Force (“AEF”).
Upon arrival in England, Bill was sent to the British army’s tank training center in Bovington. Tanks were a new weapon of war and the machinery needed to operate the armored vehicles required an engineer’s skill. Bill was perfect for the job. He was assigned to the 301st Heavy Tank Battalion. The American army did not have its own tanks in 1918, so the AEF used British tanks. The type of tank the 301st used was the Mark V, a 29-ton beast over 26 feet long.
While Bill’s military training in England continued, he wrote to Hazel frequently. Finally, after six months of training, his unit was deployed to the frontline in France. The 301st Battalion’s first action, or “show”, was “hell in the pure sense of the word.” On September 29, 1918, British, Australian and American forces attacked the German defenses at the St. Quentin Canal.
The attack on the St. Quentin Canal was part of the Battle of the Hindenburg Line which began September 18, 1918. While supporting the infantry assault most of the 301st Battalion’s tanks were knocked out by German gunfire. Bill’s tank was disabled and he was slightly wounded.
The offensive against the Hindenburg Line was a success as the Allied forces drove the Germans from their trenches. Despite their losses, Bill's battalion was back in action a week later, supporting the Allied pursuit of the retreating German army. Finally, on November 11th, an armistice was declared and the fighting ended for Bill Nugent. Writing on “The day after the war,” Bill tells his “dearest little girl” he can’t wait to “call you up.”
In the same letter he wishes Hazel “joy and happiness” on Thanksgiving Day. He also thanks her for the chocolate she sent him that arrived after the attack on the St. Quentin Canal, the “hardest show of all.“
In addition to the physical distance, imagine how difficult it was to wait over a month (Hazel's package with chocolates was dated September 29 but did not arrive until November 11!) to hear from a loved one. Bill finally returned to the United States in April 1919, after a short stint in a military hospital recovering from pneumonia. Despite the long separation, Bill and Hazel were able to sustain their relationship by letter. The couple were married on October 15, 1919.
Although letter writing is now out of fashion, reaching out to a loved one, especially one who is serving our country, is still powerful. Send a love note to someone this Valentine's Day. You never know.....
The Southampton History Museum is especially grateful to Constance Nugent Essay for sharing photographs of Bill and Hazel from her private collection.