Back || The trench art, a letter opener, has the following inscribed on it: P. O'Connell, A.E.F (Allied Expeditionary Force or American Expeditionary Forces?), 1918, Co. E 7th AMM. TN. (Ammunition? Company E, 7th Tennessee?), France.

My granduncle, Patrick O'Connell, was from Scartaglen, Co. Kerry, Ireland. He was born c. 1900 and was my grandfather's younger brother. I am not sure but I think he fought with the United States Army. His records could not be located in the United Kingdom. I believe he fought at the Somme. He came back shell shocked. The trench art, a letter opener, has inscribed on it: P. O'Connell, A.E.F (Allied Expeditionary Force or American Expeditionary Forces?), 1918, Co. E 7th AMM. TN. (Ammunition? Company E, 7th Tennessee?), France. He never married. He went to America and there is a story that he became a cowboy. One of the brothers in the family was hit by a tram and another died in a fire. He was one of these. The trench art was left at home in Ireland and came to my father. || Trench art - letter opener

Probably made by a French-speaker on the Salonika Front, this is a trench art letter opener. Once side has the word 'SERBIE', and the other has 'GRECE 1918'. The handle of the letter opener is made from an 8MM Mannlicher rifle cartridge which is stamped as being manufactured in February 1916, and the 'W' on the headstamp indicates that is was made by Manfred Weiss Steel and Metal Works, in Budapest, Hungary.