>> THIS IS A PBS WORLD WAR I CENTENNIAL SPECIAL.
THE WAR IN WORDS: LETTERS FROM THE TRENCHES.
>> THE LETTERS OF PRIVATE JAMES MERCHANT OF THE KINGS
RIFLES TO HIS WIFE, MARGARET. >> MY DARLING MARGARET, THIS WAR
IS HELL. WE IN OUR TRENCH, THE GERMANS IN
THEIRS, DYING BY THE THOUSANDS, AND FOR WHAT?
THE ONLY THOUGHTS THAT CALM MY MIND ARE ONES OF YOU, MY LOVE.
YOUR ADORING HUSBAND, JAMES. >> JAMES, SOUNDS DREADFUL.
LOVE, MARGARET. >> MY DEAREST MARGARET, I WAS
MAD WITH EXCITEMENT TO RECEIVE YOUR LETTER, THOUGH I FOUND IT
LACKING IN SUBSTANCE. IN FUTURE LETTERS, PLEASE
ELABORATE. I LONG TO READ YOUR WORDS.
YOURS FAITHFULLY, JAMES. >> JAMES, WILL DO.
LOVE MARGARET. >> MARGARET, MY DEAR, IT SEEMS
THAT PROSE IS NOT YOUR FORTE. PERHAPS YOU COULD SEND ME A
PHOTOGRAPH OF YOURSELF INSTEAD? YOUR LOVING HUSBAND, JAMES.
>> JAMES, ENCLOSED IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF ME.
PLEASE ENJOY IT PRIVATELY, YOU NAUGHTY BOY.
HEE-HEE, LOVE, MARGARET. >> MARGARET, NO!
THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU AS A CHILD.
AND THE SUGGESTION THAT I SHOULD ENJOY IT IS EXTREMELY
DISTURBING. PLEASE SEND A CURRENT PHOTOGRAPH
OF YOURSELF INSTEAD. YOUR HUSBAND, JAMES.
>> JAMES, AS REQUESTED, HERE IS A PHOTOGRAPH I'VE TAKEN THIS
AFTERNOON. PLEASE SEND BACK THE OTHER ONE
IF YOU CAN PRY IT AWAY FROM YOUR ARMY FRIENDS THAT IS, HEE-HEE,
LOVE MARGARET. >> AGAIN, MY LOVE, NOBODY FINDS
THAT PHOTO AROUSING. AND AS FOR THIS CURRENT
PHOTOGRAPH, WHO IS THIS GENTLEMAN YOU ARE WITH?
HE LOOKS TO HAVE MADE HIMSELF VERY COMFORTABLE IN OUR HOME AND
WHY IS HE WEARING MY HAT? PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE
HIM MY POCKET WATCH AS WELL. ANSWERS, PLEASE, YOUR HUSBAND,
JAMES. >> DEAR JAMES, HENRY HERE, I
CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE POCKET WATCH.
I LOVE IT, MAN. YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE SO KIND,
WHICH IS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF WHAT THE NEWSPAPERS ARE
SAYING. THERE'S NO WAY SHE COULD HAVE
COMMITTED THAT CRIME. CAN YOU MY ME AT 149 CHERRY
STREET, BRIGHTON, UK. HENRY.
>> BUT THAT'S MY HOUSE! DEAREST MARGARET, I AM
POSITIVELY STARVED FOR CONTEXT. HENRY'S LED ME TO BELIEVE YOU'RE
IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. OF WHAT CRIME ARE YOU ACCUSED?
ALSO WHO IS HENRY? AND WHY IS HE LIVING IN OUR
HOME? CONFUSED IN FRANCE, JAMES.
>> JAMES, HENRY IS THE MAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.
>> YES, I KNOW, BUT WHO IS HE? >> ANYWAY, LOVE, WISH ME LUCK.
MY TRIAL IS TODAY. LOVE, MARGARET.
P.S., HOW IS WORLD WAR I GOING? >> THE WAR IS BAD, MARGARET.
AND WHY WOULD YOU CALL IT WORLD WAR I?
THIS IS CRYPTIC. YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A SECOND
WORLD WAR? AND ALSO STILL NEEDED, DETAILS
ABOUT YOUR LEGAL TROUBLES, I.E, HOW DID THE TRIAL GO?
ALSO, EVERYTHING HENRY! OUT LETTERS HAVE BECOME LIKE THE
CAUSES OF THIS WAR, DEEPLY CONFUSED, YOUR BELEAGUERED
HUSBAND, JAMES. >> MY DEAREST JAMES, FORGIVE MY
SILENCE. I WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING WHEN I
SEE YOU IN FRANCE. THAT'S RIGHT, I HAVE JOINED THE
ARMY AS A GUNNERY MAID. I LINEBACKER SERVING UNDER
CAPTAIN WILHELM IN THE BLITZ DIVISION.
LOVE, MARGARET. >> OH, MY GOD, SHE'S JOINED THE
GERMAN ARMY! >> STAY TUNED FOR MORE OF "THE
WAR IN WORDS: LETTERS FROM THE TRENCHES."