The Ernest Appleyard papers primarily consist of letters written by Appleyard to his family during his time in Europe during the First World War. Ernest addressed the majority of his letters to his parents. Other correspondence in the collection originated from several of Appleyard's friends from home. In his earliest letters, written shortly after his arrival in Europe, he detailed his life in the ambulance corps, and included a description of its composition and organization (August 8, 1917). He continued to write throughout his military service, discussing different aspects of life in wartime France. He also told his parents of his experiences travelling in Europe, including visits to Italy (December 1917) and to his grandmother in England (September 1918). Appleyard composed several letters in the collection following the signing of the armistice in November 1918, and chronicled his efforts to return to the United States. In addition to his letters from Europe, the collection contains material addressed to him and to his mother. Appleyard received several letters from a Canadian woman, Jeannette Peretti, who spent time in France with the Red Cross, and from acquaintances from the Ridgewood, New Jersey, YMCA. These include a typed letter from a young man named Jud, who expressed his discontent at being in college instead of in the army and who described the exploits of his Springfield College football team (November 21, 1918). Louise Mills, a friend of Frances Appleyard, composed a number of friendly letters, providing news from home, particularly in the fall months of 1918. The collection includes four photographs enclosed in two letters: a photograph of Jeanette Peretti (November 29, 1918) and three snapshots from Franklin W. Ross (March 3, 1919).
Ernest Appleyard was born in England in 1895, and in 1905 moved to the United States with his parents, Thomas H. and Frances Appleyard, who settled in Methuen, Massachusetts. Appleyard worked at the Ridgewood, New Jersey, YMCA before leaving for France in July 1917. He served as a driver with the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps. While in Europe, he traveled to Italy and England. In 1918, he joined the French Foreign Legion and throughout the summer he served in the 32nd Artillery Regiment of the French Army at Fontainebleau. By the fall of 1918, Appleyard was a member of the 10th Artillery Regiment. He remained in Europe through 1919, and returned to New Jersey after the war.