20.08.2017 by Creddy Hardy, York College

It has been many weeks, months even since I last saw you Mary. It has not been easy and a number of things have nearly ended my life and stopped me from coming home.

I don’t know what I like less, the cold damp and death riddled trenches or the constant fear of gas attacks and bombs, but at leasat I’m alive. Far from healthy, but alive at the time of writing this.

My full squad except for me and a few survivors have been KIA. The gas was too much but mind you I have never spied gas like this before. It was yellow in colour and smelled like mustard.

Ware the last survivors, though not for long I fear. I can hear the German death squads coming round to finish us off. The sounds of my brothers in arms dying is enraging but what can I do but accept my fate? So as I lay down and welcome my death, I write this letter to you Mary, a last goodbye forever.

Yours, Thomas