Catherine, Blackroad Street, No #324, London

Dear Catherine,

                              I am going back to the dreadful trenches again and I can’t bear to leave the lovely city of Paris it has been the end of my two weeks holiday from the trenches. I can’t bear going back to the trenches after being in such a paradise. It’s horrible over there everyone dyeing one by one and it’s infested with rats those dirty rats. For me I am in luxury compared to down at the front of the trenches. I get proper food and I am safe from the other side. But those poor guys out at the front they are practically walking into death and if they don’t die from the other side’s fire they will die of disease and malnourishment hardly any food and doctors reach them.

      And it’s getting worse Catherine the war isn’t going to stop anytime soon were trying to hold the other side back but I don’t know how long more we can take it. Also they are starting to recruit younger and younger people and they are blindly walking into death and they don’t know what they are getting them self’s into and what pain and misery they are causing to they’re families. Just the other day as I was sending them out the front this boy walked up to me and said “Sir please I don’t want to die I am only 15” and they are meant to be a minimum age of 18. Then I replied “Well you volunteered for this and you have to face it” I felt so bad for saying this. I wanted to send him back but orders strictly state that no one can be sent back.

      Now they have started getting wounded on purpose and they call it “the blighty one” and this will get them sent back. What they do is stick their hand out of the trenches during fire and get shot in the hand or they get shot in the stomach and this is enough for them to get sent back and they are willing to do this, because the conditions are so bad anything is better than being there. And what we fear most of is the mustard gas bombs they are bad and everyone fears them and when there is a big bombing people would suffer from shell shock from the overexposure to the sound. They say it is all in their minds but I have seen how they are it’s not from their minds it from all the bloody bombs raining down on us. At least I have a peace of mind and am grateful for my position and that I do not have to be at the front of the trenches anymore.

     Soon I hope it will all be over, Catherine I just can’t wait for that day to come. Then I can be back with Billy, Suzie and you. I cannot stress to you how much I miss you and to tell you not to worry and that I will be alright. I would love to tell you were we are going next from here but we aren’t allowed to say but what I can say is that we are going somewhere safe so you and the kids don’t have to worry about me anymore. And before you know it I will be home again. Remember to stay safe and not to go out at night.

Yours Truly,

Bob