Letter From a Soldier in the First World War

Letter From a Soldier in the First World War Dearest Mother,

I hope this letter reaches you as many others who have sent letters

have not had their letters reach their intended destination, I also

apologise for not writing to you sooner, although finding time to

write is becoming increasingly more difficult as we push towards the

German front line. Every day we are bombarded by shells and a good man

comes to the end of his life, whether it be from the shells or a

snipers shot to the head, they rarely miss, but neither do we.

The conditions that we have to endure in the trenches are unbearable.

At the foot is a six-inch river of mud that must be stood in all day,

this results in a disease called "Trench foot" that many soldiers have

contracted. This is the swelling up of the foot, senses are lost and

it puffs up so much a bayonet could be stuck in a trench foot without

pain. Perhaps the most sickening part of the trench though, is the

build up of human bodies, flung on top the trench in order to provide

a basic blockade, occasionally a body falls back down and must be

hoisted back up. It is disgraceful to think what has been done to

these men who joined the war to fight valiantly for their country and

are repaid by being used as a primitive defence.

The trenches are designed in such a way that if shots are fired down

it, they will not travel all the way down killing many men this

results in a zigzag pattern. Breaking up the lines of trenches are

dugouts that are used to stay in...

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...it, if not, all hope is not

lost, death may be my only chance of escape. New orders are thought to

be coming in any day, with the command to advance and go "over the

top", with any luck I'll have made it, although few others will have

in comparison to the great numbers being sent out. More men are

arriving every day, younger and younger by the minute I wouldn't doubt

that we are running out of suitable candidates to die for their

country, perhaps soon the elderly will be asked.

I hope the brutal honesty of my letter has not been too shocking for

you, if I make it through a couple more weeks, I will be able to

return home and see you all once again. That's the only thing that has

been in my mind since the first day I joined this war. Send my love to

the rest of the family.

Dearest wishes and love,

Your son