All Quiet on the Western Front
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The Static Western Front of 1915 |
Sunday, Oct. 3rd, 1915
Battalion Head Quarters
4th Grenadier Guards
B.E.F.
France
Dear Mr. Fullman,
It is with regret that I inform you that your son, Pte. Stan
Fullman, met his end in an attack on Hill 70 last Monday evening. He lay in the open beside me when a
piece of shrapnel struck him in
the back. He did not cry out &
went asleep & then must have passed away.
I have been a chum of his since we met at Marlow and his
going is a loss to all who knew him.
A parcel or two has arrived since, but I doubt there is anything you
would want.
Things are awful out here & thousands of good boys have
gone down. I hope you will find
comfort despite the grief you will naturally experience in this hour of
trial. Sending my condolences to
his parents and sisters, I will close & remain
Yours very sincerely
Harry Carr
Somewhere
2.11.15
Dear Miss Fullman,
I received your very nice letter a few days ago & I take
this opportunity of writing a few words in reply. Your letter reached me after coming out of the trenches for
a 14 days rest. We have been at it
nearly continuously since Sept. 26th & so you can imagine that
we are ready for it.
Yes, I have heard Stanley speak of his sister a time or two
& I believe he once showed me a photo.
You thank me for sending you early news of what happened to
your brother & pending confirmation naturally cling to hope that he is
still alive. I will try & tell
you what happened. About 16 of us
were cut off & in a dip on Hill 70.
I was there for 30 hours laying on my stomach. Your brother was there laying beside
me. He was hit in the back on his
left side with shrapnel. A piece
went through his pack. I don’t
know what his injuries were—I dare hardly lift my head. But he was not mutilated & did not
bleed at all. He went off in a
deep sleep & I left him about 24 hours after he was hit. I rolled away. When I left him he was warm though
stiff this at dusk on the Tuesday evening. And this was between the lines. I managed to get in though fired on by our own men.
Being his sister I tell you these details. I would show them to your father. It is not my wish to give you any false
hopes & so I am giving you these details so that they may help you in your
hopes & fears.
I was very pleased to receive your letter & I hope you
will excuse the writing of my reply.
Seeing that you don’t know who you are writing to & to give you an
idea I just tell you that I am a boy fro’ Lancashire.
If you would like to know anything else of your brother, I
will do my best to tell you.
Hoping you will find comfort despite the dark cloud, I will close &
remain
Sincerely Yours
H. Carr
In addition, I've just been informed that when my great-grandmother received the combat death pay, she held out the coins in her hand and said, "So, that's what my son was worth."
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