Letter from World War Ii

My dear family,

I write to you for I fear I may not make it back home. This terrible war is dangerous, and I am suffering. We will soon be in another battle. It is to be held on July 1. I am afraid that this will be one of the worst battles that will occur. You see, we stay in these ditches that we dig called trenches. The bottom floods with water when it rains. This carries disease and germs, which we can easily catch. There is no way for the water to escape, so it stays in the bottom until it dries or seeps into the ground. Standing in this water has caused many of my fellow soldiers to lose their feet. The conditions around here are completely unsanitary and unsafe.

There are around 100,000 of us British that are going to attack on the 1st. We are planning on defeating German lines. This is going to be violent. If I am to die during this battle, I want you to know that I love you all.

Sincerely,

Lauren Mahoney

My dear family,

I made it! I survived the Battle of Somme! Many other did not, I’m afraid. Out of the 100,000 men that fought on July 1, 20,000 of them were killed. Along with that were 40,000 injured soldiers. I am unfortunately one of those many soldiers. During the battle, an explosion went off near my trench. I believe it was a grenade. When the bomb exploded, it blew up several rocks and the ground around me. A chunk of the rock rocketed right into my leg, and cut it really deep. I lost a lot of blood, and I think it might be broken. The infection caught from germs in the water is beginning to set in. Things are not looking great for me. Hopefully I will get to come home soon. I miss you all! I pray that the war will be over soon. Until then, keep me in your thoughts.

With Great Love,

Lauren Mahoney