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Colchester General Military Hospital, Essex.
11/8/16.
Dear Albert,
Just a few lines to let you know I have been wounded again, & back in the old dart once more. Have been through some solid fighting down at Pozieres, on the Somme. My Battalion were there 10 days before we charged, consolidating the position, & all sorts of other things. I was in the bombers, but the first day we got there, a Welsh regiment went over bombing & got repulsed, so they called on the 17th and 18th Bombers & over the parapet we went.
The first person I caught sight of, was George King's brother he was throwing them near me, when all of a sudden he fell, shot through the head, I helped to carry him in, poor devil, but don't know whether he died or not. So I looked up George a couple of day after & told him, but never mentioned to him about it being serious.
Well Albert we threw thousands of bombs at Fritz, & played havoc with him, & as his artillery could not get at us, on account of our being too Close. We got relieved after doing 5 or 6 hours at this, & came out 8 strong out of 32 men and 1 officer. I lost two of my best mates in this, in which only for one of them, I would surely have got it, only he was protecting me, by being at the side of me "poor devil".
Well what do you think of the war now, do you think it will finish before Xmas, if it does, I dont think I shall get to the front again.
How is the old firm doing, remember me to all, & tell them my wound is not too bad. Tell Kings father