Harrogate Herald - 6th January 1915

9621 Private F Gospel, 7 Platoon, B Company, 1st West Yorkshire Regiment, British Expeditionary Force, writes : 

Dear Wife, I am still in the pink. We are again in the trenches, I understand, for 16 days. We have been in five days now; plenty of rain, and up to the knees in water. It changed into a severe frost last night. It is not so bad today. We are very near the Germans here. A chap next to me got wounded yesterday. We all out here got a present from Princess Mary at Christmas - a box of cigarettes, tobacco, and pipe. We had German shells bursting just in front and rear of our trenches, but doing no damage to us, so we did not mind, but they were very near. I am looking forward to it being brought to a successful issue - With best love from your loving husband, Fred.

PS. I received a newspaper from the Herald Office, Harrogate, with my photo and letter in last week.