Harrogate Herald - 8th December 1915

W H Breare letter

I had Gunner E Purchase in to see me on Wednesday. He is with the 21st Division, and belongs to the second Army Corps. He is a Regular, been five years in the Army. He came from India and landed September, 1914. after 48 hours leave he went across to the Front. He is the son of Mr and Mrs J Purchase, 2 Southville Terrace, New Park, Harrogate. Purchase is one of the finest specimens of a soldier I have ever seen. A well-made powerful fellow, he has one of those kind, open faces, indulgent in its gentleness. He hadn't met many Harrogate boys. He did see Ben Buck and I think Woodhouse, Royal Engineers, is somewhere near him. Purchase called to see Woodhouse's people. Just the kind thing he would do. Purchase has a young brother out in the trenches whose age I'd better not mention. You will remember that his brother, Corporal H Purchase, of the West Yorks Regiment, was, alas! killed in October. May good fortune attend this family, henceforth!

Harrogate Herald – 17th October 1917

W H Breare letter

I daresay many of you know Mr Buck, of 25 Diamond Place. He has travelled for Singer's Sewing Machine Company for 24 years and spent much time on the bicycle doing his journeys. You will have seen him many a time. I think his family presents one of the proudest records of this war. All his six sons are soldiers. The fourth, Arthur Buck, who is 25 years of age and of the Derbyshire Yeomanry, I lament to say, has died at Salonica of malarial fever. This occurred September 1st. The eldest son is named Spurgeon Buck; the second J W Buck, the third Herbert Buck. Arthur Buck, as I said, is the fourth. The fifth, Ben Buck, was wounded last year and is back in the trenches. He got his hurt at Meux Wood, shrapnel wounds. Spurgeon Buck was gassed in France and temporarily relieved from duty. Walter Buck, the youngest, is with the Royal Scots in the trenches in France.