Harrogate Herald - 8th December 1915

Private W Hardy, of Knaresborough, who is in the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment, writes home from hospital at Liverpool : 

My Dear Sister Alice, I received your parcel which you sent me out to France; I got it the night we had just come out of the trenches, so it came in very useful for me when I went back, as we were only out 48 hours. I got a shaking up with a shell, not wounded, but lucky I was buried with earth, and lost my nerves, and have had some internal injury; but I am very pleased to say I am getting on immense now. I don't lack anything here, as we get plenty of food and cigarettes, and we are well looked after. I am supposed to be in bed, but I keep getting up, as I have not been used to it, and you cannot get of to sleep on a night after being in bed all day long. Then if you do get out, you are only allowed in the school yard. It is a grand change to be away from the trenches; you cannot realise it at first, and I can tell you when I left the trenches they were up to the waist in water, and the frost, too, is terrible. Anyway, it is about time I had a rest from them, as I have done my bit in this war. I have been in six of the biggest battles, where we have attacked the Germans, and drove them out of their trenches. When I went back from leave to France, I got there on the Wednesday morning, and went into the great battle of Loos on the Saturday morning, so that was quick work, wasn't it? We suffered heavy losses too. It was slaughter. I can admit that I have bee a very lucky man. Well, I shall be getting a few days leave when I get better.