Claro Times - 6th January 1915

Last Sunday, Private Leslie Holdsworth, of the 2nd West Yorkshires, who is fighting with the Expeditionary Force, had time to write to his parents in Harrogate, and it proves quite a cheery letter. "I had a look at the Harrogate Times", he says, "and saw you have had a lot of rain. We are in just the same position here - get too much, in fact, and I wish we had some warmer weather. I would have sent you a letter before, but I was too late for the post, so I had to put it off till I came out of the trenches. I hope you all had a fine time at Christmas and the New Year. We did not do so bad, under the conditions, but I would like to have been at home. I sent Princess Mary's gift home, and a French Bible ...We all hope that this war does not last much longer.

Harrogate Herald - 10th February 1915

Harrogate men who are serving with the Colours, and are in the Harrogate Herald list to receive papers every week :

9199 Private L Holdsworth, D Company, 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment

Harrogate Herald - 7th April 1915

Private Leslie Holdsworth, writing to Mr H Lambert [Herbert Lambert, HCWW Inspector, Flaxton Terrace, Pannal], says :

Dear Herbert, I got your kind and most welcome letter all right, and also the HT safe, and thank you very much for it and glad that you are in the best of health. I have not had time to write before, but as you will have seen by the papers, we have been doing our bit. We made a grand advance, and the Germans knew it to their cost. They had no children o fight, but men that intended to take the place they were told to take. We made a lot of attacks as we had about three trenches to take, but we got through all right, thanks to the artillery, which put shots into the trenches and filled them up, and the way we were taken into action by our commanding officer, and also the company officers. The men wanted to go forward as well, and the officers had a lot to do to keep them in hand. On the 13th the Germans made an attack on us, so our men waited until they were 30 yards off us and then they cut them up like peas. [Battle of Neuve Chapelle : 10th-13th March 1915 : Total British casualties numbering 11,652] I cannot put much in the letter or I will not be able to tell you anything when I come home, but I have just given you a small bit of the news. Well, Herbert, I have got something for you, but I don't think I will be able to send it. If not, I will keep it for you. I don't think I have got any more news for you this time, so will have to draw my letter to a close. Give my best love to my dear parents, and best regards to all at the works, and thanking you again for the HT, which went down all right in the trenches. I will close with best regards.

I remain, yours sincerely, Leslie

We are having some nice weather out here.