Letter to Jack, 4th November 1918


Nov 4th 19/18

32507/9th Y & Lancs
C Coy
12 Platoon
Dear Jack

Just a few lines to hoping you are keeping fit. I am alright at present, but we have had some trying times as you must have seen by the papers what a big success we have had in Italy. Our div is 23rd there are three brigades in it two went and crossed the Piave and two days after we had to releive them and take up a two Brigades front they had advance about 10 kilos we had to take a place called Sacile which was about 30 kilos farther on. We were not long before we found the Austrians first day it was all open fighting a great deal of machine gun fire but not much shelling as he was retiring very quick it was a rum job going through maize fields and searching old houses. of course we could not do anything at night only put sentries out and wait till morning. next day we went to with about four kilos of Sacile without seeing anything and day after we had to take the town of course he had blown the bridge up but we took it before night. We had four wounded in our platoon bullet wounds. The Austrians then retired to the Taglemento (river). I hope the war is finished by the time you get this letter. My Pal is safe. Kitchens address. 5 Beta Villa, Mayfield Street. He is alright.
Love to you Both
Harry

In ALL of Harry's letters, this is the first time that he has mentioned any of his comrades by name. I have always found that quite astonishing.

I would guess that this letter was written in the morning of 4th November. The War Diary entry for today (4th November) is worth a look.

Comments: If you've been following Harry's blog, may I ask that, at this very significant point, you make a short comment - just to register your interest. Thank you. BL

369 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 369 of 369
annelize said...

I'm going to miss Harry when the war is over. This has been a fascinating blog.

Anonymous said...

Great blog, great perpective. Have been following for about a year.
Helen
Australia

tmw said...

hey there... thanks for making this blog!

Anonymous said...

I've been following Harry for a year now.
Thanks for all your work.

Richard

Lynda said...

I love Harry's story. But I am really worried that he wont make it back to England and his family. Fingers crossed for him, so very near the end but who knows with him being in Italy.

Very real to me, even if it was 90 years ago. My great grandfather made it back, but the war changed him. How did they get through it all, amazes me.

Will definately buy the book, for me and for my 2 teenage sons to read. They will learn a great from Harry!

kind regards and thank you for this site.

Lynda, Devon

Ann Patey said...

I've been following this blog for almost a year. I try to imagine my own relatives and how they must of felt so far away from home and thier families and never knowing if they wold see them all again. Terrible times.

Thaank you so much for all your time and trouble bringing Harrys letters to us. I feel very moved when I read them

Ann

Sutta said...

I've been following since about January maybe. It might have even been longer than that! I can't believe it's almost over!

Sb said...

Great History - New Zealand

Anonymous said...

Have checked the blog daily for months. So glad Harry has made it through to the armistice. Hope his regiment is safe now in Italy until the armistice on 11/11.

Anonymous said...

I've been following the blog since I heard about it on NBC news - not sure how long ago that was. I have enjoyed following Harry through the war. Thanks for sharing his story with us!

Ann
Atlanta, USA

Anonymous said...

Awed by you & your buddies, Harry, and by the work of your grandson, Bill. You should be proud.

Perhaps all of us who have been (and are being touched by your letters) your can find a way to carry your message forward.

When this is over, I'm planning on visiting the WWI memorial in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and donating some blood in your honor. Maybe we can all declare a 'Harry Day'?

Holding you & all you love in prayer.

Vireya said...

I've been a regular reader for the last 18 months or so. Thanks for doing this, it has been an interesting opportunity to see the war through the eyes of a normal man living through it, rather than through reading history books.

Sarah said...

I heard about this blog after reading an article on CNN Online last year, and I've enjoyed reading ever since. This is a wonderful way to archive such fragile primary sources of such a devastating and world-changing experience. We should never forget those who served, no matter how long ago. Certainly, we Americans need to wake up to this fact.

Busby said...

i check in every day...

Anonymous said...

Ths has been an amazing thing to follow and i've been spreading te word as much as possible this just shows exactly how much good the net can be for people to experience history in such an immeadiate way.

Zoe

Anonymous said...

I know it's only 8 days until Armistice, but I'm still worried for Harry!

Anonymous said...

I have enjoyed Harry's letters, the blog, the war diary, etc. It really puts things into perspective.

Anonymous said...

I've followed this blog for the past year. Have never before commented on anyone's blog but am glad to do so now. Best wishes to Harry from Washington state.

Anonymous said...

I have been worried about Harry recently, wondering if he will survive the war. I have been sorely tempted to search the records to find out!
Lady_Branwyn, reading from a feed to LiveJournal

Sikes said...

I have been following Harry from the start. It certainly looks like he will make it. No small feat. One of, if not the best blogs ever put together. I am going to have to look for something else to follow pretty soon.

kenny said...

I've been following for I think a year. Very interesting project - I only wish there had been more letters.

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry for at least the past 12 months and wish him well for the last few days of the war.

As a result I this blog I searched the National Archives of Australia (http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx) for details of my Great Grandfathers service with the AIF in ww1. While not as personal as Harry's letters I was able to view his 'official' 126 page record scanned online. This included a number of hand written letters from him and his family to the army command. Very interesting reading and I would highly recommend anyone in Australia descended from WW1 service personnel take a look. You wont be disappointed.

Brad

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry's blog since early last year. I check daily and hope for his safe return. My grandfather fought in France but never spoke of it. This is history at its best. BL thanks so much for sharing this. US reader

Anonymous said...

I've been following Harry for the past year now. A tangible piece of personal history.

Anonymous said...

i've been following Harry all the way. really enjoyed it. put a lot of friends on to it. hope my prayers now. count for 90 years ago and harry comes through ok.
thanks for doing this tremendous blog.
Tony.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I started checking daily about a year ago and was sure that Harry would pay the ultimate price that so many soldiers have paid for their countries. My thanks go to him and his mates (of all wars) who fought for what he believed was important.

My thanks to you, too, BL, for making this blog available. It has enriched my life.

Anonymous said...

Hello Harry:
Don't know if you got my last note, but I'm now in Neufchateau and training in trenches with the French and learning to use bayonets in hand from the British. Glad to hear you're still at it. Stop by for a read when you can.

Regards,
Sam

materkb said...

Keep your head down, Harry, and come home safe!

Caroline Angus Baker said...

Only a few days of war to go, thank goodness.

I have followed Harry for quite some time, great to see the end of the war approaching.

Anonymous said...

Hoping the best for Harry; been following with great interest. I am US born & raised, but my Mum & all her side is from London. Granddad fought in WWII. God speed, Harry.

Anonymous said...

hi - i've been reading since sometime last year - keep meaning to go back and read the earlier posts, but never have the free time

congrats on the impending book btw - this has been an amazing and enlightening read for me (i knew both my great grandfathers, both of whom served in WWI from america and this gives me a bit more of an idea what the war was like to the common soldier)

Anonymous said...

I have been following since the Blog was featured on NBC news. I check for new content daily. I hope for the best for Harry, I know many casualties happen after a cease fire when the troops are not all aware of it. I will miss this blog when it ends. Thank you many times over for sharing Harry with us and making this time real to us all. Quite the accomplishment for an "ordinary bloke" like Harry!

Redneck Geneticist said...

interested

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for this great piece of history! Honour to the memory of all the soldiers on all the fronts that fought this terrible war.

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harrys blog for over a year as have most of my friends(we are all ex military)and we all find ourselves checking daily to see how things came out for him. You are to be commended for publishing such a pricessless piece of history in such a unique manner.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting story. My grandfather was also with the British forces in WWI, but I don't know much about his time there. Great idea to publish by date - it certainly gives an understanding of the feelings of family at home.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this with us. It has been a fascinating journey.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the blog and the emormous ammount of work that it involved, I've enjoyed it heartily. lets hope harry gets home safe

Anonymous said...

Fantastic idea for a blog.

Anonymous said...

This has been an amazing experience. I cannot get over the simple, understated courage of Harry. When he wrote he had been on "what we call the suicide post, but it was only at night", I could hardly believe such coolness (that was where my father got his bullet.) What men they were! Historians now say the war for most soldiers was not the poets war. But this really brings home better than any historian can the coolness and forbearance of the English common soldier in WWI.

Anonymous said...

Thank You for sharing this part of your pesonal history with me and all of us. It has been a very educational and emotional reading for me for the past 1 1/2 years. I'm glad you were able to experiance some of the places where Harry was and am grateful for your sharing of those experiances as well.
I started each morning for the last 1 1/2 years looking for a new letter from Harry. I am sorry it is coming to an end but am grateful that Harry made it out ok.

Anonymous said...

I have been following this blog since January and wish Harry well. I wear a poppy with pride at this time of year in memory of men like Harry. Thank you to all veterans everywhere!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing these letters. It really does bring history alive, and in such a new way. Sure, we could read these letters in a book, but publishing them in "real time" allows us to live the events in a way a book can never match.

Cheers from Vancouver, Canada.

Anonymous said...

Finally looks as if Harry will survive, although we can't be sure for a few days yet. Fascinating story, have been following it all year.

Anonymous said...

A fascinating and at times nail biting insight into the life of a soldier in WWI. Thank you for this blog that has made Harry a part of my life over the last few months.

Joe said...

I've thoroughly enjoyed following this blog. Thank you!

Joe
Illinois, USA

Anonymous said...

I've been following this blog for a while as well. Thank you very much for posting these letters. Like others, keeping my fingers crossed.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating stuff! Very interesting. I have been following this blog nightly for about a year and a half. I am very interested in his thoughts especially as they are coming 90 years from the past. He feels like a very dear friend of mine.

Ken Tribou
Mansfield, MA

Eva Andersen said...

I have been following for quite awhile now and am so grateful to be able to have had this perspective and relive some of Harry's experiences. I live in the Western United States and somehow I feel like I've had an advantage over Europeans because I get the letters on the night before they actually are due. Silly huh!

Eva

Anonymous said...

I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the story. I have deliberately avoided going back to history books to learn what dates to expect big things, because I want to let it unfold as it did for the people involved. Thank you for sharing your family's history with us.

beejaysoo said...

My Dad was wounded in WW1 at Ypres in Belgium. I have traced his story somewhat but your day to day letters have given further insight. Dad was wounded early in the war but stayed through to the end.

Thanks,

Brian Jones
Ladner, BC
Canada

Cate said...

I've been following this blog almost since the beginning and still find it fascinating! It's a rare treat to get such a personal insight into the life of a soldier. Thank you!
-Cate from Seattle

Anonymous said...

I'm a reader from the US (Michigan). I have been reading this blog since June or July 2007. I saw a reference to it somewhere, I think CNN's web page and have been hooked ever since. I know more about WWII than WWI, and this is a great way to learn more about WWI. I am also glad you kept the technical diary information separate from the main dialogue. I like the "human" story but am not as interested in troup movements or the type of weapsons they had. I have always liked to see old letters from wartime and this is a wonderful way to share Harry's. I know it has been a long process for you and i'm sure there were days you didn't feel like adding a post, but out here we are quite greatful for it.

the_jok said...

Hoping Harry keeps safe as his war hopefully comes towards a peaceful and safe end. I realise that he will now be part of the clean up and then the long slow return through France to England.

I have been an avid reader of Harry's news since June 07 and never miss checking it daily.

Grateful thanks that he is hopefully safe.

Thanks for sharing your family history with us all, it has been gratefully received

Jo in Wgtn NZ.

ceedee said...

Thanks for publishing Harry's letters, it's been a fascinating read.
Best of luck with the book.

Anonymous said...

I only discovered Harry's blog a couple of month's back but was immediately hooked. It is touching and real and I wish we could all have been there to welcome him home - surely he will make it back safe now. Bless him, and all those who had to endure this tragic war. When he does come home, will you please give us some information on what he did with the rest of his life? Thanks SO much for a truly wonderful site, I'm going to miss it very much.

Jacky

Anonymous said...

Not long now Harry, you will soon be with loved ones

Tricia said...

Having grown to know Harry and his family as 'friends', the people who live down the road, I'm watching and worrying as the war comes to an end. We cannot be complacent yet too much can happen, and did, in the last few minutes of an event.

If he survives the war it would be good to know if he survives the peace.
Thanks for this blog

Gawie said...

Great idea - please keep it up

AG said...

I cannot believe how *worried* i get for Harry -- 90 years after the fact! Thanks so much for doing this. It's a marvelous project and a smart idea about what a blog might do.

Nurhanne said...

Thank you for sharing.

Tiago said...

Although my reading is not so regular, it is still a pleasant read to visit Harry's blog and read a couple of letters and just following the threadline he leaves behind.

So, thumbs up!

Anonymous said...

I`m reading your blog, since I heard about it on the german TV-channel "ARD". For anyone with interest in history this is for sure a great piece of work.

I hope Harry outlived the last week of the war,
and thanks for your effort.

Greetings from (again) Bavaria.

Anonymous said...

I started following Harry's Blog about 6 month ago.

Anonymous said...

What you've done here is very good. You've made history come alive.

Unknown said...

Having been an anonymous reader for sometime, I can't help but respond to your direct appeal. I look forward to the "still to unfold"!

eilandkind/islandchild said...

I've been following this blog since last year.
I lived in England when I started reading it, so I recognised some of the places that you were talking about in England. I'm now living in the US and am still enjoying your amazing blog and Harry's journey.

Raine said...

Nov 4th! Yay....ok, so he made it this far. Fingers crossed he gets home safe, and soon. Thanks for helping us all learn and remember.

Anonymous said...

I've been following Harry's journey from the beginning and am absolutely enthralled. I find myself waiting for word from Harry as if he were my own relative and worry when he's silent for too long. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with us.

Anonymous said...

yes, every day! Anne in Texas

Anonymous said...

I have followed your blog for the last 18 months and have always gone to it first for the latest news.
Have enjoyed reading about your grandfather so much and like everyone else have worried about him when there has been a long gap between letters.
Wish this had been around when I was at school as it makes history so much more interesting.
Thank you for all your work with this - I will definitely get "his book" when it is published.
Sue

Shirley Williams said...

I've found this diary a fascinating insight into the world of 90 years ago.
I was in France recently and the many cemeteries of the Somme are a poignant reminder of so many young men who didn't reach the end of the war.

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry's blog for over a year and it is the first thing I go to every morning when I log on to my computer. I had no troubles imagining how his family felt going to their mail box every day hoping there would be a letter. Thank you so much for sharing Harry's letters with all of us. My great-grandfather was at Vimy Ridge and he passed away before I met him. Reading Harry's letters gave me a better understanding of what my great-grandpa had been through.

Anonymous said...

Just letting you know how much I have enjoyed this blog over the past year or so. WW1 seems to get overlooked so often here in the United States that it is refreshing and encouraging that Harry's blog can help personalize it for us.

Kittybriton said...

It really is touching to see so much concern for Harry. I wonder if the troops fighting today know just how much the folks back home care about them!
Everyone seems to be asking "what will we do when the war is over?", I'm sure Harry is wondering that too. Even just reading his letters I can see that war changes a man. He has had experiences that made bonds, broke bonds, and I hope, strengthened his spirit.
I will never again be able to sing It's a Long Way to Tipperary or Smile, Smile, Smile, without thinking of Harry, and the thousands who fought alongside him.

Fydaelin said...

Inciteful, thought provoking, timely... ok, it;s just plain awsome.
Thanks for taking the time and (conciderable effort) to put this together.

Rememberance day is comming around again and I can tell you that Harry and Family will be in out thoughs for a lot more than a minute's silence.

Thanks for the letters

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry's story for some time. Posting the letters on the dates they were written was a brilliant idea, adding a real dimension of time and REAL suspense to the story for those who started well before the current date.

You already know how much all the readers appreciate your hard work. I'm sure you could not have imagined how big the project would be worldwide when you started.

I am VERY happy to read about the book deal. All of your efforts, and those that joined with war diaries, maps, photos, etc along the way, are well rewarded.

Anonymous said...

A truly wonderful blog that it has been a great pleasure to follow to closely since it's started. I've recommended it to so many people, all of whom now love it too! Congratulations on a great piece of work. I look forward to the next installment.

Unknown said...

I've been following Harry's story since December or January when I heard about it on a news radio report. It was the first time I'd ever read a blog. During one of the lulls in letters, I started clicking on the "next blog" button at the top of the screen and discovered a whole new world. I now have over 200 blogs in my Google Reader and about half again as many in Bloglines. I don't know whether to thank you or curse you! ;)

Anonymous said...

I have followed the blog since I heard the Radio 4 broadcast last year. Thankyou for bringing this to us. Fantastic.

Anonymous said...

thanks for a wonderful blog, i have found myself worrying about harry more and more as time goes by, my heart leaps when i get the alerts knowing we will hear more from harry, i cannot imagine the torment for his family especially when it goes weeks between letters, thanks for sharing Harry's story with us, i am waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next.

Anonymous said...

I have been following this story, sometimes with held breath, from the beginning. Please, please be safe. Linda from Idaho, USA

Mike said...

Hi. I've been following the blog since the beginning and as we approach armistice day I think it's something everyone should read.

Anonymous said...

I have been following this blog since the beginning and hang out for each new update.

Kelly from Australia

Anonymous said...

Harry reminds me of my own father who I lost just 4 short/long years ago. He too would leave me little notes to let me know how he was doing and how I was doing in his eyes....I will never forget the note he left me when I announced my engagement....."He never asked me for you....courage is one thing that should be a requirement in a husband. Will he ask your opinion on the tough decisions if he lacks the courage to ask me mine?" I thought about it for a few days and realized his bluntness was the one thing that kept me from making a huge mistake. Harry not only reminds me of my father but he has given me many 'pause to think' moments. Thanks.

Bryan Alexander said...

I've been following the blog for a while, and count myself a fan. I've taught it in two workshops, and it's in our new article.
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/Web20StorytellingEmergenc/47444

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this story. I look forward to continuing my following of Harry's life. This is, in the US at least, a rather neglected area of history - not old enough to be really nostalgic and not new enough to be thought of as relevant. How wrong these views are.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing these precious letters with us. They are unique and illustrated so vividly an ordinary soldier's life in this horrific war were so many of our relatives suffered and died. Inspiring.

Julian, 34, Guildford (3 of my great grand fathers fought in this war)

Anonymous said...

I started following early last year. Thank you so much for the excellent effort and presentation.

Mister Sill said...

I have been enjoying your hard work for almost a year. I get nervous with every new post in my RSS reader. Thanks getting me to learn more about WWI.

Unknown said...

Keep up the good work, very interesting and I'm very curious about it all unfolding!

greetings from Amsterdam.

Anonymous said...

I have been an avid follower of Harry's blog for a while now. I can't wait to hear if Harry is safe and ready to get back home.

Anonymous said...

Great blog, Thank You for sharing this with us in the USA.

MAtt

Anonymous said...

I've only just discovered Harry and his letters, but I await every new letter just as his family did!

Anonymous said...

Bill - I've been following the story for about a year now and have been captivated and intrigued by Harry's story and life. The ending is bitter sweet to know that the war is drawing to a close as is Harry's story and knowing he's made it through (so far). Looking forward to rest of Harry's story and the book. Congratulations on your (and Harry's) success!

Anonymous said...

After about a year following this amazing blog, I'm a as fascinatated as in the beginning. Harry's fate, the concept of this blog and all the comments provided me an insight into these hard times I never thought it would be possible.
Thanks for the great work and all the best wishes from germany...
René

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all your hard work keeping this site rolling!

Anonymous said...

Been reading from Texas for about a year. I love the blog and can't wait to learn the rest of the story.

Anonymous said...

I have been following for a while now and am eager to learn of Harry's fate.

Joel said...

I've been following periodically since last year (I think), and I've got you linked in my sidebar as well. It's been fascinating.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I only discovered this Blog two days ago. Therefore I had a quick run through Harry's story! I'm looking forward to learn more about his postwar experiences.

Greetings from Bonn, Germany!

Lizzi said...

Marvellous to read what really happened to a real individual. We read about "three million deaths" - and it means very little. To read about one particular man make it so much more real.
I want to know what happens next . .

Unknown said...

I've been following with interest. Thanks for sharing such a fascinating collection of letters with us.

Anonymous said...

Just to let you know that I have felt like I've been on of the family waiting for his letters. Anxiety continues..

Anonymous said...

I left a comment one year ago or so, now I'm writing these few lines just to let you know I'm still here. Antonio

Will said...

Nearly there. I have my fingers crossed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the blog. This week I have read an account of the last living survivor of the war,now 109.
(Guardian Wednesday)
I have worn two poppies today: A red one to honour the soldiers, some of whom tried, when possible, to shoot at opponents' legs. Also a white one in recognition of those with the courage NOT to fight.

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry's blog daily for some time now. A truly wonderful idea, and well executed.

Pat
Osaka, Japan

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to register my interest. I have been checking the blog fir a year or so and have been gripped by the unfolding story. In many ways it has been interesting that much of it has been quite mundane and 'normal' where a young guy like me (well not that young, I'm 32)only hears the dramatic stories and almost imagines that it was one long adventure!
It has been a really unique experience following this and I will continue to follow.

Reiza said...

I just wanted to say that I've been lurking for some time now and will continue to follow the story. Thank you so much for doing this. I find it fascinating.

Anonymous said...

Hi yes i have been following all these letters with interest-great job-looking forward to the book

Botogol said...

i have been reading

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this blog sir, it's been a pleasure to read about the life of a common man during WWI. We hear much about the officers and the strategic level this is the first look I've ever had of a man in the trenches. I look forward to the book.

Anonymous said...

We can never know the true horror of the events that Harry lived through, but these letters have given us an insight into how he and his family tried to come to terms with life during the great war.
Thank you for sharing these very personal letters and letting us share in the emotion.

I will make sure that I attend a memorial service with my son this Sunday.

LEST WE FORGET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ian from Benfleet

Anonymous said...

I have been following Harry's story with much interest and am so happy to see it's almost time for him to go home. Thank you for sharing your family history with the rest of the world.

-Kristin from Kansas

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for posting Harry's letters. I have been following them in real time for over a year now - it has been both moving & fascinating. The long gaps between some letters give us some insight into how hard it must have been for families to wait so long for news of their loved ones. I do hope all turns out well for Harry - will miss him when the war ends.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing these very private letters.
My Grandfather would never talk about his experiences in the first World War - but I now have some insight it want he went through.
Opening the blog is always a nerve racking moment - but who could stop once they've started.
You're bog has been of huge value to me,

Many Thanks Again

Unknown said...

Following this blog has been a fantastic experience. Using this new(ish) technology to make an old story come alive was a great idea and it worked really well.

I was hooked from the first time I looked at the blog sometime last spring.

Thank you so very much!

Fredrik Mellem said...

Hi!

I've been following your blog for more than a year. Amazing!

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous journey - I hope that Harry lives to go home to his family.

Anonymous said...

I've been following for about a year now (after catching up on the previous posts). Thanks for the unique experience.

Bryce said...

I've been following Harry for roughly a year now, after my uncle sent me the link to this blog. It's truly a fascinating story -- in some ways I feel like I've gotten to know Harry, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he makes it home ok.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great blog, I've beem following from the beginning. The long gaps in between letters must have been very worrying for those at home.

Unknown said...

It looks like Harry is going to survive! It's strange, but I feel like I got attached to the man and I've been praying that he returns home safe to his family.

I'd like to know if possible what his homecoming is like and what he did the rest of this life.

Doctor Pion said...

I have been following this blog for a year, and have already planned my own "contemporary" contribution.

In the spirit of this blog, I will post an article at the 11th hour (EST in the US) of the 11th day of the 11th month based on an oral history from my Grandfather about his experiences that day.

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to knowing if Harry makes out alright.

Anonymous said...

read that blog with great interest.

Edvardas
Vilnius, Lithuania

ADB said...

It has been great following Harry's story over the past few years, will keep an eye open for continuation.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking of Harry today as well as family members and all those who have fought in each and every war. I hope he comes home soon.

Laura said...

I started reading the blog 10 months ago - thank you so much for all your hard work. I look forward to more letters!

Jaclyn said...

I have been following this blog for over one year now. In that time, I have been so nervous for Harry as he's been at the front lines of war. I am interested by how the letters that the writes to Jack and Kate differ in nature and also distort the reality of what he endures, which we get a glimpse of in the battalion's war diary. I can hardly believe that the cease fire is about to be called! Good luck, Harry!

Anonymous said...

I've been reading this blog for a while, so glad Harry has made it as far as the armistice. Fascinating insight into a time long past.

DPUTiger said...

I've been following this blog since it was mentioned on the NBC news several months ago. Thanks for doing this. I hope to have time to read it from the start soon!

Anonymous said...

Hi from Memphis, TN, USA.

multisync said...

Hi
I have followed Harry,s exploits since I was introduced to him by my daughter. I hope he survives the next few months and returns safely home. Congratulations, and thanks for the work you have put in to make Harry so real to us all. Best wishes with the book.

Two Shorten the Road said...

Still reading and still enjoying the blog!
USA reader

Unknown said...

I've been hooked on following Harry's experiences day by day and have been in much suspense over his ultimate wartime fate. Hadn't realised that the Austrian Armistice was in advance of the German one... fingers crossed that nothing untoward takes place now it's all so close to over. Thanks for the all the work and effort that's gone into publishing this fascinating and very human soldier's perspective on WWI.

Wibbo said...

Thank you for all your hard work - it's a fascinating journey. I find Harry's letters especially poignant because my grandfather didn't come back from the war; when Grandma married again in the mid Twenties, she got rid of all his letters and mementoes apart from a few 'family group' photographs.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for giving us a personal insight, not only into life on the front and in the trenches but also the nerve wracking wait of those left behind. My heart can be in my mouth on some mornings, waiting for the next letter to arrive. This surely was a pattern repeated in homes around the world. Waiting to see if your loved one had survived another day.

Thank you for your time and effort invested in bringing this blog to us all.

Unknown said...

Thank you for such a wonderful history of Harry and the Great War. My Great Grandfather served in the US 30th Division, 117th Infantry Regiment in France during 1917-18. By reading Harry's letters it has given me at least some insight to what my Great Grandfather endured as well. Thank you for your hard work and all your efforts needed to share Harry's story. The world survived 2 "great wars" because of the honor, sacrifice and fortitude of men just like Harry...

pandop said...

I have been following the blog with a great deal of interest

Anonymous said...

I have been enjoying this blog quite a bit. It's fascinating. Even the long pauses between letters because it gives you a sense of how distant and remote things were in that day. we didn't have live coverage form the front and email.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I have been following the blog for the last six months anxiously waiting for the next letter to be posted. The war is coming to an end and I hope that Harry survives. Should this be the case, it would be a very interesting to follow Harry and family, if possible settling back into a 'normal' lifestyle.

Amanda said...

What an emotional and fascinating journey you've taken us on, Bill. Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work. I feel like a member of Harry's family - waiting each day for letters and worrying when there's no news. I introduced the blog to my father and work colleagues and now Harry's very much the subject of our daily conversations!
Once again, thanks for allowing us to experience history in such a unique and fascinating way. We all sincerely hope Harry makes it home safe and sound. Thinking especially about him and so many more today.

VP said...

I've been reading your blog for the past year. A very mocing accont. I love the combination of personal detail with the official accounts of the same events.

I've linked to your blog today as part of my own little act of remembrance.

I look forward to seeing the rest of Harry's story.

Anonymous said...

Today is 11 November. In Belgium and France - for very understandable reasons - it's a public holiday, irrespective of what day of the week it is (unlike Remembrance Sunday in the UK).

But it's a working day for the European Commission, the public service of the European Union, whose founding myth is reconciliation and renunciation of war between European countries which have so often been at war with each other. As some readers may know, it was only after the second world war - the "unfinished business" of the aftermath of the first, leading to even many more millions of deaths - that this state was achieved, and less than twenty years ago that peace really broke out and those parts of the former Austro-Hungarian empire that had been left to rot behind the iron curtain could finally choose to join the Union, with the cold war at last behind them.

Rather than play down 11 November by making it an ordinary working day (supposedly "so as not to offend the Germans"), I would like to see it made into a day of reflection on what Europe collectively still needs to learn from its past, and of warning against the dangers of turning the European Union into a military alliance in which, instead of killing each other, we engage in diplomatico-military adventurism and kill other people instead.

I've been away and unable to access the blog for some time, but especially for the last few days, and particularly this morning when I had to give a talk to representatives of the Italian regions here in Brussels, I've been mentally "on the edge of my seat", wondering if Harry has made it, as if it were really today that we were talking about rather than 90 years ago. So I find it hard to explain the sense of relief and elation that he has made it, beyond observing that it's only when you get down to individual stories that it's possible to make any sense of the war.

The Italian front, and indeed Austria's involvement (apart from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the ultimatum to Serbia which triggered the whole orgy of industrialised killing), generally gets little attention in the English-speaking world. So it is good that Harry's extraordinary itinerary included not only the Western Front, but also the Italian one, and that this blog will make it more widely known.

Congratulations again on such a marvellous initiative, which will make the first world war meaningful to a whole new generation of young people who weren't reared on the sort of nationalist drivel that people of my generation were fed.

Rosie said...

I found this blog on 11th November last year and have followed it since then - I wonder what Harry would have thought of it all? Wonderful, thankyou!

Mary Lou said...

I have enjoyed this journey with Harry, thanks.

Anonymous said...

Have followed the blog for a good long time, and its good to read Harry got on ok.

Anonymous said...

This blog is so interesting. Thank you for publishing this and bringing the WWI experience to modern readers. Best of luck with the book deal.

Ish said...

Been following for about a year I guess, maybe a little more.

Thanks for your effort in sharing this remarkable heritage.

Anonymous said...

I have been following since the blog was first announced on TV. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I´ve been following this blog for a year and a half with great interest. Thank you for Your work!

Lightning Rose said...

Thank you for sharing these letters.

I hope Harry went home and had a long and fulfilling life.

Lori
Boulder, Colorado

Logic Boy said...

I have been following this blog. It's been quite moving. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

I have loved reading this blog, with real messages produced with real-life timing. Thank you for imagining, creating and sustaining such a simple yet deep way of looking at the past.

--karma

Anonymous said...

I have loved the blog. I haven't commented much, but I have loved tracking Harry and I love hearing about the wonderful things that have happened to you. Who knew when we all started reading this that letters you posted would become a media sensation, generating new interest in history and tours based on Harry's experiences. Thank you for this blog. You deserve all the accolades you receive.

ccesnik

Mark Sullivan said...

I have been reading Harry's letters home and the very interesting contextual coments for over a year. This has been a great, great experience. I posted a link to this Blog on my library's website and got it written up in our Berks County, PA library newsletter. I was very excited to hear/read about the forthcoming book and plan on adding it to our library's collection. Thank you again for inviting the world to share in this experience.

womiles said...

I have looked in on this Blog from time to time and think it a splendid use of electrons. Good show, Lamin.

Anonymous said...

This has been a most fascinating blog, and I have kept up with it very regularly here in Kansas, USA. I am struck by Harry's unwaivering civility and graciousness through it all. He must have been quite a fellow.

Anonymous said...

I have been following the blog too for some time. When I have nothing to do I make a point of checking in and seeing if anything new has happened.

Thomas Houseman said...

Been following this blog for ages. Great idea/concept and storyline to boot!

Anonymous said...

Just found this blog today and am reading through all of his letters. Almost seems unfair that I found this with hopefully only a little time left until he returns safely home. ***Crossing my fingers that it's so.*** Am amazed at how calm he sounds in his letters when so many horrors are happening around him.

Anonymous said...

I started following this blogg when it was mentioned on the morning news. I am so glad I did, I'm hooked. I have also learnt a few things along the way!. Thanks for all your hardwork and effort.

Anonymous said...

Facinating blogg and what a clever idea.

It is amazing how little he tells his family. Censorship and caution will be some reasons but I wonder about others.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant. Will buy the book.
V/R JW

Unknown said...

We're a bit behind, but my entire writing history class is following the blog from a university in Michigan.

Anonymous said...

what is his freinds name

jonathan STIGGE said...

im following from washington,MO because this is our history class haha

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