WWI British Letters. Killed in Action 1 July 1916 at the Somme. 7th Bedfords BEF

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WWI British Letters. Killed in Action 1 July 1916 at the Somme. 7th Bedfords BEF:
$110.00

Rare letters, including frontline content from the trenches. German shelling and more. Killed in Action at the Somme on July 1st, 1916, in the attack at Serre. 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. 18th (Eastern) Division B.E.F. *** Please be sure to read the full detailed item description provided. Click below on \"Item description\". a.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:hover.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:visited.imagelink {color:#800080;} a.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #0000FF; } a:visited.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #800080; }

*** Please see my other listings for more Active Service military letters.

   This is an extremely rare grouping of four original First World War British letters, with frontline content and much more, written by a soldier who was killed in action in the attack at the Somme on July 1st, 1916. This soldier served in the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, in the 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division. This soldier first arrived at the front with his battalion in the summer of 1915, serving in the trenches until his death in 1916.

There are four original letters in this grouping, contained in a single June 1916 \"On Active Service\" cover sent from the Somme. The cover is signed by this soldier. The letters span the period from late 1914 (shortly after this soldier entered the army) to 1916 (shortly before his death).

*** The attack made by the 18th (Eastern) Division on 1 July 1916, in which this soldier was killed, was one of the few British successes on the first day at the Somme. However, the division did suffer considerable casualties, including the soldier who wrote these letters.

   The grouping includes a letter written in France in late March 1916, just three months before the Somme attack in which this soldier was killed. He explains that they had been heavily shelled by the Germans while leaving the trenches for a rest, and that he had been very fortunate to escape unharmed:

\"We are out of the trenches for a few days, but when we were leaving the trenches I really began to wonder if we should all arrive here safely, as the Germans spotted us and started sending over shrapnel and whizzbangs in galore. The first of them fell about twenty yards to our right, and it is really a wonder none of us caught some of the flying bits. That was merely a prelude, and very shortly the sky above us was lit with bursting shrapnel, but by the most marvellous luck no one was hurt.\"

In the same letter this soldier writes of training in the trenches with Mills bombs. He didn\'t feel that he had done very well with bomb throwing. He had not thrown them well enough to qualify as a bomber:

\"How did Billy get on his bombing exam? We had ours a few weeks ago - that is to say the signallers, officer\'s servants etc, but am afraid I could not throw them far enough to merit the wearing of the bomber\'s badge on my arm. However, I have two little Flags there, which is quite enough for me!\"

   There are also three excellent letters written by this soldier before he went overseas to France. The earliest was written in October 1914, shortly after he entered the army. This soldier had been ill, but states that: \"However, I must live up to the good old \'Cheer up\' motto\". There is content in which he suggests (jokingly) that his girl should enlist \"and help to have a smack at the Kaiser\". He explains that the men were very proud of their new scarlet and blue uniforms (there were not at first enough khaki uniforms available to outfit all of the New Army battalions). He expected the enthusiasm to diminish when they had to start caring for those uniforms in the field. He states that they had also been issued rifles:

\"We all feel very proud now, as we are togged up in bright red tunics, and blue trousers with a red stripe down the side. I am afraid that it will be a terrible job keeping them clean...
We were served out with rifles today, so it looks as if they really meant business, doesn\'t it?\"

   Another letter, 4 pages long, was written in March 1915, at Colchester, Essex. This is an outstanding letter, with good content about training, and an emotional segment in which this soldier states that, although he hoped that the war would soon end, he expected that after it was over he and his girl would both be proud that he had gone to do his part:

\"When I left you to join the army I was nearly broken-hearted, but I have got over that now. But I can\'t tell you how glad I shall be when it is all over. But I think that when that time does come, I think that we shall both be very glad that I went. Without flattering you dear, I must say that your influence has done a great deal to help me to keep straight since becoming a soldier.\"

   The final letter, two pages long, was written in Norwich in May 1915, shortly before this soldier went to France. This letter bears the return address of a family with whom this soldier was billeted.

*** These scarce original letters were written by 16184 Signaller Herbert Prior Stancliff, C Company, 7th Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment, 18th (Eastern) Division, British Expeditionary Force. Signaller Stancliff enlisted in the opening days of the war, even though he was not yet eighteen years old. He arrived in France with his battalion in the late summer of 1915, and served in the trenches with his battalion until the 1st of July 1916, when he was mortally wounded early in the attack at the Somme.

*** Please note that the newspaper clipping shown in the images is shown for information purposes only. It is not included in the listing.

An extremely scarce grouping of original First World War British letters, written by a soldier in the Bedfordshire Regiment who was killed in action in the July 1st, 1916, attack at the Somme.

Buyer pays shipping, $3.00 in Canada, $4.00 to the United States, $5.00 Worldwide. Immediate payment is required for this listing. I accept Paypal only. Thank you.

Please Note: Canadian customers will be required to pay applicable GST/HST on all purchases. Please contact me if you have any questions. sell!
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