When you go home, tell them of us and say, “For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”

The following letter was found on the body of a young 18 years old soldier killed in action in the First World War during the battle of the Somme.

Look Lord,

I’ve never spoken to you before, but now I just want to say, “Hello.” They all told me that you didn’t exist and like a fool I believed them. But something happened to me last night; I looked up at the sky from out of my shell hole and saw the beauty of the stars, as if for the first time in my life. Then I thought of how big the universe must be and I realised that they were all telling me lies. I wonder, will you shake hands with me when we meet soon? Somehow I feel that you will understand all my failures. It’s strange that I had to come to this terrible place, to get to know you, whatever was I doing before this? Well, there isn’t much more to say, but I’m glad I got to know you today.

I feel that zero hour will be here very soon, as the shelling has started again and when the battle begins, this is going to be a dreadful place to be in and who knows, I may well come to your house tonight Lord. Look, I’m crying now! Fancy me crying! And all because I never thought that this could happen to me, I’m sorry but I have to go now, but it’s strange that
since I met you, I’m no longer afraid to die!

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We Will Remember Them.”