Letters From the Front

Dated: July 11, 1916

Bramshott, Eng.
July 11^th, 1916

Dear Dr. and Mrs. Clark:

By this time you have undoubtedly been informed as to Paul's noble death. I have tried to write you time after time, but could not bring myself to it until I knew exactly what his fate had been. I don't know what I can say to comfort you. He died doing his duty, faithfully and well. There is nothing, no unkind deed, no evil action on which he could look back with regret. He led one of the purest most blameless lives of anyone I knew. Paul was held in the highest esteem by everyone with whom he came into contact, and "Pete" and I who knew him so well, miss him terribly. After being almost constantly with him for close on ten years, it is awfully hard to be thus parted from him.

You would like to know how it all happened, I know, so I will endeavour to tell you, to the best of my ability.

Paul was in charge of one or two guns in trench 58 or 59, to the right of Sanctuary Wood. The bombardment started about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 2^nd. The trenches were everywhere laid flat; the communication and support trenches were also shattered; but by some chance the gun with which Paul was, escaped injury. Time after time they fired on the Germans as they tried to advance. Man after man on the Crew was killed or wounded. What men there were, from the last C.M.R., left in the trench, were without officers or N.C.O.'s, so Paul took charge of the whole business. He directed everything and was the coolest man in the whole trench. McKenzie; one of those who was left with him, was hit in both legs. Paul dressed up his wounds and made him leave the trench and get down to the dressing station. He left abut 2:30 in the afternoon and managed to get down, he could not explain how, so terrible was the shell fire. When he left Paul was taking his ease on an ammunition box in what was left of the trench. One man, Bouthillier by name, was left with him. The Germans had tried unsuccessfully to advance and had been stopped by the fire of Paul's gun. They had to retreat, and the artillery shelled the place once more. They then advanced, and Paul jumped up on the parapet and fired the gun until he was hit through the head. Bouthillier says he threw the gun into the bottom of the trench, into the mud, and managed to reach our next line.

This is in short the story of how he met his death. What we will never know, is what became of his body. His memory will live forever with all those who know of his heroism. The gun of which he was in charge was specially mentioned by the G.O.C. for the good work which it had done.

I couldn't write before, for I did not wish to raise your hopes and everything was very indefinite.

Paul was to have received his commission in the 5^th. Mr. Meurling , our old officer wanted him to come back to the Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery, with which I am now, as a commissioned officer, and he would most likely have done so. We would then have been quite close together.

Paul was the best friend I have ever had or expect to have. Kind hearted, thoughtful, generous, a clean thinker and a clean liver, he was all that a man should be. Those with whom he was associated thought the world of him and would have done anything for him.

His death was worthy of him. May God comfort you and sustain you in your loss. I feel his loss terribly so can imagine in part how you must feel.

Give my love and sympathy to Willie, Alan and Helen, and accept my very deepest sympathy.

Sorrowfully yours,

Billy Nicholson