From
a Comrade of Private George Neil
The following is a letter
which Mrs. Neil has received from one of her son's comrades in
France,
Wm. [Dvorty], [173069]. It is dated 27 Aug 1917.
Dear Mrs. Neil, -- You no
doubt will have been informed by the Ottawa authorities that your
son George (photo) is missing and believed killed.
I write you this letter to
extend to you all the deepest sympathy of the lads who were
friends of George's and myself. We came to France together 14
months ago, and have been together ever since we came out, so we
ere very great chums. I must say I feel his loss very much indeed.
I think it will be quite
permissible to say that we went over the bags together with our
company commander as signallers, and we were getting along fine,
laughing and joking all the way over, not realizing the danger we
were passing through until we got quite near our objective, when
the enemy snipers got busy and we lost one another.
I have not seen or heard
anything of George since, although I have enquired of all the boys
who knew him, whether they had seen anything of him.
He was a very brave boy and
if he has paid the supreme sacrifice he fills a hero's
grave.
I am sorry to say I have
nothing in the way of his personal effects to send you. He took
all his small belongings into the line with him, with the
exception of an auto-strap safety razor, which he left out and
another ... which I will send you at the first opportunity, as he
requested me to do on a former occasion, when he left it with me.
I wrote his aunt a few days
ago telling her about George, as she wrote to him quite often,
sending him parcels, etc. I thought it would be some time before
she would have the news from you.
I understand his father is
also in France, but am not sure of his address; but no doubt your
Glasgow friends will let him know.
If there is any other
information I can gather I shall be only too pleased to write
again; and if there is anything further you would like to know, do
not hesitate to write and ask me. My address is the same as
George's was.
P.S. -- He gave me your
address and requested me to write if anything should happen.
