Private Lewis Pope, 8th Bedfordshire Regiment

I got the paper on Tuesday morning and while I was busy reading it the Germans sent a shell over and smothered it in dirt., so that I had to give it over. They won’t let you have a minute. We are going to get relieved on Sunday, so we shall get a rest. I don’t see anything of Walter Nutcher. George is not with us, he was left behind. We are over our shoe tops in mud and have to stand in that day and night. We don’t get clean things to put on, its three weeks since I had a clean shirt on. We are as cunning as bears and as happy as sand boys, it is no good to be any other. Tell Harry, Sergeant Crowley got killed on Sunday night. Thank you very much for the parcel. We have had no sleep since we have been in the trenches, we get tired we can’t sleep. I am just going to cook my dinner, as soon as they see the smoke they will send a shell over to fill my pot up.