Trench 52, The Frontline

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MANSOOR KHAN 9K

Trench 52

The Frontline

25.10.1916

7 Park Lane

Hall Green

Birmingham

Dear Mother,

        How are you? I am writing this letter to tell you that I am safe and well so far, and to tell you the conditions of the trenches that I am living in.

Our trenches are wet and cold, ankle deep in mud and at this time some of them do not even have dug-outs. In some places trenches are waist deep in water. Time is spent digging, filling sandbags, building up parapets, fetching stores, etc. I do not have time to be weary. Three men were killed from falling dug-outs. I haven't had a wash since we came into these trenches and we are all covered with mud from head to foot. Hell is the only word descriptive of the weather out here and the state of the ground. It rains every day! Lots of men have been sent off with slight frost-bite.

Join now!

The stench of the dead bodies now is awful as they have been exposed to the sun for several days, many have swollen and burst. The trench is full of swarms of rats. I can't sleep in my dugout, as it is over-run with rats. Pullman slept here one morning and woke up to find one sitting on his face. I can't face that, so I share Newbery's dug-out. If you leave your food the rats grab it. They are fearless; sometimes we shoot them. But if the sergeant catches us we are put on a charge ...

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