My grandfather, John Wyard, was nearly 40 when he was killed by a single bullet to the stomach, whilst delivering a message. In a letter to his widow, his platoon sergeant, A. Cobb, wrote, "He was a good chap and well-liked by the rest of the platoon....his first thought when he recovered consciousness briefly was his duty, he handed me his message and told me it was for the Company Officer. It shows he was a true British soldier." Like so many of his colleagues, John's death left a devastated family. His wife, Nora, died from diphtheria a few weeks later, along with her baby son., leaving Dulcie, aged 9, Basil aged 7 and Denzil aged 6 orphaned. They were separated and handed into the care of relatives. Thankfully, they all seemed to have overcome these turbulent events in their young lives, each of them marrying, having families of their own and being well-loved by their own children and grandchildren. I like to think it is because, although they were orphaned at such a young age, their early lives with John and Nora were happy and stable. Thank you John and Nora.

Esme Hammer