Sydney Thomas Marks was my Great Uncle. He was 3 years younger than my gran Sarah Agnes Caroline Marks. His middle nake Thomas was his father's name.  He was 27 when he died. The post card has my gran, Aggie, his sister, on the front. It was in his chest pocket when he was killed. The family story is that the holes in the card are shrapnel fragments. You can also see the mud stains. The leter he wrote mentions him meeting my grandad Jack in the trenches ( Aggie's husband) and Jack giving him a cigarette.. Sadly Jackj was also killed later around 1/4/18.

The text of Sid's letter to my gran, shown here is below:

Pte  S Marks 20191

Platoon B Coy

2nd Royal Berks

BEF

France

 

 22/7/17

 

My dear sister,

 

I now take the pleasure of writing you these few lines to you and thanking you for the cigs. It was just what I wanted I never had a smoke for a week.

 

Well dear I met with your Jack in the trenches. He didn’t look back at me (unreadable due to fold in letter) someone shout out Sid. I turned round and could see it was old Jack. I saw him again when I was coming out here for (unreadable) but may be back again soon. Dear old Jack gave me a few cigs. I was just dying for a smoke just then. Well dear sister, pleased to you are getting better and I hope poor Len will soon be able to come to England.

 

Jack hadn’t received a letter from you since he left the base that’s where all my letters got hung up. I received 8 letters one night what had (unreadable) from the base. I never had received my watch (unreadable). Did Jack tell you he had seen me? Well dear I wasn’t half glad to see Jack. We had a nice little chat together but (unreadable) we couldn’t wag very long together. I asked him what he thought of it and he said not much.

 

Well dear I hope (unreadable) to all home soon. Remember me to Annie. Tell her to write soon. Love from your loving brother sid. Hope this will find both in the best of health as it leaves me well at present.

Good bye

Ask Annie to send me a writing pad

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sid’s brother Len (Marks) also mentioned in the letter was gassed in France and eventually sent back to hospital in here to recover.

 

in WWW

David Harrison