FA Colin First Father Letter
Dear Mr. Christison,
I thank you sincerely for your kind sympathy in the great loss which I have suffered by the death of my boy.
I believe my third boy has communicated to the Editors of the Alleynian extracts from the letters which I have received from his Regt. giving particulars of his death. They show that he has been a credit to the old School of which he was so fond & proud.
No, he did not go out while in the ranks. He came home from [Edinboro’??] in April 1916 on final leave when he was on draft, but owing to an epidemic of German measles which then broke out [2] in his battalion (the 29th Public School) he did not go. He was ordered to be in readiness to proceed to the front again at the end of July when he was suddenly sent to Oxford to join the 6th O.C.B. He was at Magdalen College until 19th December, when he passed out and he was subsequently gazetted to the East Surreys (his choice) dating from the 19th Dec.
He was at Dover with the 3rd Bn. for a very short time and proceeded to France on the 7th Feb. last – 1st Bn. att. [attached] 7th Bn. East Surreys. He fell of Monchy – as you correctly assumed, near Arras.
I enclose copy of a reprint from the African World which the Editor has kindly supplied to me and which may be useful to you. Please do not trouble to return it.
We know now from the Captain of his Company who called on us last week that he fought on and did splendid work for 5 hours after he was been shot through the head by a sniper.
We try to find consolation in a very proud memory.
Again many thanks!
Sincerely yours
August Cohn