Henry Thomas Norton - Letters

Contains photocopied material. Typed transcript (photocopy) of a letter from Harry Norton, France, to his wife, dated 9 May 1916.

The following extracts are taken from pages 72 and 73:

[Page 72]

"I am dreadfully home-sick and full of it, being so long away ... I have not had any word or cable yet from you about the 'New Recruit' [birth of baby]. I do hope you are well, and all has gone well ... Dearie, I have written so far in this letter as a Husband & father. Now I must write as a soldier."

[Page 73]

"You know dear when I joined the 'Colours' I had to sacrifice you & the children, your love & my love for King & Country. I felt it was my duty & I do not regret it. I think every man must do the same and do his bit with all his might. If he is a man he will give up all to do his duty. Oh, it is hard.

I had prayed & thought over it, and found it was the right thing to do. If I had not come, I would have felt guilty all my life. I know Dear wife, it made things very hard for you, especially in your state of health and the 'wee one' coming too, and I left such a lot of responsibilities on you, but I know with your Strength of Character, that you could do it, and so I trusted you Chum ... I have one of the most brainy jobs in the service. I am in the Intelligence Corps and receiving Special training under Staff Officers, and I will make a success of it too, ... I am one of the picked shots, but I will not write about that. It is too awful. I had to do it, as I was a 'Marksman', but will just say that the guns are awful. For every one of the enemy a sniper gets, he puts a nick in his rifle. Some of the rifles have a great number of nicks, and we are proud of them. I told you I was developing into a blood thirsty brute, but we have to be. It is war."