George's final letter.

In August 2013 230,00 letters written by men who served in the Great War were made available on-line. The men who wrote them understood that these letters could be the last their families would receive. They also used them as a means to express their final wishes should they be killed. These letters acted as informal Wills. Unfortunately the letters themselves never reached their final destination. It was thought that the content of them was too sensitive to pass on.


My great uncle George Wills was the writer of one of these letters. He wrote to his mother, Alice, a few days before he left Avonmouth for Gallipoli. He died on the 28th April 1915. Alice and her husband, Edward, had been living apart for some years. This probably why George addressed it only to her. Although his obituary in the Isle of Wight Chronicle mentions both his parents.

Page 1

Page 1 was added later. It confirmed that George's final wishes as detailed in this letter to his mother were acceptable as a legal Will.

Page 2

George wrote this on the 9th March 1915 as the final preparations were being made to embark for Galliopli. On 12th March 1915 the entire division paraded in front of King George V.

By giving his full details and address it was possible for anyone intercepting the letter to know the regiment's location.

He left Avonmouth on 16th March 1915 on the H T Aragon.

The initial introduction in the letter was common at the time. He had probably been taught to write in this manner at school.

Page 3 to the right. Page 4 to the left. The original was written on folded paper.

Ned was his eldest brother, Edward, who lived on the Isle of Wight with his family. He had obviously enlisted. George refers to the Army as "an easy life". Less than two months later he was dead. 

Ern was his brother Ernest. He had joined the Royal Navy in 1906. My grandfather spent the war years on HMS King George V. Like thousands of other men he was at the Battle of Jutland.

The "Alottment" shows that George had arranged for part of his pay to be sent home to his mother. This was a common practice continuing well into the century. He then continues by telling Alice that he is leaving anything he is due to her.  In this part of the letter he seems to find it difficult to know what to say. This is hardly surprising considering how young many of these men were. The prospect of entering a theatre of war must have become alarmingly real at this stage. Sadly Alice would never have seen the letter. Many of them contained information which was thought to be dangerous should it fall in to enemy hands.

Page 4

George's death was reported as a news item in the Isle of Wight Observer on 19 June 1915. There was also a notice placed by George's parents. So, presumably the news of his death reached them shortly before this date. 

Alice received £6 1s 11d  which was the pay due to George. She also received his War Gratuity of £5.