Last night I saw a post on a Facebook Group I am a member of looking to connect with any descendants of Thomas Edward Mills. The poster had a letter he wrote to her great-grandfather, a man named Thomas Carroll. Of course, Thomas Edward Mills is my great-grandfather. I wrote a previous post outlining his life.
Below is the letter he wrote to his friend Thomas Carroll. He wrote the letter on December 5, 1915 from the Bramshott Military Camp in England, where thousands of Canadian troops were stationed during the First World War. He includes a Christmas card and a photograph.
Reading this letter written by my great-grandfather gave me goosebumps. The letter provides a fascinating first hand perspective of a soldier arriving in England, adjusting to life in the camp, and readying to go to the frontlines in Europe. Eerily, he foreshadows his own death early in the letter. He was killed in action September 5, 1916.
Thomas was originally from Liverpool, and he mentions visiting his sister (perhaps he stayed with her family over Christmas), having left Liverpool 21 years previous. It makes me happy to know that he at least got to see his sister again before he eventually lost his own life.
I’m very grateful to the lady who shared this with me.
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