24 September 2023 , 16:43
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A poignant letter from a nurse at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 has been found in a suitcase in an attic.
The note informed the mum of 22-year-old Private William Hoare that he had died after being wounded. William’s great-niece Jackie Rose discovered the First World War letter after the death of her mother last year.
The note was written by Gertrude Bulman. Jackie’s family hope to find Gertrude’s relatives to give them a copy of the letter and let them know how much they appreciate what she did. The letter read: “I very much regret to inform you your son died in this hospital this evening.
The letter informed William Hoare's family that he had died after being injured (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
A letter from King George announcing the death of William Hoare (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)“He was admitted suffering from wounds of face and chest. We did all we could for him... He will be buried in the cemetery here.” Jackie, 70, a retired personal assistant, of Honor Oak, South London, said: “How lovely that the nurse took time to write such a personal letter to Bill’s mum.
“We’ve discovered the nurse survived the war and came back to London. She never married and died in 1971 and didn’t have any children.” The suitcase, holding other artefacts such as regiment badges from fellow soldiers, was passed down to Jackie’s mum in 1980.
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(Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
Items that belonged to Jackie's great-uncle William Hoare (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)William was a London-based printer who served in the 10th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers at the Somme in France. Gertrude was born in Carlisle in 1885.
Are you related to Gertrude Bulman? Email us at mirrornews@mirror.co.uk