Hard Times of World War I-Personal Narrative

Hard Times of World War I-Personal Narrative

I live in Great Britain with my wonderful, loving

mother, Helen Noble Thomas, and my two siblings. My mother is going through a very

difficult time right now because it has only been two years since the death of my father.

It is April 9, 1919. Today in school we talked about the war that went on for

several years. It was difficult for me to talk about because of my father’s death.

My teacher told us that in October of 1914, the French army attempted to attack

the German forces on the Western Front. They moved through Arras and Lens. The

French army was forced to withdraw because of a German counter attack. The French

army was able to keep Arras, but lost Lens to the Germans. This was called the battle of

Arras. Arras is where my father was killed only two years ago. We studied many other

battles too.

My mother began keeping a diary when she found out my father, Edward

Thomas, enlisted in the British army. Today I came home from school and told my

mother that we learned about the battle that my father was killed in. She decided to share

her diary with me. As I opened the little blue book I read:

Dear Diary, Summer 1915

Today Edward went to London looking for work. I received a telegram from him.

I will never forget that moment. The telegram said he had enlisted as a private in the

Artists’ Rifles. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I tried to prepare myself for it. I

remember reading the telegram and crying to myself, “no, no, no, not that.” But deep

down I knew it had to be this way and it was the only right thing to do.

I never realized my mother was so upset about my father going to fight in the war.

I knew I would miss him, but I always thought he would be back. I knew that it would be

hard, but I always thought I could handle not having a father for a few years. I continued:

Dear Diary, Summer 1915

At work today, at Bedales boarding school, I told my co-workers of Edward’s

decision to enlist in the army. When I told a leading member of staff that Edward had

enlisted, he said disapprovingly, “That’s the last thing I should have expected him to do.