Letter · 9 May 1916 · Flanders Fields, Belgium
Nicks in the rifle
Harry Norton was killed in action on 15 September 1916, at Flanders. His family were not informed of his death for 5-6 weeks, and continued to write to him. Their letters were returned marked with 'deceased'. Harry wrote to his wife everyday - his letters are very descriptive and personal.
Extracts from this letter
"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 have to be. It is war."
