Fred's Letters (Letters from the trenches)

PRE-SALE - book released 11 November, 2021 and will be posted to you to arrive on 11 Nov.

This is your opportunity to directly purchase a copy of "Fred's Letters" , in return for your support, you will get your copy at an introductory price PLUS I will sign inside the cover for you. I will also throw in free postage to UK addresses for pre oders.

For over 100 years, Sgt Fred Emms letters home from the trenches have sat in an old wooden box inside a drawer at a private home in Leeds. Who was this man, what happened to him and how did he live his life? These questions remained unanswered, yet I felt compelled that it was my duty to answer them.

After several years of research, I have now pieced together Fred's life on and off the battlefields, I have humanised his story and brought it into the present day. It is now time to tell Fred's story; as time moves on the generations move further and further away from the horrors of the war,I feel his story needs to be told more than ever for future generations.

Fred wrote these letters to his sister Annie throughout the war, they cover January 1915 through to August 1918, sadly he was killed in action on 27 September, 1918, leaving behind his wife and two young daughters Doris and Elsie. Fred's battalion were awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" for their efforts in the 2nd Battle of Marne, which changed the entire course of the war and led to victory.

"Fred's Letters" is the book which publishes Fred's letters to his sister, but it also explores the key themes and battles of the war. It unravels the life of this man, exploring how he grew up in Victorian Britain, his life in Leeds, his experiences in the military, his tales from the trenches, the bravery he showed in the war and sadly, explores his death and legacy. This is the story of Fred Emms, just one of many men who gave their lives so ours could be better.

This book is of interest to anyone interested in World War One, History, local history and family history.