206733 Cpl. Frank Maskell British Army 5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.11th Aug 1918) After my mother-in-law died we found a letter which she had kept from when she was 8 years old from a soldier. It is dated November 16th 1916 and was written from no.14 General Hospital, Victoria Hotel, Boulogne France, with the title of 564 Cpl F Maskell (or Marshall), 5 South Staffs and he signed his name as Frank. The letter reads as follows:
My dear Miss Gladys,
Just a few lines thanking you very much for your egg which I had for my tea and it was quite good too. Well I hope you wont be offended at such strange a letter, but I know it is so nice to hear where the eggs get to at times. Well I sincerely hope you are keeping all right and still sending eggs out to France as it is quite a nice change down here from up in the trenches. I am a little better myself today and I hope you certainly won't mind me answering the egg I received to day in such a common way. I must close now or I shall miss the post. Your sincere friend, Frank.
I would love to know if he survived and what his name was. I would like to find out if he had any relations who might like this letter.
Editor's note: The soldier was Frank C. Maskell of the 1/5th South Staffordshire Regiment. He recovered from his stint in hospital and and returned to the front line, he was promoted to Acting Sgt. but lost his life on the 11th of August 1918 and was laid to rest in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension Cemetery in France. Many of the men who are buried here were injured on the battlefield and succumbed to their injuries whilst being treated at the Field Ambulances which were based in the village of Fouquieres, which is near Bethune in Northern France.
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