Sunday May 7th 1916

My dear Mrs. Taylor

It is hard for me to write to you. I have just heard that Ernest was killed this morning, and I cannot realize it at all. He is in a different post to me, but I will try and learn the particulars before posting this. I am most awfully sorry for you all. It is a tremendous blow to me too for he has always proved a real true friend. Somehow I was quite sure he would come through all right and get safely home. I have seen quite a lot of him lately for we were in the same camp and I said Goodbye to him, as we always did before going into the trenches, yesterday afternoon. I am afraid nothing can quite fill the void for you and us, but we should try to comfort ourselves with the remembrance that all of us have to die when our time comes, and a man could not wish for a finer end than Ernest’s. This will be a frightful blow to you all, but you have the consolation of the above thought, which you wouldn’t have had if he had died in peace time. All the boys mourn a splendid comrade and send you their most sincere sympathy.

I saw a quotation in a story the other day which I think Ernest would whisper to you if he could “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”

Goodbye dear Mrs. Taylor, I am so sorry.

Yours very sincerely

Wilfred Bury

Monday   I have not been able to get first hand information, but I believe he was hit on sentry-go and killed instantly without any suffering.