These two pieces of writing are by Stella Sukkel and Leah Harrison in Year 7/8DGN.

Belgium, front line, 8th May, 1944

My dear loved ones

I am here writing to you, to tell you how terrible war is.

Every day, I see men screaming in terror, rats nibbling on dead bodies of some of the members of the troop and blood everywhere. I hear bullets exploding around me, screaming machine guns and my friends crying in pain.

“Will I ever return home to see you and my two daughters?” This thought haunts me.

The call comes, get ready to attack!

My heart pounds like a drum, my sweat is tickling down my throat and my legs are shaking with fear. We are all on the muddy battlefields in Belgium. BANG! My best mate, Jack got hit.

I ran over to him and held his hand

“Jack!”, I said,

“You will be alright”.

’”Could you please take this note to my family?” he said weakly

I promised I would.

Then Jack closed his eyes and never opened them again.

I cried a lot that day.

On the way back to the trenches I found Jack’s helmet in the mud. As I bent to pick it up a german soldier shot me in the back. This was the last thing I remembered before I collapsed into darkness.

I never got to see my wife and children. My helmet is still at the battlefield.

by Stella

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My vision becomes clouded. I could only see the blurry lights of explosions and gun fires. I slouch with my back leaned hard against the dirt wall of the trench, a heavy loaded gun in my shaking hands. I am surrounded by rushing soldiers and falling bullet shells. Smoke and fire fill my nose and lungs and I take deep controlling breaths. With a sense of striking fear, I face my opponents and shoot my gun. The pounding in my head thumps as every bullet escapes my gun. Seconds turn into minutes as we all continue to fight. A strong bitter metallic taste fills my mouth, my ears ring and I collapse to the hard ground. I lay unconscious. The sounds fade. And the pain releases as I take my last breath. 

By Leah