William Donald Hoyle

Unknown

Boots 'Comrades in Khaki', December 1915, 'Letters from the Front': 'Lance Corporal WD Hoyle of the Yorkshires says: 'I have seen a few sights during the short time I have been out here, such as I hope you will never see. You cannot imagine what havoc this war has brought. It would make your heart bleed could you behold the ruin. Towns and villages are things of the past, for nothing remains of them now but bare walls, and in some cases not even so much ... You may perhaps be able to imagine what a strain it is on the nerves to be dodging shells day after day.' (Nottinghamshire Archives, ref. RB.38) Boots 'Comrades in Khaki', February 1916, 'By the Way': ' and WD Hoyle, who are also on the sick list, have sent communications which appear on other pages.' His letter appeared in 'From the Sick Bay': 'Lce-Corpl. WD Hoyle, another invalid, writes: 'I hope that this letter will find you in better health than I am myself. It is a week today since I was admitted into hospital suffering from gas poisoning. It was at 4.45 on the Sunday morning, eight days ago, when the Germans surprised us suddenly with the gas after they had been very quiet all night. I was on trench duty at the time , and had just relieved my sentry groups when one of the men on sentry said to me: 'There is a funny noise over there,' meaning, of course, the German lines. He had no sooner said this than word was passed on for us to 'stand to', and to get our gas helmets on. We hardly realised at the time how near we were to death. Some of the poor chaps were asleep in their dug-outs, and they suffered very severely. Poor chaps, I pity them. I had a job with one of the men in my section. He had got a good dose of the gas, and started to pull his helmet off. It too me all my time to prevent him doing this. I have learned that the poor fellow has died since I have been in hospital.' (Nottinghamshire Archives, ref. RB.38)