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NAS: SC70/8/139/2
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Wednesday
21st April 1915
British Expeditionary Forces Dear Mother,
I received your letter and parcel all right, and was glad
to get them, for you may be sure that I am pleased to get
anything from home.
… Well mother, this is a kind of private letter so
I can say rather more than usual. The Platoon that I am in
was fifty strong when it came into France, and only six of
us that came out with the Battalion is left. The rest of them
is killed, wounded or sick, but only we have been made up
with drafts. They are not like the old boys.
We miss many a joke and cheery smile from C. Innes. He was
a cheery fellow and the deepest regret is shown for him among
his surviving comrades, poor fellow. I had to write his mother
and tell her some of the facts, a job that I did not like,
but only, I put it to her the best way I could.
I was lying in front of him when a shell burst just above
us. One of the bits caught him on the leg. It was a pretty
deep wound, so I tied it up just as we got order to go out.
When we came back at night he was pretty cheery. I gave him
a drink and left him. The poor stretcher-bearers had so much
to do, so I suppose they had been some long [time] in getting
to him, for when they arrived there, poor Charlie had given
up his soul to his creator. It is a great glory to die on
the battlefield. A Cross marks the spot where Innes fell.
… I bet you Mother, if ever I get home again, I will
be a changed man. I know what it is to lead a good life now,
for I have seen and heard a good bit for the last nine months.
With fondest love to all,
From your ever loving son,
George Whyte
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1. George Whyte withheld some
of the facts when writing to Mrs Innes
to tell her about her son’s death.
It could be said that George censored
the information to be kind. Do you think
he was right to do this? Give reasons
for your answer.
2. It is often suggested that
governments censor information for the
good of the country. Today we have legislation
covering Data Protection and Freedom of
Information. The Data Protection Act was
passed in 1998, the Freedom of Information
Act, covering England and Wales in 2000,
and the Freedom of Information Act (Scotland)
Act in 2002.
The Data Protection Act is designed
to ensure the fair and lawful processing
of the personal data of living individuals
that is held on computer systems and in
paper based files. It obliges organisations
to provide a reasonable degree of confidentiality
for information about people, and to respect
their privacy.
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The Freedom of Information (Scotland)
Act 2002 introduced a statutory right
of access to all types of recorded information
of any age held by Scottish public authorities,
subject to certain conditions and exemptions.
The Act came fully into force on 1 January
2005.
Find out more about this legislation,
the principles, exemptions and Codes of
Practice and how this affects people’s
lives today.
Here are some websites to visit
for information:
www.nas.gov.uk
www.bbc.co.uk
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics
www.itspublicknowledge.info
www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation
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