Dear Lizzy,
Daddy is still far away on his grand adventure but he misses you very much and thinks of you every moment. I know you wanted with all your heart that I should be there for your birthday, and I wanted it too. I hope you liked the present I sent. Hold it tight when you go to sleep and that way I will be closer to you. You must do everything Mummy tells you, and must study hard at school and make me very proud, as I know you will. Already from your letter I can see how nicely you write and how very clever you are getting. I have made a new friend here who likes to write too. His name is Wilfred and he spends much of his time writing poetry. If you're a good little girl I will ask him to write a poem for you. Would you like that?
With all the love in the world,
Daddy.
(Sergeant Michael Parrel was killed at the Battle of the Somme the following month.)