Dear Unknown Warrior,

My name is Estella Lally and I would like to say thank you so much for fighting for Britain and for what you have done in honouring Great Britain and the people around in the First World War. Your honour is a symbol of bravery and you symbolise the other many soldiers just like you who fought for their country.   

Every 10th November since 1920, you and the other many soldiers, unidentified, are remembered for fighting the First World War and my letter today is to say how grateful your country Britain is. If only you see the world now. The country you saved. How would you react? Proud? Disappointed?

I can't quite imagine how terrified soldiers like you must have been, going off to France when it was probably your first time ever and you probably had no idea what terror lay there. The hurtling rush of vicious bullets and bombs, the sight of rich, red blood and the squelch of mud and sludge in trenches. Bodies pumped with adrenaline and feelings of sadness. I don't think anyone could imagine unless the real soldiers like you. 

If you could know now what has become of you, would you be proud? For giving up your life for others? How can I find the words but thank you? It means more than that.

You were once in the comfort of your home. Probably with ambitions and dreams. When you got that formal letter in the post and heard of the words ‘war'. How did you feel?  Excited? Panic-stricken? Only a real soldier could say.

How does it feel to be unknown but with high honour? And in your moments before you died, what did you think of? Watching the battlefield in front of you turn into a mass destruction. The other soldiers far from home. Praying to live another day. 

War has been described in many ways and the picture is clearly negative. But no matter how many stories and books and letters were written, what was the truth? Only the people who fought and saw war with their eyes could say the truth.

Never again would you and others see the sun rise, hear the laughter of men and the sounds of wind and rain. You are brave. You are noble. Fearless and daring to endure the terrors of war. You are a warrior. 

I'm sure the many, many letters you shall receive are pretty similar to mine and as you can see, I think the clear message to you is thank you. You have suffered a great deal and if only you could see the grand Westminster Abbey of England today where you lie. You now rest in peace although I can imagine your end of life was probably not one of the best and one of the many reasons why you were so brave. Thank you, thank you.

God bless you,

Estella

 

Estella Lally

The King’s School, Chester

Year 9