We were all just desperate men who wanted to be home for Christmas with the ones we loved; our hearts torn between the duty to our country and the warmth and shelter of our families.

The wartime correspondence between a son and his father during the Great War. As 1914 draws to a close, William's letters are full of hope. Well they said the war would be over by Christmas, didn't they?

Helpful questions for discussion and First World War research ideas included.