15 days after she received a letter from Edward Campbell about the disappearance of her son, Fanny sent a letter to her daughter with good news … David is alive!

Extract from WW1 letter dated 27 July 1917
From Fanny in Balham to Ethel Linn in USA

“My darling Ethel,

I see in this week’s Weekly Times … that David is a prisoner in German hands … I do hope they will be kind to all of them … I am fairly well … Hoping all is well with you all …”

Unfortunately, Ethel receives another letter from her mother three days later with a bad news…

Extract from WW1 letter dated 30 July 1917
From Fanny in Balham to Ethel Linn in USA

“My darling Ethel,

I feel so sorry, we had the paragraph in the Weekly Times wrong … So as far as we know he is still wounded and missing … So I must wait … But in my own thoughts he is killed … The box of chocolates I sent to David on the 6 of July has been returned marked Missing … I know I am not the only Mother who son is gone …”