58749: Prisoner of War Letter

This is the letter my grandmother received in 1914 from the German Army, I believe it portrays the element of moral decency of that period.

Walter Markham joined the 1st Batt. East Yorkshire Regiment in 1903 aged 16 years (he lied about his age). When the Great-War broke out his Battalion left for France on the 8th September 1914 and proceeded towards Aisne where they engaged the Germans in the 1st Battle of Aisne between Sep. 12th to 15th, theirs was the first East Yorkshire Battalion to see action in this war. The records show that the Germans used a high concentration of shrapnel bombs in this engagement and Walter received injuries from shrapnel and was subequently captured by the Germans and taken to 'Stead' POW camp and hospital where he was treated for his lifethreatening injuries. Whilst receiving treatment my grand-mother, who was unaware of his fate, received the letter from the prison camp. In 1915 he was amongst the first group of Excange Prisoners made between the Germans and Allies. He was discharged in 1916, after serving almost 13 years, as 'no longer physically fit for war service'. He was a lance-coporal, Regiment No. 7555.