60872: Letter sent home by Hero Clarence North

Pte. 1914 Hero Clarence North (Clarrie), 5th Pioneer Battalion Australian Imperial Force , embark on their journey to the other side of the world aboard the HMAS Aeneas on the 11th April 1916, arriving in Suez on 16th June 1916. From there they travel to Alexandria in Egypt, where they board the H.T Ivernia, which takes them to Marseilles, France, arriving on the 29th June 1916. From Marseilles they travel inland by train to Etaples where they engaged in active service on 31st August 1916. It was the Battle of Somme, which stretched across a 40Km front on both sides of the River Somme and which on it's first day (1/7/1916) claimed the lives of more than 19,000 British Empire troops. It was at Somme that, on the 4th November 1916, Clarrie received a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to the Heilly field hospital, but he died the next day, aged 22 He was laid to rest on 5th November 1916 at the Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe, Somme, France. He was awarded the Victory Medal; British War Medal and the 1914/1915 Star and a Memorial Plaque & scroll, which were sent home to Hero & Rosina North in December 1922. This letter was from Clarrie to his siter Mary, my grandmother, while he was at war.