Letter to my Grandmother (3)

The above letter has been carefully looked after by my late father Charles K. Taylor. It refers to one of his brothers, Ernest Taylor, who died in battle in WWI. The girl, Miss Hollingsworth, is my Grandmother, Ernest's mother and that was her maiden name. My father was the only survivor of four brothers: Edward, Private 16836 Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 19/04/1916 Age 18 Ernest, Private 16830 Bedfordshire Regiment. Died 16/10/1916 Age 20 Robert, AB/SG Royal Navy Submarine M1. Died 12/11/25 Age 26 I think E.S.Campbell may be 34A DVR, Eion Sydney Campbell 25th F.A.B. 26/08/1914 R.T.A. 25/11/1917. I wonder if any family of the writer, E.S.Campbell, are still around in Australia? Transcript of the letter Firing Line France 15-5-17 Dear Miss Hollingsworth I hardly know how to commence this letter to you, but I feel that I write and tell you of a sorrowful incident that happened yesterday. Whilst crossing a portion of our old trenches, I noticed the body of a soldier which had been almost buried by the explosions of a shell. In his pockets were several things - a testament, some letters and all the little trifles that a man carries with him, of no value, but which may be treasured by his relations at home. How sad and mournful those trifles seem - the links that bound them to life and are now forgotten in death. - There were several photos also, but they were nearly all destroyed by the water and mud that had soaked them through. Your photo gazed up at me as I turned them over and noticing that your address was on it, I kept it to send to you. - The soldier belonged to some British regiment, the Lincolnshire I think, for the Lincoln's had a very bad time just there and their bodies are lying thickly among the shell holes. In time perhaps the burial parties will come along and give them decent burial and all personal property will be sent to their people, but in many instances they will be merely covered with earth. There is little time in this bitter warfare to think of the dead. We are not allowed to mention names of places in letters but in this case, it may be over-looked, this unknown soldier from whom I got your photograph, lies in the old trenches, half way between Lesbouefs and Geudecourt, on the Somme front. - Your friend has died for the honour of his country, I marked a passage in his testament, (greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.) And I laid it on his breast. So he lies at rest - until the great mystery called life and death is made known to us, - in that noblest of all tombs, a soldier's grave. - On second thoughts, Miss Hollingsworth, I would like to keep your photograph. It is partly destroyed, and it may awaken old memories in you that may be better left undisturbed. I may be wrong, of course, if so forgive me. I have no envelope to enclose it in, anyhow, if you will enclose an envelope to me with the request for the photograph, I will send it at once. - We are engaged in heavy fighting just now, and writing letters under these conditions is rather a feat. Just as I had finished the preceding page, a shell roared over our gun-post and burst behind, with an appalling crash. So pardon the scribble and disconnected sentences. - Night on the battlefield is a beautiful and terrible sight, along the whole line the star-shells and flares rise and fall ceaselessly, lighting up the trenches with a ghastly flickering glare for miles around, whilst the rattle of machine guns, and roar of our artillery make the earth tremble.- The cannon thunders - high flung star shells gleam, the maxims gibber as the great shells scream, gaunt Death stalks out to claim his ghastly Right, and Day weeps out upon the lap of Night. - So we live amid the chaos of war and sometimes I get homesick and wish I were back in Australia in the solitude of the bush again. I've been going since August 1914, so I deserve a rest, don't you think so? I mustn't write about myself though, I intended sending you only a few lines, just to tell you of your friend, for you may have wondered about his fate. Life holds little for many of us, for after all the few things that make it worth living are at present denied to us - the blue of the summer skies - a little laughter and a little love. Dear Miss Hollingsworth, I send you my sincerest sympathy for the loss of your friend, do not grieve; his death is honourable and honour is eternal, I am, Yours sincerely, E.S.Campbell

本信件由先父查尔斯·K·泰勒（Charles K. Taylor）悉心珍藏。信件提及他的一位兄弟欧内斯特·泰勒（Ernest Taylor），该兄弟于第一次世界大战（World War I，简称WWI）中阵亡。这位霍林斯沃思小姐乃是我的祖母，亦是欧内斯特的母亲，“霍林斯沃思”为其婚前姓氏。我的父亲是四兄弟中唯一的幸存者：
- 爱德华（Edward）：贝德福德团（Bedfordshire Regiment）列兵，编号16836，于1916年4月19日逝世，享年18岁
- 欧内斯特（Ernest）：贝德福德团列兵，编号16830，于1916年10月16日逝世，享年20岁
- 罗伯特（Robert）：皇家海军M1号潜艇（Royal Navy Submarine M1）舰员，军衔AB/SG，于1925年11月12日逝世，享年26岁

笔者推测E.S.坎贝尔（E.S.Campbell）可能为第25野战炮兵旅（25th F.A.B.，25th Field Artillery Brigade）的34A野战炮兵驾驶员（DVR，Driver）埃翁·悉尼·坎贝尔（Eion Sydney Campbell），其于1914年8月26日入伍，1917年11月25日返回澳大利亚（R.T.A.，Returned to Australia）。笔者好奇，写信人E.S.坎贝尔的亲属是否仍定居于澳大利亚？

## 信件转录
### 法国 前线阵地 1917年5月15日
亲爱的霍林斯沃思小姐：
我几乎不知该如何提笔写下这封信，但我认为应当告知您昨日发生的一桩悲痛事件。当途经一片旧战壕区域时，我发现一名士兵的遗体，几乎被炮弹爆炸掀起的泥土掩埋。遗体口袋中装有若干物品：一本圣经、几封信件，以及士兵随身携带的各类琐碎物件——这些物品本身并无价值，却可能被远在家乡的亲人视作珍宝。这些琐碎物件如今看来何等哀戚：它们本是维系生者与逝者的纽带，如今却在死亡中被遗忘。
此外还有数张照片，但几乎全数被浸透的泥水损毁。翻检物品时，您的照片映入眼帘，且背面带有您的地址，于是我将其留存，以便寄还于您。
这名士兵隶属于某英国军团，我想应为林肯郡团（Lincolnshire Regiment）——该军团在此处经历了极为惨烈的战斗，士兵遗体遍布各处弹坑。假以时日，殡葬小队或许会前来为他们举行体面葬礼，并将随身财物送交其家人，但多数情况下，他们仅会被简单覆土掩埋。在这场残酷的战争中，我们几乎无暇顾及逝者。我们在信件中不得提及具体地点，但此次情况或可破例：这位赠予您照片的无名士兵，就长眠于索姆河前线（Somme Front）莱斯布夫（Lesbouefs）与戈德库尔（Geudecourt）之间的旧战壕中。
您的朋友为祖国的荣誉而献身。我在他的圣经中标记了一段经文：“人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。”并将其放在他的胸前。就这样，他得以安息——直到那关于生与死的伟大奥秘为我们揭晓之时，在那最为崇高的坟墓之中，一名士兵的安息之所。
再三思量之下，霍林斯沃思小姐，我想将这张照片留作己用。照片已然部分损毁，或许它会唤醒您不愿再触碰的旧日回忆。当然，我或许有误，若如此，请原谅我。我没有信封可以装寄这张照片，无论如何，若您能寄给我一个信封并附上取回照片的请求，我会即刻将其寄还。
我们当下正处于激烈的战斗之中，在这种环境下写信实属不易。就在我写完前一页时，一枚炮弹呼啸着掠过我们的炮位，在后方爆炸，发出骇人巨响。因此请原谅我字迹潦草、语句零散。
战场上的夜晚既美丽又可怖：整条战线上，照明弹与信号弹此起彼伏，闪烁着惨白的光芒照亮方圆数英里的战壕，而机枪的哒哒声与火炮的轰鸣则令大地为之震颤。
火炮轰鸣，高飞的照明弹熠熠生辉，马克沁机枪（Maxim machine gun）发出急促的声响，重型炮弹呼啸而过，狰狞的死神大步流星，索取得其可怖的战利品，而白昼则在黑夜的怀抱中啜泣。
就这样，我们生活在战争的混乱之中，有时我会思乡，渴望重回澳大利亚，置身于丛林的静谧之中。我自1914年8月起便投身军旅，因此我理应休息一番，您不这么认为吗？不过我不该过多谈论自己，我本只想寥寥数语告知您您朋友的下落，毕竟您或许一直好奇他的命运。对我们许多人而言，生活已然所剩无几，毕竟那些赋予生活意义的点滴美好，如今都已被剥夺：夏日晴空的蔚蓝、些许欢笑与些许爱意。
亲爱的霍林斯沃思小姐，谨向您失去挚友致以最诚挚的慰问，请不要过于悲伤；他的死是光荣的，而荣耀永存。
谨上
E.S.坎贝尔