James R Spilsted

Rank: Private

Regiment: ‘B’ Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Address: Robertsbridge

Other Info: Additional name information from the Lives of the First World War website.

James sent a couple of letters home, which were published in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer in March 1915. They read; “Letters from the Front – Private J. R. Silstead, of ‘B’ Company of the 5th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, son of Mr Spilstead of the Post Office, Whatlington, in a letter from the Front, dated 20th March stated:

“We have had another cold snap, with a slight fall of snow, but this morning the sun is shining beautifully. People at home are much better off than some of the poor homeless ones out here. It is terrible to see the havoc wrought by the bombardments. I never saw destruction more complete.”

Published: October 1914

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