Angela Conroy has submitted the following:
Whitley Seaside Chronicle and Visitors' Gazette - Saturday, 28/04/1917:
'KILLED IN ACTION
Private ALFRED WATSON MAGUIRE
Mr and Mrs Maguire, 60 Margaret Road, Whitley Bay, have received official news from the War Office, that their second son, Private Alfred Watson Maguire, of 1st Batt., Northumberland Fusiliers, was killed in action on July 23rd, 1916. Private Maguire has been previously posted as missing. He was 23 years of age, and he joined up in May, 1915. Mrs Maguire's eldest son, Jake is at present serving with the 45th Remounts Squadron, British Forces, Salonica.
Mr and Mrs Maguire received the following letter from their son shortly before he was killed:-
"Dear Parents.- Just these few lines to let you know that I am safe and sound and hope all at home are in the best of health. We made a bayonet charge two days ago and did what we were told to do.
My word, it was terrible. We blew up the biggest mine that has been laid in this war. I cannot explain to you what it was like, for you would not understand without you had really seen it yourself. I will now try to give you some idea of what we had to do. We arrived at our position about eleven o'clock on Sunday night, and we had to lie in the open until the mine went up; that would be about 4.30 a.m. Monday. I was chilled to the bone. The earth started to rock, just like being at sea. I looked towards their trenches and saw nothing but fire and earth in the air. It was a grand sight, and at the same time terrible. The boys of the Old Battalion went forward before the earth and other things had stopper (sic) falling. We got a lot of prisoners, and all I think about them is that they seemed fed, and they were well clothed, for they all had new uniforms on.
I have not been out long, but I have seen something. Some fellows have been out twelve months and have never seen a German, but I have seen hundreds, both dead and alive, and I can safely say that I killed four, but I will tell you all about it when I come home, for if I told you how I caught the Germans somebody might get into trouble. They were machine gunners that I got; they were so busy with the gun that I took them unawares, and I took the gun. I can get proof of this for my Platoon Sergt. and an officer was behind me; the officer told me after that I had done very well.I could have plenty of money if I had known as much as I do now. I did not bother about getting souvenirs, and yesterday the men with helmets were getting as much as fifty Francs for them. You can get your own price for anything and all I can say is that I was slow or a fool, for I could have had helmets, rifles, gas helmets, any-thing in fact.
But there is one thing, and that is the main thing. I am all right, and I don't worry about anything else. We lost a lot of men, but not so many considering what we went through. It was terrible to see dead men lying all over the place, but they were nearly all Germans. They were 50 to 1, that means they lost 50 to our 1.
I will close now with best regards to all at home, hoping you will write back, as soon as you receive this letter.
From your loving son. ALF'
He is remembered in Whitley Bay on W84.01 and W84.08 and in the Battalion History page 59
