The times were dreadfully hard for all those of the working classes, mothers depended on their sons for work and money to buy food, pay the rent and live some form of normal life, but it was never to be for the hundreds of thousands of families scattered across the length and breadth of Britain, they lived on the poverty line, worrying about the food for the next day, where would the rent money come from, how would they feed their beloved children?

These extreme difficulties caused severe anxiety and confronted everyone during these drastic times of near poverty and hardship, but life continued on, the war was soon to bring disaster for those mothers left behind who worried constantly about their beloved sons fighting a war that was to become a bloodbath of an unforgivable nature.

Mothers across the land waited in great fear and trepidation for the early morning post…would the kind and friendly postman bring them the simple buff telegram notifying them of their beloved sons death, which would destroy their souls and break their hearts?

For none, was there greater anguish than for the mother of the five sons and three daughters from Great Rissington...Mrs Julia Annie Souls, whose five sons had decided that their duty was for the their country, each son signed up to join the millions now ready to fight and come what may, defeat the dreaded foe.

A mother devoted to her children, who had given birth to these five precious sons, who had watched them grow up into fine young men, now saw them marching off to a war that was far away in a distant land. Her heart grieving for the safety of her sons, she was left to her own bitter sadness in tears of despair when alone, hoping beyond all hope, that the they would all come back safely to her, then and only then would she have peace of mind, she could rejoice with them and hold them close as she did when they were babies in arms.

All to soon the war had begun and her sons were there to fight the battle of their lives, their fellow soldiers and friends fell before them as they carried on the fight in the horrific throes of this First World War.

Before long the dreaded knock at the door came for Annie Souls and her husband William, the postman had arrived with the buff coloured envelope, a telegram from the War Office…Number B18402…Notifying them of the death of one of their sons…