Holland

9.3.1918

Dear Mrs. Eardley,

No doubt you will be surprised to receive a letter from a total stranger but perhaps in a week or so your son Thomas who is at present in Soltan will explain. I am a personal friend of Tom's so when it came my turn for exchange I promised to write to you as it is impossible for him to write in the strain that he would like.

First & foremost if you could get your son exchanged to Switzerland it would be a great thing. Of course he is quite well & strong, enjoying the best of health but he is a prisoner of war in the hands of the Germans & only prisoners really realise what that means. There are ways of getting a chap out of Germany. Even although he is ill some people apply to the M for the county & I have heard of mothers even going so far as to write to Mr. Lloyd George perhaps if you enquired from the Member for the district he could furnish you with information on the subject. One thing though if you could send Tom some pipe tobacco from Swiss it would be very acceptable to the lad. He has some jolly fine chums in Soltan, but of course as is natural with all, he is longing for to get out of the country. He is intending to make his escape from Germany so if you could send him a very good compass and a very good map of Hannover, Westphalia Oldensburg (the map can be obtained from Bacon & Co of London map makers to the Government and stick it in his parcel. Hollow out the shaving soap so that it cant be noticed and put the map in the hollow. The compass small and illuminated). Send in a packet of insect powder but be careful not to tear the label on the box. I will write to Tom somehow and explain things. These things must be sent in this private parcel you know, & make it with care. I can not do more than tell him so I must rely on you to do the sending part of it.

You have no need to worry over your son, he is a lad that can well look after himself as you know, but a little help can hurt no one.

I must conclude now.

Hoping you will pardon my letter but a promise is a promise to a British N.C.O.

I remain

Yours truly,

H. Heaton