My name is Lance Corporal William Schofield and I was the soldier that was accompanying Blake on his mission. It may be odd to be hearing from a soldier that you had no previous contact with, I'm not even sure if he ever mentioned that we were stationed together. Or that he and I were at all friends. It's alright if you just throw this entire letter away. However, he asked me to write to his mum, but I believe that every single one of you deserved to know just how brave your Blake was.
We had a mission, one that I am now at liberty to say, to save 1600 men from running into a trap set by the Germans themselves. Lance Corporal Blake was chosen to bring the message personally from the General and he chose me to accompany him. I was to protect him. His brother, Joseph Blake, was part of the 1600 men. It was our General's leverage to get Blake to leave the trenches immediately. Blake could be irrational, I always think about plans and think through all the possible outcomes. Blake was rash, sometimes he would give me a headache with all the rash decisions he made, but he was brave.
Blake was brave. Braver than I ever could be. H He kept moving forward through No Man's Land. He got us to the German trenches and when the barracks blew, he shoveled me out from the debris and kept his hand on my shoulder to keep me from pulling another trip wire. He got me out of there alive. I'm sorry I couldn't do the same.
He talked about you, Mrs. Blake. The amount he talked about his family was concerning to others. The other men were concerned about it, but it was comforting to me that some 20 year old boy loved his family that much. I feel like I personally know all of you with the way he spoke of his entire family. He mentioned that you had cherry trees. He said they reminded him of home and his family. They reminded him of you all. It was at a farm with cherry trees that we were attacked. We had just walked through the cut orchard when it happened. He was brave up to his last minute. He was helping the enemy, a hurt German soldier. He pulled the pilot out from a flaming airplane. I wanted to put the poor man out of his misery, but Blake was determined to help him. He had me get water for him. If I didn't bloody listen to him he wouldn't have been hurt, but I turned my back and the soldier went for Blake. Blake was too kind for the war. I always said it would get him killed, and it was. He was kind up to his last minute.
I had tried to stop the bleeding, I tried to get him up and towards a medic, but he was screaming in agony every time we moved and the first aid materials that I had didn't even begin to help stop the wound from bleeding. I wanted to bury him under those cherry trees. I wanted to honor him, but I was in a rush to get to Joseph Blake. I was picked up from another regiment and they were heading right to where I needed to be. They helped me pull him out of site and I took his letters and his rings. I've sent them with this letter. You deserve to have a piece of your son with you. I'm sorry I couldn't bring him back to you.
There's an unspoken promise between the friends who meet in the war. We promise to protect each other as if we're family. Blake was my brother, everything but blood. I'm sorry I couldn't protect him as I promised him I would. I'm sorry that he died and I'm still alive and well. If I could switch places with Blake, I would in a heartbeat. Know that he thought of you. Everyday, he thought of you. He'd tell me about his sister that was training to be a nurse. He spoke of his mother's baking that was always overdone, but it became the way he liked. The father who inspired him to study numbers. He spoke of his older brother, the one he always looked up to. I, fortunately, got to meet Joseph. I hope one day I will meet the rest of the Blake family to tell you in person just how brave Blake was.
I have also attached my medal I received for my mission. I would not have been awarded this medal without Blake choosing me to accompany him or without him pulling me out of a collapsing building. I know that you have, or will be, receiving Blake's medal, I requested one be sent to you with his name and rank carved in, but please take mine as well, as a token of remembrance of who Blake affected during this great war.
I know these words don't give any comfort, but I'm sorry that it was Blake and not me. I'm sorry that there wasn't more that I could do. Please know that Blake was one of the bravest men I knew.
