A STOCKTON Heath father was sent a bullet meant for his son as he left the trenches after two torrid days under enemy fire.

Mr C.W. Davenport, of Holly Cottage, received the letter and surprise package from his son, C.J Davenport, who was in Germany with the King’s Liverpool Regiment.

The letter was passed on and published in the April 24 edition of the Warrington Guardian in 1915.

“We were sent to the trenches for four days, but were brought out after two,” he explained.

“I think it was the worst two days I have spent in them as it rained all the time. We were wet to the skin and, in most places, we were knee deep in mud and slush.

“The dug-outs were not fit to go in as they were flooded. We managed to fix ours up a bit, as we slung an oil sheet up to the roof and when it was nearly full we made little boats and had races to pass the time away.

“But we were disturbed at 11 o’clock as the Germans tried to blow us up, but they ended up blowing themselves up instead.

“Our trenches were only 45-yards apart and the sap-head was only 10 yards away. So, that gives you an idea of how strict look-out has to be kept.

“We had an exciting time when we were coming out of the trenches as they started to shell us. One shell struck a tree about 15-yards away from where I was standing. I never ‘ducked’ as quickly in my life.

“I looked over at the tree and there was very little of it left. I enclose a bullet out of the shell, there are around 300 of these in each one.”