EMILY was the daughter of CHARLES JOSEPH CHITTICKS, a farm labourer and his wife EMILY (nee DIGBY).

She met handsome soldier WILLIAM JAMES MARTIN in August, 1916 and they quickly fell in love. They talked of love and marriage as soon as they could arrange it, but WILL was sent over seas with his regiment all too soon.

They wrote endless letters to each other, but in April 1917, she received the news she had been dreading - her handsome WILL had been killed in action near Arras, France on 27th March, 1917.

EMILY was struck with such grief, that she vowed never to marry anyone else, declaring "my heart and love is buried in his grave in France".

She died a spinster over 55 years later in 1973 and all the letters between her and WILL were kept carefully in all those years. They were donated to the Imperial War Museum in London.

EMILY was the daughter of CHARLES JOSEPH CHITTICKS, a farm labourer and his wife EMILY (nee DIGBY).

She met handsome soldier WILLIAM JAMES MARTIN in August, 1916 and they quickly fell in love. They talked of love and marriage as soon as they could arrange it, but WILL was sent over seas with his regiment all too soon.

They wrote endless letters to each other, but in April 1917, she received the news she had been dreading - her handsome WILL had been killed in action near Arras, France on 27th March, 1917.

EMILY was struck with such grief, that she vowed never to marry anyone else, declaring "my heart and love is buried in his grave in France".

She died a spinster over 55 years later in 1973 and all the letters between her and WILL were kept carefully in all those years. They were donated to the Imperial War Museum in London.