I had a sad letter from Mundays mother this morning saying that she has had official notice that her son, previously reported “missing” has now been reported “killed in action”. It is only what we feared, but all the same it is bad to realize as a fact. He was the only son of his mother and she a widow

Last night shortly after 11 o’clock the lights suddenly went down, and, as I was going to bed, almost out. I did not associate it with a warning as to Zeppelins at the time, but now find out this was the idea. There is no news in the paper and I daresay there will be none.

28 November 1916. Letter from John Sampson, University Librarian, to his wife [Sampson Archive SP8/1/2/11/86].