William Hughes from Bow Street, Ceredigion, volunteered for the army in 1914 and served with the Royal Engineers. During the war he wrote a series of letters to a childhood friend, T I Rees (who was in the diplomatic service, based at the British embassy in Venezuela). In these letters, which were mostly written in Welsh, one can trace not only William's physical movements, but also how his mood and attitude towards the war changed. In this letter William describes the conditions he is living in, eg. 'Yr wyf yn y ffosydd unwaith eto ac yn byw mewn llaid di-arbed ond mae ychydig obaith fel mae y dydd yn ymestyn' ('I am in the trenches once more and living in endless mud, but there is a little hope coming as the days lengthen').