Letter from James Davidson (1877-1916) to his mother, Clara Mary (b.1852). Davidson writes during the Somme preliminary bombardment, noting that the 'din is awful just now.' His letter describes final preparations ahead of the morning attack, the dreadful weather conditions and the nervous tension in the trenches. Davidson requests that, should anything happen to him, his mother send Eileen, his fiance, on the personal items that he kept for her. The Somme offensive, originally planned for 28 June was postponed several days to July 1 due to bad weather. James, like so many others, was killed on 1 July.This letter is part of a large correspondence from Captain James Davidson to his parents. Davidson, who was Managing Director of the Sirocco Engineering Works in Belfast, served with 13 Royal Irish Rifles and the Machine Gun Corps. His letters describe his experiences while training in England and serving in France. He was killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.