Mr and Mrs. Pryor, of Broad Lane, New Brinsley, have for the past three months been in a state of agonising suspense as to the safety of their son and have now been compelled to abandon all hope of his being alive. Not since September the 22nd have the family received any news from him, and letters which have come to hand from his companions state that they have neither seen or heard anything of Pte. Thomas Pryor since the charge at Loos. In answer to frequent enquiries from the War Office, the family have received an official communication to the effect that Pte. Thomas Pryor 7882, "is reported missing; no date given from base." The only course which gives hope that Pryor may still be alive is that he was taken prisoner, but here again extreme doubt exists by reason of the fact that the name was not published in the list of the 13th Northumberland Fusiliers who were taken prisoners. Pte. Pryor was 22 years of age, and in civilian life followed the occupation of a miner at the Brinsley Colliery. He enlisted in September 1914, and a year later - September 14th - landed in France, and could not have been on French soil more than a week or ten days before being called into action at Loos.