William died later that night. He didn't cry, nor did he protest, instead he welcomed Death as if he was a close friend. After all those months avoiding Death, William was finally ready to go with him. He wasn't afraid anymore, instead he looked relived where he lied in his bed, almost as he was glad it was all over.
The young soldier would never have to go back to the hell in the trenches; he could finally rest in the soft, brown earth, forget about life and the suffering, and be at peace.
Friedhelm survived the war, and could go back to Germany after being released from the POW camp. He found love, got married and became the father of two daughters. But the love for his family was never quite enough to erase the darkness the war had created. He was never rid of what had happened to him, and it haunted him until his death in 1971. However he never stopped being grateful for what an English nurse had done for him during the war, unaware of the fate that befell the nurse.
Astrid never returned home to England, instead she was buried under the ruins of a French church, and buried with her were two unsent letters written by two fallen soldiers.