Peter Jones was born at sunrise on a summer’s day.
He enjoyed a happy childhood, living with his loving parents and two older siblings in their small one bedroom tenement flat.
He enjoyed playing with his friends, kicking a football up and down the street. At school he enjoyed sports and reading stories of lands far away.
The war started when he was 14. When he turned 18 he was called up for military service.
He enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers during brief training with the infantry. His first trip abroad was part of the D-Day landings. He looked forward to seeing a foreign land for the first time.
On Gold beach, near Arromanches, he survived the onslaught while many of his new friends perished.
Two days later Peter Jones was shot by a German sniper while enjoying a cigarette watching the sunset over the town of Bayeux. As he took his last breath he thought it was the nicest sunset he had ever seen.
He died alone in the field and was buried in an unmarked grave next to a church.

Written as part of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The challenge is to write a flash fiction story in around 150 words, based on the weekly photo prompt. Thanks as always to the challenge host Priceless Joy. For more information visit HERE.
To read other stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Sunrise to sunset…story of one life in a nutshell…great job lain…loved the flow of the story.
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Thank you
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A tale told well Iain. Lovely descriptions.
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Thank you
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Welcome 🙂
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Lovely table showing the circle of life.
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Thanks Angie
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The full narrative from start to end. Wonderful Lian.
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Thanks Neel
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Absolutely amazing!
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Most kind, thank you 🙂
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A beautifully woven story!!
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Thank you Joy, always appreciate your kind comments 🙂
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You are welcome, I appreciate your stories. 🙂
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Loved this story! Probably happened in real life. Wonderfully descriptive.
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Thank you Rosemary, I’m sure it probably was a true story for a few.
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Nicely done!
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Thank you Janet.
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Ahh and life comes full circle. Beautifully writtten Iain, as always!
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Thanks Jade 🙂
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Incredible storytelling in 150 words, Iain!
So fitting for the picture. 😊
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Thank you Annie 🙂
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a simple tale told in an extraordinary way…. born with the Sun and died in harness seeing the Sun. the war has snatched a budding life.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/06/the-dark-night.html
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Thank you.
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Such a touching story Iain! As sad as it was that he was killed it was nice that the last thoughts he had were of something beautiful to him. Great story!
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Thank you PJ. A reminder that there is beauty in the world even when humans are intent on making horror.
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That’s so true Iain!
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I echo what others have said, I am pleased that you gave him a calm end, when I saw Gold Beach …
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Thanks Michael.
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Excellent writing – I felt involved from start to finish and really needed to know what was going to happen to Peter. The ending was sad, of course, but at least he died happy.
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Thank you, glad it made you feel for him.
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Excellent story Iain, how often did this very thing happen, young men’s lives taken away from them like that…
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Thanks Michael
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So sad for Peter . He was too young to bid a final goodbye . So many more lands he could have explored , so many more things he could have done .
We can only admire the heroic sacrifices of the bravehearts sleeping under anonymous graves . So very well written .
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Well said Moon, thank you.
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I loved how you started the story with sunrise and ended it with sunset. Unfortunate that he was killed but at least his last thought was a happy one. Beautifully written, Iain!
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Thank you
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😊
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He seemed so peaceful amidst the chaos of D-Day.
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Thanks James
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Enjoyed the story very much!
DJ
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Thank you Danny
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Great story, Iain. Sunrise to Sunset. A life in the span of a day…
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Thank you
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You are welcome.
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You described it so well. I love reading your Blogs.
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Very kind, thank you.
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Oh, another tear jerker. This bright boy survives lives a wonderful childhood, survives war on the beaches of Normandy, only to be shot relaxing and having a cigarette. I guess vigilance is always required in the war, even if it’s not only possible. I like the circular theme of the story, born during a beautiful sunset, which is the last thing he sees as he dies. 😢 Wonderful writing!
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Thank you, very kind and always appreciated.
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You’re so welcome 🎈
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The matter-of-fact delivery of this makes the fact of his death all the more poignant. Well done.
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Thank you
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From birth to death, sunrise to sunset – a nicely woven tale, Iain. 🙂
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A well told story, Iain, and very poignant. I like how you’ve compared
Peter’s life to a journey sunrise and sunset.
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Thank you Millie
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Beautifully written!
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Thank you, much appreciated.
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