From: 54th Battery, 15th Brigade
Witley Camp, Godalming, Surrey, England
10 Feb. 1917

Dearest Mother -

Just as you thought, I received your letter and Cassie's yesterday in the same mail. It seemed funny to read about there being so much snow around there. Isn't that more than there has been for several years? Here, the days keep cold and bright - zero weather or a little above - colder than it has been in the south of England at this time of year for thirty years or more.

There is barely an inch of snow here but in London and in other parts, there has been more. The English papers make much of it and show pictures of children skating in Regent's Park, London, and tobogganing in other places. some of the officers managed to get some skates and sticks, the other day, and had a little hockey match on a pond near here.

I am in with a very good bunch of fellows alright, but, of course, being a newcomer, I haven't the same standing in the subsection that I had in the old 50th. The sergeant of my subsection there told me before I left that he considered me one of his best gunners. (I have heard that the only objection the O.C. had about me was my size - he wanted big, husky fellows on his gun crews.)

I am in a different hut now, of course, from the one I was in before. The other day, I happened to notice some names posted beneath the hooks around the room. The name over the bunk next mine is D.G. Mallory, and on looking around, I found Milne and Cpl. J.W. Greig so I am now in the same hut that some of the 46th were once in.

I have not received the "Presbyterians" you sent yet but likely will soon. You were keeping them weren't you? Of course, if you send them to me, they will eventually be lost and destroyed altogether as I have no way of keeping them. I have plenty of time for reading in evenings and have chance to get books if I want them, but I don't seem to care much whether I read or not. I see the daily papers every day. We are very keen to get them just now as we are wondering how soon the U.S. is going to declare war. I will be very glad to see the "Presbyterians" but I don't hardly know whether it is worth while sending them or not.

As I said in my last letter, I don't believe we will be moving for a time yet, but of course, everything is very indefinite. The training is beginning to get a little tedious - the fellows all seem to want a change again. I remember at Kingston, we looked forward very eagerly to going to Petawawa and after a few months were keen on another move, and so it is. The fellows are all anxious to see end of war, but would hate to see peace declared before they had seen France and a bit of the front. You know there wouldn't be much satisfaction in finding that you were just too late after having trained so long. But, we will see the front alright. Even if we don't have till May, there will still likely be a few months of it. There is very little news of any sort just now, so will close here. Love to all.

Yours affectionately,
Gordon