From: Flanders
1 Nov. 1917

Dear Mother -

I have found it rather hard to get a good chance to write lately but simply must do so now. Your letters have all reached me safely. It is so good to get them. Your letter of Sept. 16 came on Oct. 4. Took just about a month to get here. Yes, what you thought was true, though you notice not now. It was very good but worse now. Weather is becoming cool and wet, so much mud and inconvenience. I am feeling real well.

Was so sorry to hear in your letter of Sept. 24 that you were not feeling well and that you had another of those bad colds. I hope you soon get over it. Your letter of Oct. 7 came to hand next and I thought maybe I was going to miss one but no, the next night I got the one written on Sept. 30. I appreciated the enclosures from Harold, Cecil and Arthur very much. Yes, it is rather apparent that Cecil hates writing. Arthur must be changed a lot and of course, he would be as I haven't seen him for quite awhile. Horatio Bottomley in the Sunday Pictorial still thinks the war may be over by Xmas but I fear he is more optimistic than wise. There will only be one more winter tho - of that I feel sure. Yes, of course, one would expect waggon lines to be safer than the gun positions. At waggon lines, there is no cover, just the "bivies" while at guns, we make it as good as possible and live in bombproof cellars, dugouts, or "saps" (underground tunnels) as case may be. We are behind the trenches and should usually be safer but it depends on nature of position and other things. It is very strange that your parcel should have gone astray but it certainly must have. I have bad luck with parcels sent, do I not? Many fellows here get parcels with every Canadian mail and very seldom lose one. Fruit cake is perfectly suitable - it was alright to send that as I should have got it in a month or less. Most parcels have cake in them. Then much chocolate is sent, cakes, peanuts, raisins, etc. You have received long ere this, have you not? - a letter in which I suggested that you send a sweater, gloves, etc. You have to put contents of a parcel on outside, do you not? It might be that that is responsible for some losses. If it would be alright to specify contents in very general terms, it might be better - such as - "soldier's comforts", woollen comforts" or "woollen goods and eats", etc.

I suppose there will be an awful lot of parcels around Xmas time and one would not wonder so much then if some were delayed or went astray. It will be very nice if you go to the trouble of getting another parcel and we will hope that it will come thru better. And mother dear, I know you would love to knit me a couple of pairs of sox or so, but don't let that worry you. I can't understand how you begin to get all the work done. You must be so busy. Oh, do be careful of yourself as much as you possibly can. It is nice that Harold and Cecil can get home oftener than before but I suppose when snow comes, it will be harder again.

Love to all,
Yours affectionately
R.G. Brown