M.B.C.H. Eng
29/10/16

My Dear Sister,

I feel very “rotten” to-night as I have one of my “nosey” colds. Thought it was going to get my throat, but I think I have that fixed now and am right after the other too.

I have your letter of the 7^th and Mothers of the 11^th with money order. Needed it too, but we get paid to-morrow. I will write Mother about Wednesday. I also had the dandiest box from Miriam. It arrived in perfect condition and contained about five kinds of chocolate, other candy, biscuits, salted almonds, gum, three jars of marmalade and jam and a can of chicken. Certainly a dandy variety and will last some little time too.

We are having the worst weather you could imagine. It rains almost incessantly and blows too. Friday, it rained and hailed all day, and towards night, set up a most terrible blow, which lasted till morning. I was awake most of the night and we had to get out three times and peg down our tent. That’s where I got my cold. There are less than thirty tents in our lines now, and when I looked out Saturday morning, no less than nine were lying flat, so we were very fortunate to keep ours afloat. I went to-night, to that sgt. with the fair moustache, who was in Smallman’s that day, and told him I just had to get inside, so he will try to get me in by to-morrow night. Just myself and a corporal in a little room, I expect. He could have put me in long ago, if he had known, but I did not know he had any rooms.

Saturday noon, I was put back on 31 again to relieve a fellow who went on pass. As the Sister I liked on 5 has gone, I may go back to 31 during the coming week, but it will be to different work. I will have some cleaning to do in the morning, but mostly dressings, and in the afternoon, practically nothing but dressings. So this will be much better work. I am not sure that I can swing it, but have a pretty good stand in with the sgt. of this division. He is a pretty good head too.

It sure would be hard on the 168^th leaving and believe me, it will be harder still, when they get over here and get all split up. This is very hard on the soldiers, and tends I think to lower their fighting power. You can fight much better, beside a pal you have trained with, than beside a total stranger.

I believe Wilfred Simmonds, is quite near here, from what I can learn from the patients of the C.A.S.C. If I can get off I will try to look him up if I can get a chance, but he gets off much earlier than I, and will likely be up to see me. It’s not funny they got a card from Halifax, because I had an opportunity, the day our boat pulled out, to write you a card or letter but what was the use. I could not tell you anything except that I was at Halifax. I could not tell what boat, nor that we we were on a boat, nor when leaving, so I thought I had better say nothing. 

The boy of our unit who was left at Halifax, and since reported dead, walked in to-day, large as life. I think he had some trouble like Harry Stewart’s ear.

I sure would have enjoyed fair day, but if it was as cold there as here, I think ice-cream would have been out of the question.

Uncle Will will be lost, without his paper. I wonder what he will do now. He should let out someone who can enlist, altho I hear recruiting is practically dead in Canada.

Tillsonburg sure has been fortunate in having very few wounded, but very few enlisted till lately.

I will have to stop now, as it is getting terribly noisy. There are about half a dozen drunks in the room. I won’t take a bath to-night, on account of my cold, but have been getting two a week.

Lovingly,
Worth.

Did you see how busy the German Navy has been right near us. It was the Folkstone - Bologne boats that they attacked.