Pte. E. Hearle No 10916
4th Batt. 1st Brigade B Coy.
1st Canadian Cont.
Burtrand Camp
Salisbury Plains

Nov 3.14

Dear Mother,

You'd have smiled to see us this morning. Last night was one of the wettest that I have ever seen. Talk about monsoons and cloud bursts we sure get them, and as it has rained persistently since we got here you can imaging the condition of the plains, they were literally flooded and in the grey morning we could se nothing but water. Many of the tents had to be left as they got flooded out, by vigorous goody torrents running through them. And imagine the clammy sensation of some of the peaceful sleeping [?] when the canvas broke through the pole an the tent and covered them up a struggling men in the blankets who had to do some hard struggling to fee themselves from the folds of the tent which seemed to draw together the more they struggled. Just after one of the worst downpours a fellow asked me to lend him a knife to cut a hole in the side of his tent to let the water out. We were please when the [?] parade blew as the attack of drilling with we cold slush round our ankles was not very pleasant.

Weds: 4 Nov: 14

It's a little drier this morning and there is a thick fog which may mean a nice day when the sun gets up. I am test orderly today and we have just learned that the King & Queen will visit us before dinner so that means a and to get all my work done & get polished & tidied up. I have to fetch the breakfast fro the cook house, attend roll call & then work up the Dixie ( [?] hut for 9 men) and my own little can and then tidy and brush out the tent, roll up the flaps and see that the mattresses and blankets are put out to air properly. After this is done I can look after myself brush, polish my badges & buttons, shave, clean my rifle and shine up my bayonet. Change from fatigue pants & khaki, and jump into my Tami and put on my belt as the full [?] blows for Parade at 9 oclock.

The Battalion is forward up and Colonel Lebatt puts us through the Cerimonial drill untill 11 when we march to the brigade parade ground and take up our position on opposite side of the road in massed patoons. There are 2 or 3 battalions on either side of the road and about 50 yards back from it we have the "Princess Pats" on our left and landing place for the royal party on our right.

Staff officers car sprinted [? ??] here & there & our general passed several times in his auto. And a few old [?] came great comment by staring at us through their bad glasses. At about (2 oclock a bugle sounds way down the line, and we are called to attention & not & the to the [?]. All taking ceases and there is not a sound by a bonnet anywhere. Its dead silence of such a number of men gets [?] appointed as the distant as the distant [????] grows nearer and nearer and stops at the other side of the road where they get out to insist the battalions on the other side just out of sight of us who have to stove strongest ahead. Gradually they came into sight and slowly [?] us front of the line opposite. The king and several officers [?] many and then a whole bunch of generals & staff officers. It is almost to for to distinguish then but presently they came then road and came down our own lines and pass close in front I was in second ranks and got a small [?] the king passing within 10 feet. He was talking to [?] I think it was and was saying what a splendid [?] the man had. He looked rather old and grey compared with queen who looked quite young and who was laughing and chatting away with some general she sure looked awfully jolly. When they had passed the [?] Pats we lined up right by the road two day and cheered like sons of guns as the kings auto & a string of autos carrying the staff passed to review the artillery & [?] in Southdorn Camp. These detectives brought us the [?] and were awfully taken at being cheered. I am beginning to hate spiders on little brute insisted on making a web from the tip of my nose to my eyebrows at the time the king was passing which was a beastly mean advantage for I of course had to stay as steady as a [?] although is tickling like the dickens. The men in front of me deserved a [?] through [the remaining 4 or 5 lines are too tiny to decipher the words]