Roffey Camp, Horsham
January 2nd, 1916
Dear Everybody
Just a line tonight as it is 8:30 and I have only pass until about 9, then must beat it for Camp. You will wonder where I am? Lawson, Warren, Roy McKay and I have duckiest little room all to ourselves. We rented it last week for studying and writing and it is certainly great. We have an open fireplace, a table, two big easy chairs, and a lounge, so you see we can be comfortable and be oneself even when in England. I just wish you could see us and you would not worry about us. We are certainly enjoying ourselves immensely. And guess how much this costs us. Only three shillings a week for the four
of us, or 30 cents a week each. It is one Mrs. Chamberlain, a widow who owns it and she and her little daughter who is about 14 have a little lunch room where one can get an excellent lunch very cheap. They have just found out what baked beans are in this country and we have had them in mess a couple of times. Hardly anyone had ever seen them before but Mrs. Chamberlain makes them very well, the best I have tasted since I left home and they are certainly quite a treat.
Received your parcel today and the socks are fine. Many thanks for them. The candy was also quite a treat. Received the bundle of World Wides a few days ago. When you are sending papers send them at newspaper rates. I don't know what they are in Canada. They are three cents a pound here. Somewhere about the same in Canada I think. Had a letter from Aunt Clemmie and card from Clemmie yesterday. Have been very fortunate so far
in getting mail. Have had a letter for Mr. Taylor, Mr. Cross, Nelson, Murdoch and I don't know the who all. It is quite a job to answer them all but I tried to manage it.
Don't think I have much news. Things are going along in the same old groove without much of interest happening. We have increased the number of telephonists the last couple of days and No.97 battery which had not as many as us had to double its number. This will cause a further delay in our getting away from here. However I hope that if nothing more comes up we will see action early in April.
No doubt you were hearing all kinds of stories about us in P.E. Island. Letters are coming all the time asking if this, that or the other thing is true, if we are divided into infantry, if our officers have been reduced, if we are at the front now and all that sort of nonsense. Well, we aren't going as infantry. A few are for members are going in the field artillery, a few have been transferred to No. 1 battery for specialists and the remainder, about 175 are still with us. As for our officers they are the best of any battery here and instead of being reduced and sent home there is likely a promotion and a step higher up for all of them in the near future.
You know how stories went in Charlottetown. Well it's just the same here and once started, even if there is absolutely no foundation for them the stories soon get big. For instance one of the Halifax fellows received a letter yesterday from home written over two weeks ago, and it has been reported in Halifax that their battery had been in action and that there had been three casualties in an engagement in which they showed conspicuous bravery. How such a story started is hard to imagine but it will give you and idea of how foolish and false most of the stories are.
We have been studying a little for our class which we take on Friday night in the YMCA. It is coming along very well and I hope it will be a means of doing some little good; in fact I know that it will for no effort however small put forward in such a cause can be without results
Must close now for tonight. Will write you soon. Lots and lots of love to all
from your loving soldier son, Harold
