Belgium,
Nov. 9, 1917
Dear Sister Clemmie:
Have just finished writing home and must drop you a few lines before supper. Have not much news. Everything goes along in the same old way. Received two bundles of Sat. Evening Posts from you last night. Many thanks. I certainly enjoy some of the articles and stories in it. Also received your parcel containing socks, tobacco, sterno, the battery for the flashlight etc. a couple of nights ago. Many thanks. I certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness very much. The socks were fine and the tobacco was the real thing. Nothing could be more welcome out here than a good smoke of Forest and Stream. The sterno comes in good at any time for O.P. work for as a rule we are not allowed to have a fire at
O. P. It has been especially welcome up here for I have been out forward twice on liaison duty with the infantry and on a part of our first trip especially a fire was out of the question and we could only make a drink of hot tea to warm us up by using tinned heat. The battery for the flashlight was also welcome for the nights lately have been dark and wet and a flashlight comes in very handy.
Had a letter from Albert last night written from Dalhousie. He spoke of Angus Gillis being in Dal also. Also mentioned seeing Claude. It is too bad that he can't get across when he is so anxious to come. I saw some figures on the first draft yesterday. No doubt you will have seen them. Some showing for Canada eh? Out off 157000 who registered, 144000 applied for exemptions, the remainder 13000 responding for service.
Saw Dave Miller and that bunch a few days ago. They are quite near us now, in fact their billets are only about two hundred and fifty yards from ours. You know up here we are not billeted at the guns. The mud is so bad that deep dugouts are impossible and so we are billeted three or four miles back and go up on duty for twenty-four hours at a time. The mud is the worst enemy we have here for although things have been quite interesting they would not be bad if everything was dry and clear.
I am off duty for two or three days. Got a touch our gas while out on liaison duty and was feeling kind of seedy when I got in yesterday morning. Not bad enough to go down the line with, but just enough to make me feel miserable for a couple of days. The chap who was out with me, Harper, got it worse than I and went down to hospital. I'm feeling much better today and by tomorrow expect to be OK again.
Well Clemmie I don't think there is any news and it is supper time so we'll say au revoir for now. Will write again in a few days.
Love to all from, Harold
