France,
Sept. 29, 1918

Dear Mother:

Scribbled a note earlier in the day but as I have a little time on my hands this evening am going to write again. Expected to move just after dinner but there has been the change of orders and now we are not moving until tomorrow. And we are by no means sorry for it is raining this evening and would be very disagreeable for moving. Am lying in my corner of the shack with papers on my pack writing. The mail has just come in bringing your letter of August 2. Also received your card of the 11th and letters of the 18th a couple of nights ago. Well Mother the last few days have been very full to us. You will know by now that we are into the big thing which is going on and have of course been very busy.

Thursday afternoon a party of us started out to take in a line from our rear sections to forward. Had supper at the advanced position which we were going into that night, finished it about dark and then went back across country for our kits. Had something to eat, got rations and started out again for advance where we arrived about eleven. Lay down about one and slept until four then we were off and busy again. The show started at 5:20 and it was some sight to see our barrage. We were on the brow of a hill where we could see guns firing front and rear and also watch the burst of the shells in front and when it got a little brighter could also watch the advance. I will never forget that morning. It was a wonderful sight. We fired until eleven then pulled up through captured territory to our present position. Got a fairly good night's sleep that night and next morning went on phone until noon. After dinner went out with Lawson to the front line on a reconnoitering trip. Went across country in a Ford car to within half a mile of our destination and say it was some trip. Left the car in a little hollow and got over that last half-mile as best we could, dodging, running and crawling.

Got to our destination at battalion headquarters and got the information we needed. We told the driver to go back at sundown if we weren't back and our job took us longer then we expected. We got back just after she had left so had to walk in. Got in about 8:30 and had supper and went on the phone until midnight. Slept in until the morning and haven't been doing much today just doing a few odd jobs. Am in splendid shape for work for just coming back off leave. I am rested and my nerves in good shape. In fact I found yesterday that my nerve was better than ever before. I know you will be worrying about your boy but there is no need of it for I am OK and have every confidence that I am coming out safely.

Now I must answer some of your letters. Am awfully glad Mother that you hunted up my friend and made her welcome. Had letters from Hazel when I came back from leave and she naturally thought a great deal of the matter, said she didn't have a chance to get very well acquainted but she certainly enjoyed her afternoon with you. She is one of my P.W.C. acquaintances and she is a great sport. She is quite a reader and a great lover of nature and I think if you got to know her better you would get to like her. I assure you she is well worthy of your friendship. It was certainly good of Earle to take her to the station and I appreciate what you have all done as she is a friend of mine.

You ask about things for the winter. Don't know of anything now that I will want. Got a good deal of stuff in Blighty that I wanted and think I am well away for the winter. I think parcels have been held up in Canada. We haven't got any worth speaking of for a couple of months now but suppose they will start to come as soon as the summer rush is over. However I think you had better not send many until I mention them again. There is no use sending them as they may get lost. And again I may get across to Blighty within a couple of months for I have applied for a commission. Of course it may be six months before I get away on it, may be less. Anyway I think it better not to send so many parcels for a while at least. Was sorry to hear about Dr. Archibald. It seems very hard yet his life was a good one and his work was done and done well.

Well I must ring off as the boys are all talking and it is hard to write. Will write about my leave again. By the way I just heard that I am a bombardier - the first promotion among the sigs in about 28 months. Will write again in a few days. Don't worry about me - I am OK.

Love to all, Harold

P.S. Sent a few postcards today. Tell her when you write that I am OK. Excuse scrawl.