France.
February 24, 1916.

My dear Win,

Thanks ever so much for the letter which I got yesterday. You certainly are bad for taking so long to answer, but I will forgive you if you don't take so long the next time.

Your weather does seem to be rather queer, but if you really want to see weather, you ought to spend October, November, December, and January in England. It rains nearly every dat, and the days that it doesn't rain it looks like it is either foggy or cloudy. Over here (I am not allowed to tell you where) though we do see the sun occasionaly. Quite cold just at present - about two inches of snow yesterday - the first we have had - and quite a hard frost tonight.

We are in a very cosy position at present, and it is awfully hard to realize there is a war within a thousand miles of us. the men are all in dug-outs, or rather sandbag juts right beside the guns. Each gun crew is in a hut of their own, and they really are awfully comfortable. Some of them have stoves made out of biscuit boxes etc., and others have real little brick fireplaces built into the end of the hut. They are able to get lots of dry wood from houses close at hand that have been knocked down by shells. All the huts are built so that they are splinter and bullet proof, so they are perfectly safe except from a direct hit by a shell which isn't very likely. We officers are very well fixed too. We have a deserted house quite close to the gun position that we use, and we have been able to make it quite homelike. There is a living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen. The kitchen has one end blown out by a shell, but we have patched it up and it is al right except when it is windy and then it is a bit draughty. The living room which we use as a mess room to, has a fin big fireplace at one end, and we have built a cozy corner into one corner next to it. WE have a very fine gramophone and lots of records. So, you see, we are not suffering much from the hardships of war. As they say over here, the Artillery is the Gentleman's job, and it is pretty nearly true from what I can see.

Hardly a day passes but we see two or three exciting air fights. The German planes are continually trying to get over our line for observation purposes. If they are not driven back by our own airmen, they get a warm reception from the anti-aircraft guns. They fly very high, and sometimes it is awfully hard to see them. It is awfully exciting watching the shells bursting all around them. I have never seen one hit yet, but some have awfully close shaves. Must say goodbye now, as it is getting late.

Give my kindest regards to your mother and father and also the kids.

Yours sincerely,
George Hilliard.