France, Sep 3/16

My Dear Mother,

It is some time since I have written to you but I have been waiting for the Canadian mail and I guess your letter has missed this boat this trip as I haven't received one from you this week at all and I have been putting off writing from day to day waiting for a letter but I will write to-day.

I have been taking a course at a gas school for the last five days. the best ways and means of handling gas if you ever have to have an occasion to but we have never had to et or never hope to have to.

We are back of the firing line at present and drilling very steady but we are away from the roar of the guns and it certainly is a pleasant change and it rests your nerves a little.

We have been having very rainy weather here lately but I hope it isn't the wet season that usually sets in in the fall and lasts all winter. I suppose by the time you receive this letter you will have some threshing done. I am sorry to hear that the rust[?] and hail have damaged the crop to such an extent. The farmers are going some threshing around here but it is all done with the tread mill run by one horse. It certainly seems funny to see them thrash [?] [?] used to a big mill.

I see by the paper a couple of days ago that Armania[?] has in [?] the war on the Allies side. This should help to end the war sooner as it lengthens the Austrians front by all reports of Austria does not get help from Germany very soon it is nearly all up wilthe[?] and Russia Joins on to Armania. There seems to be some dissatisfaction among the civilians of Germany and they have changed their war minister lately also. Did Aileen & Cecil get those postcards I sent them a few days ago.

Today is Sunday and in the early morning of the church can be heard ringing in the distant [?]. The French go to church in the early morning. The French are a different Class of people to the Belgium which we see around the camps closer to the firing line. They seem to be sort of a [?] class compared to the people around here

Since writing these pages this morning I have returned to the billets and find there are four letters for me. They must have missed the boat somehow or other. I got one from Aileen in Winnipeg Miss Lawne. And Mrytle [?].

Aileen seems to have been having a splendid time , and Miss Law [?] says she misses her very much when she went home. Very Sorry to hear that the crop is so worthless but hope that it will turn out better than expected.

I had a nice letter from Myrtle telling me all about the lodge and Beth Class.

At present the air seems to be filled with Aeroplanes.
And they are practicing all the time.

Your letter was written on Aug 13th and it was a good long in [?] one. I suppose Cecil and Aileen will be going to school now.

This morning there were soldiers in our battalion presented with Military [?] one of the lades whose name was mentioned was in our platoon and is in hospital in Scotland now. At the time of the [?] he got wounded and would not go out of the trenches. for ten hours after. He said they could shoot and throw bombs with anybody. Another was a Corporal Stretchs[?] Bearere[?] who helped out the wounded men; an a another was a Sgt Major. You ask me about those field Cards. Well I only send them when in the trenches as the in [?] are not very good for writing letters and therefore I send the Cards. I forgot to mention that I rec your parcel with the two bottles of pickles and they were in fine condition and were good-tasting.

You will miss Mrs Stanling[?] and family when they move away am glad to hear that the Cox family got the post office as they should be able to run it alright.

Sorry to hear about Mr T Willisa[?] son in such a busy time and about Arthur. I hope he gets better as there are plenty of invalids in this world so the result of the war besides any others. Well Mother this is about all the news I have to-night.

With love to all.

From Your loving Son
James

Over

P.S.
I rec' the parcel of papers and enjoyed rading the S.S. paper very much

James