Pte J.H Fargey
No 153398 Nov 1 Comp
43rd battalion

East Sandling
Kent,
Eng

Dear Mother.

I rec you letter to-day and I got the other ones before. As long as you 43rd on it and C.E.F. it will get me no matter where I am. All the mail goes to the London Military post office if they don't know where we are. Canadian mail only goes from England on Tuesday and Friday of each week. We havn't been drilling very hard yet but are waiting for our uniforms We get our khaki kilts and new coats tomorrow. Arthur got his kilt to-night because he has to go on guard tomorrow.

When we were at Bramshott Arthur and I bought vest pocket kodack between us and we will be able to take some pictures and send them home. We are expecting to get our leave the end of this week. They are giving a hundred leave at a time and Arthur wants his now so I guess I will have mine too. He wants me to go with him so I guess I will as I haven't any special place to go.

Jack Wighian[?] is camping a [?] three miles away he is away on six days leave now. George Chad-wick, George Stoker and Dick Maie are camoing in the same camp.

I saw them all week & Stoker yesterday he was away when we were up Harold Hall is in another camp not very far away but he was downtown yesterday. It certainly did us good to meet some of the old Belmost lads. George Chadwick asked me to remember him to Father and there at of the folks. He is working in some pay office but don't go over to the [?]. I saw that fellow that used to work in the creamery I think his name is Joyce. He is a corpral[?] in the Strathcona [?]. It has been very muddy since we landed here but we soon get used to it and have to parade right through it they are going to issue us with[?] with a new pair of boots some of these days. Our station is two stations away from Shorncliffe and Folkestown is another big town not very far away. Mae and I went down to Folkestown Saturday night. It certainly is a lively town All the streets are filled with Soldiers and they charge the Canadians for everything they [?].

Ham and eggs, bread and butter 1 shillings 6d that is about 40¢[?]. Things around camp here are dear too I had to buy a pair of gloves to-night the weather is damp and misty and it is hard on the hands.

We certainly get good meals here but we are out most if the time and we feel hungry/ They give us [?] bread and butter each meal and we bring the food right into the shack and dish it out ourselves. We get porridge every morning with milk and sugar in it Iam on ladle[?] orderly to-morrow I have to bring up the food from the cookhouse and dish it up among the lads but have to attend all parades just the same. We get up at 6-30 and are out on parade at 6:45. We drill till seven eight and come in and have breakfast and fall in at nine again. It keeps us jumping to get everything done up but we expect something harder than at Wpg. We have very good officers and most of them are Canadians.

Last Sunday we had church parade. Dr Goulon[?] from St Stephens is the chaplain have he held an open air serve for about half an hour.

The stove is smoking very badly to-night and sometime it nearly smoken[?] us out.

I guess you will be through thrashing by this time if the weather has been favourable. Is Frank going back to college this winter? I guess Henry Wood is as George Maie is going to [?] his palce. How is Miss Laurie getting along? Does shedo any cooking like she used to do in [?]. I certainly pity Frank sometimes if she does

Tell Aileen, Cecil and Miss Laurie that I will write soon. All the rest of the boys are feelings fine but we are always looking for the Canadian Mail. How is Father keeping? Tell him not to work too hard and don't work too hard and don't work too hard yourself. Well I must take this letter over to the Y.M.C.A before it closes.

With lots of love to everybody.

From your loving son

JH Fargey