W.H.Bell
30Batt
France
April 7 1917

Dear Mother-

Well I gues it is about time I wrote you a few line to let you know I am still alive and kicking

We are out of the trenches training to go over the top but we'll be doing the real thing in a couple of day but I don't think we'll have much fighting cause the germans are coming over and giving themselves up. They say our shellfire is hellish They can't get any thing to eat or the troop can get up to relieve them But Fritz aint sitting back and taking it all he has our trenches and the mud is up to a fellow waist it is sure some mess the worst of it is that a fellow can't pick the dry place cuase the to high and it at at all healthy around there I gues I got all the parsel you sent me. I got three or four this last few week. I suppose you are busy seeding now All the letter I get now say it is awfull cold there but I gues you will be getting fine weather now it is getting a little better now here the sun has been shining a couple times this last week. The sun is a kind of stranger here

Say that cake you sent was sure fine.

What is Bert Brelly[?] adress I lost it and I haven't heard from him for a long while That about all I can say just now

Bill