[transcription provided by collection donor]
Belgium
April 7th 1919
My dear Ina,
It seems ages since I've heard from or written to you, and at last our days in Janche seem to be numbered. We are scheduled to leave on April 28th for England, where we go through a quarantine period and have an 8 day leave, altogether, about 3 weeks, before setting sail for Canada.
This is a very much brighter story than the tale I wrote you a year ago today….the memorable day that the Germans landed a shell on our gun pit at Vimy Ridge and I lost all my belongings. This was one of the most dangerous positions we were in, and that shell, was by no means the only one that nearly got me.
Did I ever tell you that the first position we were in, was at Lens and then Loos? That dirty night I spoke of before, on Nov. 12th was to Hill 70. The Christmas day that I spent roaming about No-Man's-Man's Land, was on the outskirts of Lens. That miserable Easter Eve, April 1st, we went into our first position on Vimy Ridge. About May 20th, we went into action on the Arras front and from there to Amiens. All this is such past history, that I always think you know it, but of course, you don't. Will go over the whole works with you again, when I see you.
We are having the most delightful weather, imaginable. Our Battery sports: football, baseball, and flat races came off yesterday. My latest, is baseball…the Battery Pitcher! I play from 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM every day, which makes the appetite a lot better and believe me, we have the where-with-all to satisfy that appetite in our canteen mess.
All our guns and equipment, and nearly all the horses have been handed in, so the boys have still less to do.
There's a lot of other news I'd like to give you, but I'll so soon be with you, that I'll keep all the minor details until then. (I'll feel like an Extra edition of the latest news!).
Herbert and family ought to be in B/dos in a few days, and I can quite imagine the excitement. Keep the clippings and I'll explain.
Now must close; the old man, wife and son have gone to bed (tough luck, there are no daughters in my billet, isn't it?)
Love for Papa, Mamma and the others from your affectionate brother,
Bertie
(of course I mean you to include yourself!!)
