Tuesday, 18th June, 1918 48 Trenches

My dear mother,

I was on sentry duty all day yesterday and last night until dawn this morning and consequently I feel a bit sleepy. Otherwise it was quite a posh job;- one hour on duty, two hours off, resting in cubby holes. The day passed without incident. The grub yesterday was rather better than usual and for dinner I had stewed rabbit, vegetables and raisin duff. Tea was really "extra"; I had tinned prunes, sardines, minced meat rissole, marmalade, bread, margarine, biscuit and tea. The tinned prunes and sardines were bought and shared by our section from the canteen rations; extras like this when can be got make valuable addition to the rations. The ginger cake you sent me is simply A1; I have not opened the tinned fruit yet but I am going to at dinner today. Both artilleries were fairly active during a part of the night. I am getting more used to shell fire now although it never affected me nearly as much as I thought it would have done. At first, when I heard a shell soaring overhead I used to wonder where it was going to drop, but I very soon got tired of doing that and now I don't take any notice at all except to duck when one occasionally passes near. I was surprised that one can get used to it this way. I find the nights rather cold, but fortunately there is now only about six hour darkness. As far as I know the promised rest is to commence from today; in any case I hope it does because I can do with a change. I had a letter from Auntie Maggie and Dorothy today, and two interesting epistles from Cyril and Walter which I acknowledge over. If I am moving during the next few days I may not be able to write but don't worry, will you?

With oceans of love and xxxxxxxx

Dinkey

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To Cyril and Walter, my dear boys, I can't spare a separate piece of paper to write you a separate note on, so I hope you won't mind this short note. Cyril [?] of the sports is quite good - I am glad [?] won the shield. What a scream Boydie [?] for the mile - I wonder who made him go in for it? Nyg's letter is a very good one too, but the writing is too awful for words. You must have [?] by coming in 6th in the 220 yards.

I wonder how you would like to sleep in a cubby hole. I expect you would find it a wee bit cold. The trenches are fairly deep and narrow; in most places they are eight feet deep. I wonder how you would like to dig them.

Wish old [?] many happy returns of the 17th and Flo of the 21st.

Good luck

with lots of love from Bert