Gunner Hale No. 85519
1st Battery R.F.A.
Canadian Reserve Brigade
Ross Barracks
Shorncliffe

28/7/15

My Darling Alice,

Thanks so much for the two letters. I received them today. We have just come in after a very long day. We started out this morning at 2:30 a.m. and got back at 4 o'clock p.m. We have been all over the country I think. Believe me, I am very tired now. When I have finished this letter I am going to bed. Two of the boys are there now. What was the matter with you dear when you wrote the first letter of the two? I am so sorry to read a letter like that from you. I am afraid in the first case you must have been feeling very blue. Now I am going right from beginning to the end of it and answer every question. Well dear, in the first place, I don't want you to think that I am always on the skating rink. When I do go it is very seldom that I skate with any of the girls that go down there. I have never been home with any of them. Now Pat will tell you this if you care to ask him. I was just talking to him. He showed me the letter you sent him. When I go out I always go with some of the boys and come home with them. So please don't worry about that again. Alice why do you say that I shatter all your dreams and hopes? I am very sorry dear if I have done so by coming over here but when I was in Montreal I was told on more than one occasion that I was afraid to go to the war. Now Alice I am just going to prove to those people that I am not afraid. I am not built that way in my own opinion. I firmly believe Alice that I shall come back again to you perhaps with a V.C. How would you like that dear? Talking of Hobbs, I trust you absolutely with him or anyone else as far as that is concerned. I know quite well that you like him because you told me last winter. In fact, I knew before you told me. I think Hobbs is square enough and I am sure that you are. By the way, Jock was telling me about that incident when he told Hobbs that I would not like Hobbs to walk with you. He says he only said it in a joke. Do you really think Alice that I don't like you as much as I used to? You say I don't appreciate your love. Well dear, you are making a great mistake because I love you now just as much as I did when I was at home. In fact, I think more of you now if it is possible. I was very tired when I opened this first letter. I thought it was most unkind of you. But never mind. I know you must have been feeling blue when you wrote it. I am very glad to hear that Jessie is getting better again. I hope she will get quite well. How did you enjoy your holiday? Did you have a good time Alice? I had a letter from Hobbs today. I must answer it as soon as possible. When I told Jock about Lily and Hobbs he was very much surprised and he did not like it at all. He would not believe it at first. He talked for an hour about it. By the way, Jock knows some people n this town, name of Parfit. He took me down there last Saturday. They are very nice people. There is the mother and father and two girls at home and one brother and another brother out at the front. They are just the same kind of people like you all are - make you feel at home. Jock has been down there several times to see them. Now Alice, I will answer your second letter. I am so glad you wrote it because the other one did make me feel blue as I said before. When I wrote to you and said I would go to the front I did not want to hurt your feelings dear. Please don't think that I don't care whether I live or die because I don't want to die. I want to come back and marry you. The way I meant it was this. I am sure that God will take care of us when we are in danger. If we trust in him, I am sure we shall be quite safe. Don't you think so dear? I love you my child better than anything in this world. My greatest hope is to be able to come back and work for you and make you happy. I feel sure I will be able to when I come back again. Dear Alice please don't sit up so late at night again. If you do you will be sick again and that will not do you know. I have enclosed another photo in another envelope with some postcards of Folkestone. What do you think of them? I am nearly at the end of this letter now Alice. I don't want you to think it is a nasty one but I could not help answering each of your sentences. Please dear don't write another like that. Will you now promise? Tomorrow is your birthday and I have not sent you any present. I did not know what to buy you. If you know anything you want just let me know and I will gladly get it for you. Give my kindest regards to all and with my fondest love to yourself I remain,

Your every loving
Boy Bob
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P.S. I know you did not mean all you said in your first letter because I know that if I were still in Montreal now you would be ashamed to walk with me in civilian clothes. Wouldn't you dear? I asked my Father the last time I was in London what he thought about me in the army. He said I was quite right and that if he was like me he would be in it too. He said he was very proud of me.

Goodbye
Bobie
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