Witley Camp

Oct. 11th 1916
Dear Mother and Dad: -

I received your welcome letter today together with a letter from Margaret. I was very glad to get it. I have just sent you a long letter. I'm agraid you will be longing for a letter a long time before you get either of my letters. It takes about two weeks for the letters to go between. At least that is what your lettes took to reach me. That may have been on account of them going through the Army Post Office. Perhaps they will get here sooner when you address it direct to Camp. It sure is good to hear from home even though there wasn't much news in the letters I have received from home so far. I don't like to see the other boys get letters when I don't get any. A short letter with little news is better than none. When all my friends start writing to me I guess I'll get more letters. But I guess I will have to write quite a few myself if I am to get letters from others. You were talking about sending me a parcel. It would be nice to get something good to eat from home. The food we get is fairly good and if it does not get any worse I won't complain. The food is just about as good as what we got in Canada only the bread is not nearly as good. I don't like the bread we get. It is so heavy. I don't know why it is but that's how it is. We never get tea at noon but get soup instead.

Sending food to me is alright but it is only cakes or tarts that you could very well send. I need money more than anything else. The trip to London broke me financially. When I came back I had to borrow a couple of shillings to keep me in cigarettes until pay day. We could not help spending money fast in London. Everything is so dear there especially food. I have only bought one meal in camp since I came here and I won't until I have to. You must not think, dear mother, that I spend my money carelessly. I try to keep away from bad company that is I don't go into bad habits with them. I know that there are some lads in the M.G. Section who you don't care much for but I keep out of their company when they go on a spree. I have been with Mundi quite a lot since we came to Camp. He doesn't seem to associate very much with the boys in "C" Company and he wants to be with me when I go down town. I know he would help me out with money if I needed it but I don't like to keeep on borrowing from him. He lent me three dollars when we left Camp Hughes (which you knew about) and I have not been able to pay him back. If I had payed him last pay day I would not have able to go to London and I wouldn't have missed that for anything. I had eight dollars coming to me last pay day and I got $10.00 instead $8.00 because I was going to London. They gave every body a little in advance when they went to London. I guess I will get so much less next pay day. I heard some talk about them holding back $5.00 a month for six months to have in case we came back from the front. Of course I don't know whether there is any truth to it or not.

I would like very much if you could send me ten dollars. I know you need all you have and I don't like to owe anybody any money. I have enough clothes I think to see me through for quite a while. But there is always some odd articles a fellow has to ge. Well dear mother I guess this is enough talk about money. It is not a pleasant thing to worry about. I hope I won't have to ask you again. There is not much news to tell. We keep on pegging along at our drill and the work is not very hard yet whatever it may be later on . The boys in "C" company are all on pass now and I suppose they are seeing many of the places that I have already seen. I guess I will finish this letter. I hope this will find you allin good health. Give my best regards to all the friends and love to the relatives. Kiss all the children for me and remember me to old Maggie.

Your loving son
721948 Pte. A.J. Polson
M.G.S. 108th Battn C.E.F.
Witley Camp, Godalming
Surrey, Eng.