#460609 Pte L Sinclair

3rd Canadians

15 platoon E. Division

Quarry House C.C.D.

Hastings Sussex

Wed Dec. 27 1916

Dear Colin:-

Received both your letters O.K. and glad to hear from you. Hope you’d an enjoyable Christmas and also a good time. What was doing that day at the Peg. We’d a good day but without the snow something seemed out of place. Sunday afternoon & morning was grand here and one had no need for an over coat.

Its funny the way the weather changes here. One day may be widy and raining while the next the sun may be out all day. Today for instance. This morning was fine the sun was out and it was jake but at noon it got very foggy and rather chilly. You couldn’t see far ahead of you and the sun looked like the moon through the haze. I guess its quite different in Winnipeg around now. I saw where in Brandon it was 34 below “Eh gods what a difference.”

The atmosphere around here is sure damp at time but I’m getting rather used to it. We’re always around the beach too. The breeze that comes off that some mornings sure wakens one up.

I’m glad to see you’ve got a show so close to the house. Have you been to it yet? Is this all the changes thats happened around the place this summer.

I heard Mr Parrish was around here someplace but its like looking for a needle in a hay stack trying to [?] him up. Theres so darn many soldiers about.

Old Bill Anderson was the last person I was with before I left France. I hadn’t seen him since I left England and at the same time the 12th field ambulance happened along. They gave us a peach for supper that evening, (this was on the side of course) and by one of the sergts who was out Harvesting with us while out at Sewell. He’d sure be surprised to hear I got over to Dublin. His no. is 460441. Colt Gun Section of the P.P.C.L.Is.

Bill has had some narrow escapes and is full of fun as ever.

I met Alex Donner too, the latter part of last September. It was about eight o’clock in the evening on the buck fields outside Albert. We had to ([?]) that night and everyone was about small fires as it got quite chilly in the evenings then. He too had had some pretty close shaves. Had come in from the trenches that afternoon after being knocked over by the concussion of a big shell. This was during the time the sugar refinery was taken and how he found me I dont know.

The 8th were beside us at the time too and Billy McColly was over. Do you know if he is stll about, Pt Scotty McFeat?

Do you ever hear from Tom Murray and have the whole family moved out to Portland? I’ll have to try and look Charlie Stuart up, if he is not too far away and will drop him a letter anyway. I’m writing Art tonight telling him I couldn’t get away Christmas as I had hopes of seeing him. Ill be leaving soon however and will look him up, he is not far from Bramshott where we were last June. Ireceived your money alright and it sure came in handy I don’t think I’ll require anymore and will let you have it again as soon as I can.

I hope you’d all a very good Christmas at the house I’d all the turkey & plumb pudding I could eat here and the people were very good to the soldiers about. Well Ive not much news other than I told mother and hope youve the happiest News years possible. Give my best wishes to all the boys and if theres anything you want over here, let’s know.

Yours as ever

Larry