France

Tue. Jan 9 - 17

My Dear Ones at Home, -

I must get you a few lines written to let you know that I am all right again after my shake-up. I am still in the same hospital ward, quite warm and comfortable and feel fine after my kind treatment here. I am afraid that it will spoil me for going back to the dug outs again and the hard work of the trenches

There are no nurses in the hospital, all the work being done by Red Cross Orderlies. The hospital is in a building that has been the village school before the war so you see I am quite in my own environment.

One of the orderlies in our ward is a chap who waited on me in the Mumps isolation last summer. The other is Dick McKenzie from Neepawa, who I knew in Arden when he used to play ball

McKenzie tells me that Ray Stewart is going to university in Wpg. What do you know about that? Pretty soft for him at a time like this

I have had several letters from the London Pecovers, especially from Franks, at No 3 Oakington Rd. They write me such kind sympathetic letters - both Frank and his wife. They are always telling me to send for any thing that I want and always reminding me that their place is my English Home. I tell you the Pecovers

It is quite a while now since I have received any mail. I do hope that there is some for me when I get back to the battalion.

Goodnight now my dear ones

With love from your soldier boy

Markle

Pte W M Pecover

No 875439