20/5/17.

Dear Mother:-

Your letter of Apl 16th rec'd two days, also one from Mgt. which I am answering now. You said Rhoda never know whether I got her letters or not, so I wrote her explaining that I never destroyed any letters till I had acknowledged than either directly or through letters written home, and as you said the letters written home were read by other members of the family I always took it for granted that they would then get acknowledgment.

We have been in tents out of the line now for four days, and it seems like old camp life, to hear the band and bugles sounding reveille, last post, lights out, etc. We had church parade this A.M. at 9.00. The preacher was formerly Padre in 72nd a Montreal Btn. which is now disbanded. He said once he had preached in St. Paul's Montreal, and one of the officers Maj. Sparling now Col. Sparling (formerly of Winchester) of the 72nd hearing him asked him to be their Chaplain, which he did. I also wrote Willie to-day a letter. I saw an officer from the 159th. Bat. He is quite near here and has several men with him from our old 159th.

We have just heard that leave is opening up, so I may have a chance as now I am near the top of the list to go, I think. Some of the men's names were sent in to-day to go, so this is no mere rumor. I have kept your and father’s letters re relations in Scotland and will make an effort to see them if at all possible. We get our fare paid to any point we name in the British Isles, so if we name Scotland we can get there. However, this all means D.V. as this is a very hazardous occupation, as the Insurance Companies would say.

Must close now and write Mgt. I am Acting Company Commander and so am very busy, and have more responsibility than formerly and more to do.

Love to all.
Alex.

The country here is beautiful now back of the line. Trees almost in full leaf.