Witley,
Surrey, Eng.
Nov. 29, 1916.
Dear Lillian:

Yours of the 14th just received tonight and I have had two others from you since I wrote. I wrote Aunt Bessie last week.

It seems that we are to be broken up after all. At least a draft of about one hundred and eighty are to go to Bramshott Saturday to finish up their musketry and then will probably go as reinforcements for some battalion at the front. Perhaps we shall get more to take their place, but we expect that the whole crowd will go in drafts sooner or later. I hope it will be managed some way to keep the rest of us together. There are forty five going from each company and most of the poorest men are being taken but after being together so long we hate to see them go.

There hasn't been much change in the weather yet although yesterday morning the ground was frozen quite hard. Today was rather damp and I think we shall have more rain tonight. I forgot my fountain pen tonight and this one is no good.

I have had only one letter from home yet. Had a note from Cecil this morning saying that he was going to London this week and would likely come to see me. Tonight I had a letter from Harold from the hospital in Stourbridge. He is able to go around on crutches now. Hope I shall be able to see him some time before he goes back to France. No N.C.O.'s are being taken in the draft that is leaving us and I think that when a battalion is broken up they are usually sent to school for a while before being taken.

A lot of the sergeants and corporals have been away taking courses in different subjects such as bayonet fighting, musketry, and others. I suppose the rest of us will go later.

I had a great week last week working in the company office as orderly sergeant. I had quite a cold when I went in, but got all over it before the week was over.

I think each of the battalions of the brigade are sending a draft the same as we are. Colonel Borden was at the front and was wounded recently. It wasn't very serious and I think he will be back here soon. He didn't go as a colonel. I think he only held the rank of first lieutenant at the front. I wish he was back with the 85th as our present commanding officer isn't very popular. Colonel Stanfield has gone back to Canada and I guess that is the best place for him. He is no good anyway and after the boys get home again he won't have so much to say. This is all as I must write a note to Harold.

Lovingly,

Reg.