France
Oct 1st 1917

Dear Friend,–

It is a long time since I last wrote to you but you will have to excuse me this time as I have not had time to do much writing but I hope to get “caught up” with my letters now. I havent had a letter from you for some time but I blame the subs for that – eh what?

Well Mary how is life around home now, pretty busy I suppose, with fall work Fowl Suppers, Halloween dances and etc. – remember last year’s. I heard about the proposed trip to the Can. Nat. Ex. in a letter from Beatrice yesterday. Suppose you had a “bon” time. It made me think of what I was missing but never mind, we will make up for lost time when we all get back once more – think I’ll be a “Kanada kid” for good then –unless another war breaks out and some old pal comes around reminding me of the “good old days,” – I dont know if I would resist the temptation or not because when I look back we havent had such a bad time, the life has been hard but we have been happy and it has been an intellectual gain if it has been a financial and industrial loss and we have found more men that were true pals and after all it is not the hardships that dishearten a man, it is his surroundings and I am not sorry that I enlisted as some used to tell me I would be.

I got a letter from Florence about two weeks ago. Also one from Lizzie Reekie Pomona Cal. I have answered it but I cannot send her my address so I will not get an answer till someone from home writes, the add she had was my old English one. She gave us lots of news about the States.

I suppose you know more about This “Great World WAR” than I do, if you see the daily papers because we do not get much news – we just see our little bit of the real stuff – not much Glory in it – you get that by reading it Ha Ha. But Say Im some cook. I think I’ll be able to boil water after while. You should taste the porridge I make sometimes “The Memory Lingers” I made some one day in a mess tin and a little went a long way I was able to treat the whole section and then there was some over – and it wasnt the kind they got at home either, the only fault was that we run short of oatmeal so we thickened it with salt – another example of the Canadians adaptability Ha Ha

Well I suppose I will get a line from Fred some of these days on the great trip you had. You can tell me in your next letter what he doesnt Ha Ha Just think a year ago we were all home on our last pass I stayed out at night then because I wanted to – now I stay out because someone else wants me to. But there is always something doing we can watch flares if nothing else and make souvenirs when we are not sleeping in the day time I think I’ll take home a box of flares and a pistol to light up some of Thornburys dark streets I would likely be “enlightened” eh. Ha Ha.

It was reported that Pete Boyle was wounded but I heard yesterday that it was just a scratch, but he would probably be reported wounded in the list anyway. Two of the Meaford boys were killed a few weeks ago Munns and Robinson but we have been pretty lucky so far. Dick Sparling and Errol Gaudin are both gassed Errol is in Blighty I havent had any word from Dick. Legate and Steele are the only two near me now from around home. So you see we are being scattered around gradually.

I had a letter from Ernie Shaw a few days ago, they are getting along Ok. Steve has a new Overland car and Russell is going to be married this fall – guess we will not be in it at all if this thing doesnt soon come to an end, eh Ha Ha. “Sang froid ce’ Le Guerre”.

How is the new teacher progressing. I hope she gets along as good as Miss Mackey did. The kids seemed to like her, and she thought a lot of Sand Hill. Say that certainly was a good piece of poetry you composed about Andy Barclay tragic ending, I often wondered who was the author, till Jean told me. You would make a close rival to Robert Service. Did you ever read Rhymes of the Red Cross Man? He depicts this life as near as anyone could.

Well Mary I think you will be getting tired of this, I cannot write anything that is interesting because the censorship is so strict, so I have to write a lot of “personal dope” to fill up.

I got a letter from a cousin in Australia today he is only eleven years old but wrote a fine letter the main feature being to impress on me that he would like some souvenirs – they are easy to get but hard to get mailed when we have so little chance must close with best wishes to all including your uncle

Dave L/R