June 16 1918

Dear Mother:-

Another week has slipped by and I am still at the same place, have been here over three weeks now which seems a long time to stay in the same house.

Letters from home have not arrived yet but they should be along this week as it is five weeks since I wrote you from Bristol Hospital. Six weeks surely should bring a reply to those letters.

I had a note from Rollie again last Thursday asking me to try and get over to see him this week end but it did not come off. I went up to the office and asked for Sat and Sunday but there was nothing doing. When I will get over I can not say as leave seems to be hard to get just now. I am due to be mobilized for home service any day now and if that comes off I may move to the opposite end of this little island and not see Rollie for some time.

Since I have been here in England I am picking up a little all the time not as fast as I should though as I have had a cold and cough ever since I landed in the cold and damp. Although we are having nice summer weather it rains now and again, when it does the dampness seems to go right through me. I have only had a couple of slight doses of fever so far but I suppose some of these rainy days I will have to take a trip to hospital for a week or so. One thing about the fever I am always up and around in three or four days as a temperature only lasts about two days with me. My color comes back inside of a week and I look just the same as ever I did.

Three more boys got leave from here to Canada on recommendations from a hospital doctor but I guess I can’t look sick enough for anything like that. I dont suppose you would want me around home anyway for fear you would all have “Malaria.” The civilians here are getting it from us so you see a person is not safe near where we are. The spread of the disease is caused by mosquitoes carrying the germs from one person to another. They put us in separate hospital wards and also in separate billets here in camp. The next thing they will be getting scared and isolating us for about six months. That would be a joke as us fellows claim it is not a disease, its only a “habit.”

Well Mother dear I must close for now. Lots of love to all the family and best regards to friends I remain

Your loving son
Harold.