Witley
Feb 3/17

Dear Hazel -

I guess I owe you a good long letter now as I rec'd two from you this week. I am rather ashamed of myself for not writing oftener but really we have very little time to ourselves now and I expect we will have less from now on.

We are still drilling away around these old barracks and it isn't any fun at all. It is getting more monotonous every day and it will be a great relief to get our exit orders for France.

I expect that I will start on another signalling course in a few days. It is a new divisional school and we will likely get all the work we want there. I don't care how hard we have to work as long as we stay at signalling. I don't think I would care to drill in the company at all as it is about the same every day.

I hear from Gordon Zavitz very regularly now. He is a sergt-major now and is getting along fine. He advises me stick at the sigs if at all possible and I think I will take his advice.

Our banquet the other evening was a huge success. I am sending a souvenir that one of the fellows designed also a few snaps which are rotten - I think Lee sent some of them to Mary. I hope you will not be shocked but really were were not aware that any of them were being snapped.

You seem to have taken a wrong impression from some of those letters that I wrote at Xmas. I certainly did not mean to infer that I like England or any other country better than old Canada but I did mean that there is far more entertainment and pleasure for a young? man over here than there is in Canada and that if it were not for home and you I would just as soon live here as any place.

I will have to hurry with this letter as it will soon be supper time. Bill George and sometimes Lee, and I always go out for supper and have a celebration whether we can afford it or not. George always has lots of money so we usually borrow from him until pay day.

This is a grand afternoon and the sun has been shining brightly all day. There is good skating around here but skates are scarce. We play hockey a little and have lots of fun sliding on the ice.

Well Hazel there is hardly any news to write about. Every thing goes on the same every day and will until we cross the channel. The war situation looks very bright just now and we all hope the United States doesn't bump in and spoil it all as we are quite capable of winning without their assistance.

With Love
Jack