#475465 P.P.C.L.I.
Hut 17, No 1. Company.
2nd Can. Command Depot.
Shoreham, Sussex.
Oct 2, 1916

Dear Mother: -

This is Monday morning and as it is raining we have nothing to do in the way of parades until it clears up, so I am doing a little writing to save my reputation.

Our company officer is Sir Charles Tupper, grandson of the old man, and he is pretty good in the way of saving us unnecessary drill.

Am enclosing a few snapshots that I took at Leicester last Sunday. You will see from one of them that I do not look much the worse for my holiday in England and from the others that my stay in Leicester could not have been otherwise than pleasant.

Cora said Mrs. Hyde had shown you some snapshots that Mr. Hyde took when he came to see me. I have not seen those, but I expect I looked pretty seedy, for I felt that way, having only just got up.

I received two letters from home this week, a family one containing notes from you and Cora & Belle dated Aug 13th and another from Cora dated Aug 23rd so you see it takes a long time to get mail when it has to follow me around from place to place. I think it is best to put my latest address on though, for it will eventually reach me, and sooner than if it were addressed to the Army P.O. I forgot to tell Cora though that when she is sending that assigned pay to send it by an order on a bank and not by a P.O. order for, if I happen to have moved, I cannot get it cashed without waiting for the advice to be sent from the P.O. upon which it is made payable and these English business places are as slow as molasses.

This will be my last week at Shoreham. I have been marked fit to go out next Saturday, so I shall be at Shorncliffe this time next week. I may stay there a few weeks or I may go over to France in a few days. It all depends upon the demand for re-inforcements. I have been very lucky in having the whole summer in England, and I have enjoyed it very much, so I am quite resigned to the prospect of a few more months of France. There is always the chance that I may get another bit of shrapnel that shall send me back for another few months.

War news seems to continue good. Another Zepp came down last night. They had them at Leicester about a week ago and did some damage, and while I was there the lights were put out and the street cars stopped running.

I had a nice letter in from Geo. Forder's mother yesterday, and I have just answered it. Geo. is down at the Somme now and is alright so far. There are very few who have been through what he has and have never been hit.

I was out walking with another fellow yesterday and we came across a great patch of blackberries. There were bushels of them, and we had a great feed. I like them better than raspberries, although they are much like them.

I heard from some one in Manitoba that Bill Shearer had been made captain, but as Cora did not mention it, it may not be true.

When I got to Shorncliffe I shall probably meet many Grenfell fellows. There will be very few of my own company that I shall know though.

Did I forget to tell you that I received the socks you sent to hospital? I have them here now and they are fine.

Write when you can.

With love to all,

Affectionately,
Douglas