Somewhere in France

June 16th. - 1918

My Dear Father & Mother:

This is only going to be a short letter tonight as I have not much time, having to go picquet in an hrs time.

I received your parcel with the Garrick tobacco in it yesterday, but have not opened the tobacco yet as I have not finished the Edgeworth yet. Your home made cake was lovely & I could of eaten the whole thing myself at one sitting but thought I would save a good thing so we ate the canned cake first, & it was very good but I like yours best!

Got two letters from you tonight, written on May 21st & 23rd, pretty good time, - twenty four days. So they are shipping all the Blue (?) butter overseas - I wonder who in the d___ gets it, because the Army gets nothing but margarine.

Gee we have nice long evening here, (day-light saving scheme also) it does not get dark till after 9 P.M. now & it is light by 5 A.M.

What happened to Leonard Richards? you said his arm was in a sling.

So Arthur wants to get in the same outfit as I am in, well if he wants to get a bomb-proof job he is after the wrong outfit the D.A.C. is all right in quiet times, just a few working parties but it is no much when things are humming now, believe me. When anything starts on either side the first thing that goes is the light railways - then its up to us - all roads under heavy shell fire, regular barages on cross roads - the Am. Col. runs the gauntlet, hell for leather.

Say did you say that Arthur had no testicals? Or were you only fooling, because I am darned if I ever heard about before.

You seemed surprised about me saying that I had been out shooting, well there is nothing to that, as there is a rifle range about ever two mile around behind the lines.

You are correct about your impression as to the largest size of gun that is hauled by horses. Yes I have seen several of those big guns you asked about, nearly all Navals.

I certainly shall send you some good (?) for the little piper when I go to Scotland if all goes well, but it will be an awful long time likely. Our sergeant (Ward) is in Blighty now getting married!!

Well I think I had better stop as it is getting onto eight. I am afraid I put too much in this letter about things over here but I do not think any information could be got out of it. You see I am sending this in a Green Envelope along with other letters & I suppose you know the regulations that are put on a green Envelope I as I have sent several straight to you.

With love for all

from Bill