Seaford Sussex
Jan 2/1916 (should be 1917)

Dear Kiddo.

Well I have gotten tired of writing notes. have been at it for about two hrs. This O.T.C. makes a quite a lot of extra study & writing but when we have nothing else to do in the evenings it helps kill time. He is a pretty hard guy to kill sometimes too but I have my hands full for a few days now with the notes from four or five lectures per day & five letters a couple of days ago & three more today.

We are still in quarantine that is the lines are. We expected to get out. In fact we did get out for half an hour this morning but they discovered a new case this morning somewhere so we had to go in again for ten more days. As soon as we get out we get into lines of our own. That is the battn does & the O.T.C. get their lines also.

Major Bateman says that all who are not taking O.T.C. or special courses will be in France in about a month. The Batt is to be a training base here & are to be reinforced by other Batt'ns. Of course our own men will likely be in the first draft to France. Of course only about 200 are not taking courses of some kind. I am almost sorry I am at the O.T.C. now for a trip to France looks good to most of us from here. Still I guess we will get there soon enough though. I am afraid some of us wont get there for I wouldn't be surprised to see the Germans go smash any day, from all reports. They had better quit now than this time next year for it is a hopeless case for them now. I hope they will let us get there 1st though for I'd hate to come back now without seeing the front lines. I would rather take chances for a month of it. By the way letters adressed to O.T.C. Seaford Sussex will catch me better than 196 Army P.O. This is if they do not hick me out again. Either will catch me though in time.

Yesterday was some New Years day. These blooming Englishmen don't think much of the day so we had to parade all morning. I assure you the greetings were few of happy New Year. A few wished others a happy ending to it which was far more appropriate. We managed to get the afternoon off but we made it a strenuous one at that.Our hut challenged another one where half the regular team were in to a football game. Of course they accepted promptly & I being the only Proffessional in the hut had to get a team together which was some task for as I have already said players were scarce in our hut. Finnally we got lined up with Pte Angus "our Battn goat" (you have his photo) playing Left half. Myself centre etc. The forward line was fair but the defense. Well I had that job myself almost. The score was 3 - 1 against us but we had some sport with so many green horns playing. We came back to our huts & had a real feed. One we had shipped in from London for our hut. After supper we boxed a while. I broke even for honors. We then had a wrestling bout between our platoon Sgt. & your truly. We wrestled for over 20 min. & then he played out & I got his shoulders to the mat. time 20 min 45 sec. It was hard work after the supper we had & I was glad enough when bed time came. Believe me I was stiff enough this morn, with both elbows scraped, from wrestling. I couldn't do Physical drill today at all I was so stiff.

I got Mithers Jessies & Jamies letters today & the news of the election. some hot chase eh! Mither says she is saving my letters up, at home so if you are in Saskatoon when you get this send it home. I may want them to look up for reference to my actions over here when I get back. Then I will be able to explain them in full.

Well old kid I guess I'll have to do some shining up tonight for we have to turn out at 8 oclock tomorrow morning for P.T. so time will be scarce in the morning. We got rifles for drill purposes at the O.T.C. tonight so we will have to clean them also. Gee there goes last post. Only 15 minutes till lights out & I have my bed to make. Good night. Tell all my Friends to write. Some are doing fine.

Your Loving Brother

Rae

Cancelled use old adress. It will get me any place &
by the time I get your reply I may be anywhere. Rae.

(The Seaford OTC address was given with an "X" and the word "Cancelled" written over it.)