Sergt. Geo. Dawe Writes.(FROM ENGLAND)

Geo. Dawe,
39th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force:

Dear Friend:
I thought I would drop you a few lines to thank you for the papers which I have received regularly. I should have written to you before, but have been too busy, as we have plenty of duties here. I am acting as guard to-night at a pumping station on Dover road. We are having fine weather at present, but have had it very rainy since landing in England. I suppose you will know before this letter is received that the 21st Battalion and the Cobourg Heavy Battery are at the front. We also had a draft taken out of the 39th. James Morrison and Dan Hand have gone with the draft. Dan went with the Kilties. He certainly makes a fine Scotsman. I was doing picket duty at Cheriton and saw all the Cobourg boys go through. I was talking to Millen Calley, Jack Burnet, Cliff Harcourt and Russell Penwarden. They had a wet night to move out as it was pouring rain. Fred Merrill is over here with his knee battered up. He is batman for an officer in a base battalion. He will stay in England until the end of the war as he won't be able to go back to the front again.

There must have been heavy fighting in France Saturday as we could hear the roar of the guns all day long. Bill Manley met Major Beattie in London as he was hurrying to the station to get a train for France as he had to return to duty at once.

We had a draft of 250 men from the 59th Battalion from Kingston. Charlie Holnbeck was among them. He was very much alive. We are in tents at present, but expect to go into huts anytime, as it will soon be too cold and wet for sleeping out. How are all the Cobourg boys? We would like to see some more of them out here as they will be needed to fill in the ranks. We would like a few restaurants from Cobourg as we have to pay three and six or about 80 cents for ham and eggs.

The hills in this part of the country are something cruel. We will have to go to a hospital when we get back to Cobourg to get our legs straightened out for climbing them. It is claimed that Caesar landed here about 500 B.C. He must have been fond of climbing to bother with this hill. I miss my Sunday trips out to Sykes' picking berries. I suppose you have been out before this. There are plenty of black berries here. They grow along the road. They take us on some heart rendering route marches here with a full pack on. It does not seem very heavy to start with, but by the time we do twenty miles feels like two tons.

Will close now as I have no more news. I hope to hear from you soon.
SERGT. GEO. DAWE.
No. 412,356, B. Co., 39th Battalion; C.E.F., London, England,
Care of Army Post Office.