Jan. 27th, 1916
Belgium,

There is'nt much news at all these days. We are in the trenches and go out shortly for our rest of about three weeks. The Bosche has been shelling quite a bit this tour but only a few casualties.

The ground does'nt seem to dry out very much even though it has stopped raining. The nights are pitch dark and I can always manage to fall down in the mud twice at least in going down to the dressing station about 400 yards away, of course Fritz is very obliging with his flares and it makes things almost as bright as daylight when several go up together. I slept in yesterday and then fixed up a chap's ear. After that I crawled down a ditch to the front line to see a man there but the poor chap was dead when I got there. Nothing could have been done for him.

Our old artillery staff Captain N- was down yesterday and I showed him the Bairnsfather pictures. They are some of the sights of the district. Charley Cotton was down here last night, He is an awfully nice chap. Jim Macdonell and Hank are somewhere quite near now and I hope to see them when we go out.