3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion, West Sandling, Kent

Nov. 5th, 1917

Dear Winnie,

I am back at my Reserve after being away at the school four months. I'm very glad to get backas I was getting tired of the school, although Bexhill is a splendid place to be in and I had a fine time particularly in July, August and part of September, but a schoool is the same everywhere and after you have been at one for 2 or 3 months you want to get back doing something.

Dinner interrupted me, but I have a few minutes more now in which to scratch away, however I haven't got much to write about as there is not much of interest going on around here.

I was Orderly Officer yesterday and so had this morning off to rest up a bit. There is nothing much to do around here except when you are put on some special duty like that, and I am just waiting to be sent to France.

I was up in London last Wednesday & Thursday and would have been there till Saturday had I not been wired to come back in order to come down here. However, I was in town for 4 days last month and had a pretty fair time. I looked Maud up and took her out to dinner one day & wanted her to go to a show but at that time we were having a raid every night, and she was a bit nervous so would not come, but instead asked me to her place for dinner. I went & spent the evening & enjoyed it very much. We had the raid that night alright and most of the people were down in the cellar so Maud & I had lots of fun with some of the old people staying there. One old lady who is very wealthy has the habit of taking a drop too much and she was pretty well tanked up this evening and said some funny things.

I have seen some splendid shows in London and they are certainly far beyond the travelling shows. The scenery and costumes are wonderful, and I wish you could see some of them.

Ben Meen and Joe O'Neill the fellows I was with at the Bexhill school have already gone to France and I expect to go any day now. Ford Strickland is also back at the Reserve, he came back the same day as I did after spending 2 months in hospital for Appendicitis and has 4 months light duty so he may go back to Canada for a couple of months as he wont be able to go to France till spring anyway.

I was awfully glad to get that snap of Ted, it is a good one and he seems to have grown a great deal since I left. How are Dot, Bud and the new one getting on?

My room is so hot I can hardly stay in it, nothing will stop my batman from keeping a blazing fire here all the time. I don't really need a fire today, but he thinks I do so I've got it. Every morning at 6 oclock he comes in and lights it up, and then when I get up he almost dresses me. He must think I'm awfully helpless, but there's an excuse for him, he used to be batman to a Brigadier General and I guess thats where he got his habits.
Well Winnie guess I'll have to close as I have to dress to go out and play Rugby. We are practicing for a game with Shorncliffe day after tomorrow. We had a good team at the school. Gordon Johnstone got very badly hurt & will be layed up for some time. I had Jesse Ketchum & Nick Bawlfe visiting me a few weeks ago in Bexhill. They play for Shorncliffe and were in Bexhill playing us, so they stayed over Sunday with me.

Nov. 6th, 1917

It is raining very hard and is a dirty day. We had a good rugby practice yesterday and will have a signal practice indoors this afternoon. Well guess I'll close up as I've exhausted my supply of material to write about. With much love to you and the children and please remember me to Jim and the Ford.

Your brother

Gordon Shaw.
It is raining very hard