The Base
France
April 8th 18

Dear Mother:-

As you will see by the above I am back once more. I left Blighty yesterday afternoon and got here about eight last night.

Well things are not so bad, the weather is good and there seems to be a fair amount of grub and it is better than what we get in England. For instance we get sugar in our tea and the bread is white.

I got a letter from you about a week ago enclosing one from Uncle Arthur who seems to have struck it lucky again, he should make a good quartermaster sergeant with all his experience of handling supplies. A good QMS is always getting a little extra for his company and sees that they get it and not the cooks.

Well Syd and I had a good night of it together. We had about two hours on a billiard table in the afternoon and about 6:30 we went and had a good feed of eggs etc. at the soldier's restaurant in Folkstone. We had some first class coffee to finish up on.

Syd is looking a lot better since he came down to Shorncliffe but had the misfortune to lose his pay book while on leave so he will be out of luck for pay for awhile.

There were three or four of the old originals who came back with me on this draft. Among them was Red McMurphy my old sidekicker out of 8th platoon, so things will be first rate. I shall get a message through to Frank as soon as I hit the battalion which will be about the 10th.

By the way it is just a year since I came back from my ten days sick furlough. I can hardly realize that I will soon be 22 and over 3½ years in the army. Time certainly does fly.

Syd came part of the way down to the boat with me and carried my rifle and gas mask which helped a whole lot. By the way he speaks I think he would just as soon be in France as in England because they are rather strict at the depot and he has not been used to it.

Love to all,

Jack

P.S. I got a letter from you and one from Maude B. just as we were moving off.