Witley Camp
January 25 1918
Dear mother:-
Received your letter today dated Dec 31. You seem to be worrying over the fact that I have got nothing from you. Well from that list you sent me, I have got everything but the Ladies Home Journal and the packet of newspapers, the newspapers are held up at A.P.O. owing to the size of the xmas mail so I expect to get them in the end. I always get newspaper clippings in a letter while newspapers are more liable to go astray. You spoke of Ewart Fulton. He is in the 2nd Heary Battery in France and has been since November. Charlie Armstrong went over a few days ago as a signaller in the C.G.A. we all saw him off as the first member of the Col Academy 1916-1917 class to go to France.
I still have my camera as you can see from the fact that I sent snaps. I think I will keep it until I go to France, if that time ever manages to get here.
I have "signed on in the khaki College here at Witley and am taking Latin and French at night school here when I get time. I am on night [?] once a week so it sort of breaks it up but I guess I will get along O.K.
I don't know what no48026 on the ymca card was for. The No of our "Y" is No 5 ymca Witley.
I get paid 3 [pounds] a month but I don't save much. In fact, owing to the high prices of things over here it barely last until pay day. A common everyday roll or biscuit without any sweetening cost 4 [cents](2d) and other things in proportion.
I do smoke some but not much. I know that I won't have any inclination to in civvy life. If you only knew what a smoke will do to cheer a fellow up when he is cold and soaked thru' on a night of [?] somewhere, you would know why I do it. But all I smoke won't do a lot of harm for it isn't much.
I think I must close now.
Lovinly,
Ludlow
P.S. I am sending some snaps that I brought across with me and I want you to keep them I haven't room to do so. Also a couple of the fellows in our hut over here read on the back of the [?]