1916.05.04

My dear May,

The letter home isn’t mailed yet but I support it will catch the same mail as if I had sent it long ago. This week has been a short one so far and this is Thursday PM. We have been finding out how little we know of signaling at Brigade Signal School.

I took a trip over to see Ted tonight but found that he had been in the hospital for two or three days. The trips to the Cutts were too much for him but he wasn’t shot. I must go to see him tomorrow night. The hospital he is in is “[?] barracks” in Shorncliffe. Livingstone Dunlop is in the Canadian Casualty Camp at Folksetone. Les [?] saw him the other day down there. Next time I go in I’m going to see him. I don’t go in very often as I am very much at home here. The camp is quite OK and I spend my evenings (When they are not taken up in extra parades) playing 500 or polishing up. See how industrious we are.

Today Web and I got World Wides from Mrs. Sutherland. I guess Bob and Art rang in on a couple but I’m not sure.

They arrived back from leave this morning and had their belongings thrown at them and were told to go elsewhere for lodgings as Hut 24 was quarantined. They advise me to go up to Edinburgh and stay there all the time it is such a fine place. I don’t know what I’ll do. They enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

I expected my pass this week but all pass has been cancelled and all our pass have been wired for. Perhaps the cursor will cut this out but if he doesn’t well then you’ll know so much more! We have emergency parades occasionally (daily) to get us ready for a quick march off. When we get such a quick order to have everyone parade we thought we must be going to have a picture taken or some such important event was taking place. The last while we were in Montreal it was ridiculous the way they had cinematographs and snaps taken of us. We believe we’ll be sent to another camp but I’ll not same anymore as for our thing I don’t know much of it and another it is only a rumour.

Tonight we had a Canadian Mail scare – rumour that there was a Can mail in and you bet we were worked up because the next mail will probably be in answer to our first letters home. I’m wondering what you will have to say to those erratic letters written in such turmoil.

I won’t mind if we move from here as we’ve seen this part of the country and we would like to see more.

Les (M?) left today for Ayrshire to take his course for a Lieut. Imagine! Ayrshire! He was a bit short of sox so I gave him a pair of mine. Seems sort of rash but then I have a couple of pairs coming from London which were in Ted’s trunk and besides he’s form home.

Last night we had a discussion in French by some signaler. Twas rather comical to hear some sentences such as “c’est un bon job for lui.ca” coming out at short intervals.

I’m surprised I have made so much to read out of nothing. Before you get the impression I’m writing a book I’ll quite.

Your affectionate bro Mac