To Isabel:

Belgium Nov. 23rd 1918.

My Dear Sister:

Write you in reply to your letter of Oct. 27th received today and also to acknowledge receipt of the box of Chocolates also received today in good shape. They are delicious and certainly a rare treat over here as they cannot be duplicated in France at the present time. I did not answer your last letters as I wrote a long letter home about five days ago which would answer several letters I found on my return from leave.

By this time you will have received my letters of my visit to Eliz. first to Brest without success and then to Pinaucourt near Chaumont with the desired results. Considering I was lucky to locate her but the surest way would have been to postpone my leave until I did know her exact whereabouts. However it was a very opportune time to be in Paris and I did not begrudge the two extra days travelling. Note that the Influenza has been making fast time across Canada in spite of everything done to try and stop it. The army is escaping it mainly because I think it had its turn about July last when the most of us were more or less sick for a few days but very few seriously. For myself I only felt a little ill for a day and even then I was on duty and spent the day at O.P. Hope it does not visit us on its return. Paris & London had it bad about three weeks ago but it is mostly past again now.

The Globe has not yet arrived but will likely be along soon. Have not heard form Eliz. since I saw her but expect a letter soon as I have written her twice since. Mail takes about two weeks to come from her in France, almost as long as from Canada. Something wrong. Have plenty of chances these days to talk French as that is all most of them can talk. Manage to get along fairly good. Most of the people here are Belgians but French is the main language. The villages are very good and an electric car passes through this one (Jemappes) to Mons. The roads are crowded everyday with returning refugees with their belongings on wheelbarrowes, carts or anything they can get. Many carry what they have on their backs. Nine out of ten wear wooden shoes which is about all they can get. Prices for everything are outrageous. A small cake of washing soap $1.00 Coffee $3.00 lb Butter $3.00 lb. A bar of chocolate that costs 3 cts at our canteen cost them 50 cts. Eggs 25 cts each and etc. So far stocks have not been able to come up the line so they still have the old ones. Thousands of men are working on the railroad which has been almost completely destroyed around here. Expect it will be running again in a few days. The enemy had blown up most of the bridges but a few escaped. Yesterday I paid a visit to Mons and had a look around. It is a good sized place and escaped shellfire. All the stores are open and most of the people there could not afford a meal there as it costs about $3.00 for a lunch almost.

I saw a few boys I know while there so the day was well spent. All our motor lorries coming back are loaded with refugees and their effects and it is a pitiful sight to see the children and old men & women pulling a cart or wagon along the muddy roads over the cobblestones. They have very few clothes and all hungry. After they get further back they are taken in charge but it is a big proposition to look after so many. Many will return to their homes to find them flattened to the ground, and it will mean good management to attend to all through the winter. So many of the mines have been destroyed that coal also will be scarce. A person who has not seen these things cannot realize what they mean.

We have three parades a day and shine the guns and keep ourselves clean, and also have a little exercise. Left Thulin on the 20th and have been here since. Marched up here and expected to keep on going but at present do not know when or where we are going. Are all billeted with civilians and comfortable so have no complaints. They insist on us drinking a cup of coffee several times a day and also give us soup and vegetables occassionally in return for what we give them. They have very little to offer or they would give us more.

Think this is about all for the present. Wish you would send this on home after perusal. Made a mistake in saying our last place was 4 miles from Mons. It was about 10. We are still about 3 miles from it.

Love Rob