Nov 14, 1915
D Company, 10th Battalion

Dear Bro & Sister,

Your most welcome letter to hand.

I guess you will think I am a long time answering it but I tell you we don't have much time to ourselves out here, especially now the winter has come & we sure having a terror of a time up to our knees in mud & water.

We are out the trenches at present having our 5 days rest but believe me we get very little of it because they take us out every night on working parties. So we can just content ourselves that we wont get a good rest until it is all over with & I sincerely hope it will be by this time next year but I think myself when one puts a winter in on the front line he should be able to get a job somewhere in England has it is bound to tell on a fellow.

We have been out here nearly three months now I am not quite sure yet but I think we are getting seventy two hours leave at Christmas. So you can figure on Bro Sid having a good time if he ever gets to Leicester. I figure that I will get my long leave, that is seven days, about Easter but that is quite a long ways off yet.

I guess you know Bill Greenfield. Well he is in the engineers now building huts for the winter. He sure struck it lucky but that is his trade, a carpenter.

The sergeant major has just been around taking the names of all the fellows that are firemen & machinists so of course I put my name down for the two of them, so to make sure of one of them. Leave it to Bro Sid to keep his eyes open for something better than this trench dope has I think I have done my share of it.

When I get six months of it in let them fellows that came over with the first bunch come & do their share instead of shoving the fun around. They get all the praise for the dirty work we poor suckers do bur ur.

Well there is one sure thing I don't intend to starve while I am out here has I spend all my money on grub and then I get a parcel every week from England. You would laugh if you could see us doing our cooking in the trenches but if we make too much smoke with the fire old Fritz would send a trench mortar over & a few of them thirteen pound shells.

We call them whiz bangs because they are the smallest kind but believe me it pays to keep out the way of them. They sure have got some big ones. I have seen them all except the Jack Johnsons & believe me they would get anybody's goat. I duck my head at the least little noise now & it is the same with the rest of the boys that have been out here a while.

I took a course of bomb throwing last week & believe me they sure are a wicked lot. They make a noise like a cannon. I tell you Jim I don't care if I never see a rifle again after this war is over.

I suppose you know that Len Gavel is in the 10th with me but a different company. I am going to see Rosy Souter tomorrow. I am glad to say that all the boys are fine but they are all anxious to get back to dear old Canada.

Well there is not much to report about the war where we are at present. Just a few artillery duels also a few airoplane fights.

You must excuse the writing because my hands are cold.

Say thanks very much for the present you are sending me. Socks are the most valuable things we need. I got a letter from Ma also the rest of them at home the other day. Glad to say everybody is fine.

Well I don't think there is anything else this time. Will be in the front line on New Years Day. Well I hope this letter find you both in the best of health has it leaves me the same. So good bye best luck.

From Bro Sid

Tubby bur ur ur
Say Jim what about the cookoo