France
Apr. 19th [1918]

Dear Cath:
I've just been engaged in the pleasant !?! occupation of setting up a measly little French stove and now that job is finished I'm going to spend the next half hour or so scratching off a few lines to you. Perhaps you wonder how it is I happened to be working with a French stove - don't think I have ever mentioned them till now. Well you see at every point where the line runs through the ruins of a village we use the cellars for dugouts and as here are always lots of stoves in quite good condition knocking around we just naturally grab the best ones and set them up for our own use. Interesting eh? This one we were working with today doesn't happen to be in a cellar though nor yet in a dugout. In fact is in a little hut about 2 miles behind the lines inhabited at present by myself and two of my gun crew. And a mighty cosy little home it is too. But what a time we had with that stove!*@ In the first place we had to find it then we had to carry it home from the village (about half a mile) then we walked over a mile and spent over two hours looking for some stovepipe which we didn't find. Then when we finally did get the thing in position it smoked us out and we had to pull it down again. However it seems to be behaving pretty good now so I guess we've got the best of it at last.

And now for a little surprise. Last Monday I was told to report at batt'n headquarters and when I got there I was given instructions to report with two of my men to a certain capt. of the British Tank Corps. So that accounts for me keeping in this locality at the present moment. It sure was a surprise but the change is most agreeable. I wouldn't mind staying here at all but we're only attached (as machine gunners of course) so I don't think the job will last very long. Hope we don't have to go back without having been in action though for I think it must be quite exciting - away head of the infantry. I just wish I could tell you all that's happened during the last month - you'd have an interesting letter for once but there's no use in writing it down for it wouldn't go through. However there will be that much more to tell you, some day (how long you'll have to wait I can't say) so never mind. Don't think the much danger of me forgetting it.

I rec'd a very nice letter from Liverpool last week from Mrs. Helen Leslie. I certainly was pleased to hear from her. She and Mrs. Clarke have given me a joint invitation to visit them if I get back at England and I hope I shall be able to do so before very long.

And now in closing I want to express my warmest thanks for those socks. They reached me O.K. three days ago. Oh they'll be comfortable all right, and you may be sure you're time has not been wasted. You can't realize how I've appreciated all that's being done for us Cath. by the people back home but take my word for it - we'll never forget.

Well someone says tea is up so I'll have to beat it. Kind regards to "Betty" and tell her I enjoyed the jokes very much.

As ever
Les