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Date: June 1915
To
unknown
From
Perry Sanderson
Letter

Shorncliff  We are working a little harder here. Get up anything from five to 5:30; fall in at 7:30, off at twelve. In the afternoon, parade at two, fall out at 4 to five-somewhere in between. Makes a beastly long morning but you have a few items of interest such as watching them train artillery horses, watching other fellow drill, looking out to the channel where there is generally a destroyer or two, or into the sky where, for a good part of today, at intervals, two aeroplanes were circling-scouting, I suppose. This afternoon we took a march. Didn't get very far but I would just as soon walk eight miles in Canada as two here, little narrow roads and, around this part of the country, hills that would make a member of the alpine club hesitate and we do all this with our equipment on so as to get you used to it, as you are not allowed to remove it. In the trenches, it has been proved that, in cases of surprise, it caused much confusion- men scrambling around trying to find it. The forty-third Highlanders arrived here last night, got right off as the first rain for some time was in progress. Well, England is one lovely place and, when traveling is good, you should see it. (I have seen very little0. But as a place to live, give me extreme little Manitoba- a more up to the times and alive place. I think that many of the wildly enthusiastic Englishmen will treck back to the place they were so glad to get out of. It looks a little as if the U.S.A. may get in yet-serve them right if they did. The meals here are alright if you use judgment-three loaves a day to nine men, 1 bl. of butter, then you get meat and tea at noon, bacon or ham or eggs or something in the morning, and all that is given out at night is tea but they had given cheese before. Also, a tin of jam to a tent so, with a little help from the canteen you are jake. Each man is allowed about five pence a day over his pay for extras. You don't get the money but the stuff is issued. Butter and potatoes are extras. I wish that I had just given you my address as 28th Batt., Eng.; it would have got me alright. We don't get so much here as we have to [be] at the tent at nine o'clock and it is two or three miles to a town. We will kind of stick around in the evenings. I believe, from where we are, it is only 45 miles to the trenches. Well, it is beastly dark here, and with love to all, I will shut down for a day or two and then go ahead with another letter of this army news which must wax rather tiresome but not much to all, where the Canadians have a majority. We had an argument till about twelve last night on the merits of Canada & England. Love Perry