Bustard Camp, Salisbury-
Plains 2nd Batt. 4Oth Reg’t. G Coy.

20th Oct. 1914.

Rev. M. Irwin. Norwood.

Dear Sir.

I thought I had better stick to my promise & write you a letter as so as I had time.

First we arrived at Plymouth last Wednesday & we disembarked off the boat H.M.S.S. Cassandra on Sunday night at 9.30. & marched to the Station about 4 miles & the people there gave us a great reception.

The girls came & gave us such nice smiles that we simply had to give them our badges & 10 cent pieces as Canadian souvenirs, the streets were crowded with old & young & some of the old greyhaired ladies would give us a hearty handshake & would whisper “God bless you my boys”, thousands followed us to the Station & it was all guarded & the people had to stop outside.

Some of the boys climbed the iron palisades & would have a few more handshakes before going off.

Finally we got off about 2 am monday morning & we arrived at a little station called Amesbury, then we had a couple of horses given us & had a march of 8 miles to the camp.

You would have been highly amused to have seen us sailing along the fine roads on horseback.

We had our horses taken over from our men by the cavalry & we marched to our quarters & are comfortably installed here.

We have a Y.M.C.A. here & music galore.

Also lots of canteens & goods are very cheap here.

We had a couple of hours drill this morning & we expect to have a good stiff training before going to the front.

How are the folks in Norwood progressing?  trust all are well & guess they are all anxious to hear the news.

I will conclude now with best wishes to all & will write again soon & let you have all the news

good-bye hoping you are quite well

from a Soldier boy.

Private Walter. T. Robus.
No. 8367, G. Company.
2nd Battalion 1st Brigade.
Canadian Overseas Contingent
Bustard Camp. Salisbury Plains
England