July 11th

H Com 16 reserve Battalion

Anwyl Mam ar Tylu

I hope you are not to anxious about me as I have been rather long in writing a letter to you and I hope you got my postcard safe and sound last week. I am quite well now and as strong as ever and cheerful.  Well I have good news to tell you I don’t think I will have to go to the fighting line again and I believe I am going to France to work on the Railway and pretty safe.  I have done my bit under heavy fire and I think I have earned a good job but I will be in England for months yet so don’t worry the war may be over before winter and from what I see I am almost sure it will and Mam I have seen a lot of things before I was twenty years of age.  There are very few of us left that you seen leaving Vancouver last spring only two that I know of the rest are killed or wounded.  Corpl. Daniels has got to be a captain in the English Army and is noted for his bravery and nerve a better officer never landed in England He was always anxious for my safety and he looked after me like a son and I say God Bless him, with all my heart and I take my hat off to him as an officer and a gentleman in the full sense of the words.  Murray is back in Victoria since last winter I did not get along with him very well.  He got a slight promotion and it turned his head and so you know the rest.

There is one 67th man with me hear and he is a great character, and he has been every one of the worst engagements wereever had and is still a comedian.  Well such is life, and I do hope Mam [?] I have not been to serious in this letter so cheer up the worst has come and is over.  Thought I was disappointed not to be able to come home.  When I was wounded out there in No Man’s Land, I thought to myself, “well here a chance for home”, and strange to say I never felt no pain at all I felt composed and quite happy at the thought of seeing Blighty once more, and I wanted to shout for joy.  Well how is every body.  I had a glorious time in N. Wales went to LLanwrst and stayed with Nain at [?] next drove to our old house, and I went to see Mr. Roberts and daughters.  School Llanthoget and had a great welcome and I stayed a day at Elury House and they could not do enough for me and Howell and Blodven were fine and Uncle David. 

And I went to Trefriw and went to see everybody you know.  Mrs, Hughes Bron Etha and Marice and Anne and Mrs. Grifith Thomas and Mrs. Gwen, and she nearly gave my hand paralytic stroke and Mr. Rnd Uren and Dafith abbys and I went to the [Gynanog?] and seen Mrs. Williams and Dafydd a Bob and Miss Evans a Miss Jones Pandi and Mr. Y R Williams Factory and I am sorry to say that he is broken in health and cant get up and his hair is white; and I went to see Anne and Jane Factory I remember there names now so you must excuse me.  Trefriw is just the same and the people, but you would be surprised   The ladies of the village dress in latest London styles and the men and girls are just as bad and all the boys and girls I used to know are grown up and changed except Marice H Bron Etha, she teased me the whole time I was there  you remember the dog we had in Cair Hebu I then I took the train to Ffestiniog and then the little train to Minforedd and then to Machyuleth and they pretty nearly carved me to the house.  Uncle Pierce is just the same, but Auntie Annie.  There is a vacant room, upstairs, very queer she forgets what she is talking about and was firmly impressed that I needed unbouted amount of laxative medicine and that I wont last long and she keeps her eyes wandering, but this is all on the quiet remember Mam bach. Cofrich.  And very best love to you from Willie

Well best love to Auntie Kate and the kids