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Date: July 16th 1915
Letter

July 16th, 1915.

I'm lying down in my bivouac writing by candle light. The Major has come back so I'm back with the old nags again. It is raining a little now but we needed some so "I should worry". Lately the horses have had to go 2 miles for water and this rain may shorten the trip. I have just come back from supper at the guns where I dissected Mac's periscope and cleaned the lenses. I got it together without having any screws left over which is correct. I rode home on the bicycle and a fine ride it was too. Just twilight, and the trees standing out like big sentries along the road. Today I slept in and rode down to breakfast after my shave. Then I went down to a place near here and had a peach of a bath in good hot water. I dressed in my new serge and breeches and rode back to lunch. This afternoon I wrote a letter, saw the horses watered and fed and opened my new hat. You see my other kit was getting a bit the worse for wear as I have lived in it, awake and asleep for about five months. But it is good stuff and still in the running. Then I went down on the bike to supper, not the motor cycle, I lost that among other things at Ypres on the 22nd.

Yesterday I was out in the trenches as F.O.O. I went out the night before had a quiet night and day without even getting a periscope "bust". I think the sniper must have taken a day off. On the way back they set the big beautiful church in a town near here, on fire. I watched the glowing ruins all the way home to the waggon line. Then after thinking over things in general I fell asleep.

I met Everett B. in the trenches and had a long chat with him. He is Brigade Machine gun officer. I also saw Buck P- and Bill A- (the latter you would not know). I have postponed my leave and let Mac go. He is getting married to Miss Perkin.