France 17/7/18

Dear Mercy G

I received your letter yesterday of the 18 May. We have moved a few miles nearer the front since I wrote to you last and I suppose by the time this reaches you I will be in the trenches of course I am not too certain, I have not received the parcel yet but I expect it soon now also one from England.

It seems like they are combing out of Canada I got a letter from Brandon and it said that most of the young fellows were in uniform but Elisha being in C class he wont have to come over here I believe they send back Canadian B.E.F (Pte. S. Greenway # 2020829 7th Battalion British Expeditionary Force. France). The country around here is the first [?] I have ever seen the farm house are built all together and they travel all out to the fields the crops are mostly wheat oats and hey Barley and sugar beets I have not seen much potatoes they have fine horses over here not very big but just a good size of the [?] things are quiet at the Front Germany does not seem anxious to start anything and every day she puts it off is so much better for the allies as the yanks grow stronger every day. We have been here over a month and have had quite a rest the climate here is not as warm as at home and when it rains it just falls down.

How is Jim getting on I have been expecting a letter from him as I wrote him on the 3rd May I suppose Ben is still at the harbor did Louis get his exemption what became of Edward as he was about to get exempted when I left he will be lucky if he did how is the red trimming I suppose it is rather quiet now. I heard the government were calling the boys 18, 19 and 20 now is that so. I am beginning to like it now although the boys who have been here for two years or more are pretty tired of it, well it will be too bad if the Can. Gov don't look after them when they get back if the war lasts the winter

[?] [?] stamp the cows are a dark red if you see one you see them all the farms are worked by old men and women sometimes you see a few girls and young boys of about sixteen all the rest are training or fighting. I have not seen much fruit here yet the most prevalent is the walnut it grows along the roads or any where the trees are as high as 50 or 60 feet maybe more I would like to be here when they are ripe but I would not wait for them if I was delaying the trip back to Canada 2020829 7th Battallion B.E.F France this address will last as for the trenches. The weather here is awfully showery and I tell you when it rains it just falls in drops as large as pails. We are billetted in old buildings we don't use any blankets now. I only take my clothes off when I bath those that came over first must have suffered something fierce by the way they were marched and drilled we are only drilled half a day at a time. Talk about being sick of the war Everybody is but the only way that it will end is when Germany is beaten if the allies only hold next spring will surely see the finish But if no other nations take a hand in it. All the boys think about is getting a wound that will send them back to England for the Winter. I don't care how close they came so as they don't come to close I have the same chance as the next one. I have seen draft of Imperials pull out of here and they all seem young.

Well I conclude with love to all and the best of luck with the crop don't forget this address as it saves an awful lot of trouble. Your loving brother

Sam