Aldershot
England.

22/3/40

Dear Mom & Dad:

This is good Friday and a camp holiday. There is nothing going on around camp. Most of the boys applied for week end passes and are gone to London.

The day before yesterday I had a little cold, so I went on sick parade figuring on getting a bottle of cough medicine to take with me. The M.O. had other ideas however, he put me in the hospital for a couple of days. He told me thoes little colds go a lot quicker when laying in bed than if I was exercizing on parade. They let me out noon to-day.

There is no talk of us moving from here as yet. I guess we will be stuck here quite a while yet.

It is rumored we are getting our leave after Easter. We are in the army six months, so that entitles us to fourteen days leave. And when we leave for France or Palestine, or where ever we are going, we get another leave. Every week from Saturday noon until Monday morning we can get a week-end pass.

Last Saturday J.C. and I went to London for a trip. It cost us 4 shills and 6 pence return. We saw most of the important places. We used to travel under ground on the subway trains, and can they ever go. You can go all over London for six pence.

It is fine over here now. The farmers are plowing and getting every thing in shape for the crop. Every thing is begining to grow, all the trees are in bud. We were out on a route march this week and during a break some of the boys got curious about a strange plant growing by the road side. When we got home the doctor told them that it was "Poison ivy". I was lucky enough to have my gloves on at the time.

We got the "soft ball" fever here now. No sooner is parade over than we head for the soft ball diamond. It was formerly a football field. They didnt know what softball was until we started it and now most of the English are playing it.

We get a foot ball game going some times. The kids living around here come over with their foot ball. They have a hard time teaching us the rules of the game.

We had elections here last week. I voted for Clarence Gillis. Most of the Cape Britoners voted for Clyde Nunn.

The strangest sight I've seen in London was on Lester square. A big platform in the middle of the street with "Communist party" written across it and two speakers spelling each other off, talking as loud as they could. There were about 500 people gathered around listening. The bobbies in the back ground were unconcerned about it all. I stopped to listened for awile and lost J.C. He was about a block ahead of me hollering to the top of his voice, "come on comrade".

I owe Wannie a letter yet, but I am not going to write until pay day, I am going to try to get some thing for the kids if possible. She told me that she was going to bake a cake for me, it sure would be welcome. I owe the boys some anyway. When a parcel comes for one of us, all the rest get their bayonets out to cut the cake.

Grady was living off us for a month with promises of a big parcel coming tomorrow. He did pretty well too, getting buts and pieces of nut bar and cake. But the boys lost faith in his parcel and are now bycotting him. He is quite a case. The sarg. is putting the fellows out that are not liable to become efficient signalers. He is holding on to Don though, he claims there would be no signalers platoon with him.

Well I'll have to sign off for now. You don't need to worry about me. When any thing new developes I'll tell you right away.

This is a big picnic so far, and it wont be getting serious for some time yet.

Say me to Aunt Clara and family. The Rileys also. Tell Mary I'll write her soon.

Love to all.
Boyley.