Saturday September 16

               Up at 5:30 march before breakfast. 7:30 breakfast, tea, porridge, bread + bacon. They do not know how to cook bacon. They burn it all up until it is as dry as paper. Physical drill 9-10. I feel better to-day and enjoy the exercises but they are pretty stiff. 10-12:30. Casualty drill, I had charge of the whole company for a few minutes and got along all Jake. Dinner to-day was very poor, we cut the grass around our huts, we always have some odd jons thrown at us on Saturday afternoon left camp @ 2pm and walked to Godalming and had a good meal which cost 2/6. Came home early and was in bed as usual 9:30.

               Sunday September 17

               Up as usual 5:30. I think they might let us sleep in a little on Sundays now don’t you, when we get up it is just like midnight. Stars, moon, etc. are very prevalent. Breakfast 7:30 church parade 9. It was a short service conducted by some English Chaplain. Dinner at 12:30 hung around hut all afternoon writing etc. Tea @ 5PM a bunch of us walked to Godalming to a soldier’s concert. That is one thing they know how to do over here, all those who took part were actors + actresses playing in London. It was certainly a pleasant evening. We got a little wet coming back it rains so easy over here that we never know when to expect it. Went to bed @ 9:30 but believe me we had to step to make it.

               Monday September 18

               Up at 5:30, rained all night. Route march before breakfast at 7:30. Porridge, tea + Bacon. 9-10 physical drill in rifle ranges on account of rain from 10-12 we had a lecture on map reading. Dinner @ 12:30 Beef, peas, + spuds. Gee but they grow tough beef over in this country “Nuff said”. Had casualty drill until 5:30. Supper bread + cheese. The fellows are pretty sore on their rations, we are not getting even a part of what we are supposed to get. We walked to Godalming and bought our supper. I am certainly glad I brought some extra mone wit me or I would starve, it is 3 miles each way to Godalming and by the time we walk both ways and get a supper it keeps us stepping. In the restarants over here they have a very poor system and it takes about a week to get your order. Nevertheless we got back to camp and in bed at 9:30.

               Tuesday September 19

               Up at 5:30 raining again, no early march but here is the reason. Breakfast 7:30 porridge and, little piece of burnt bacon. If the rations here do not get better it looks like a riot to me.

               It has cleared up but is cold + dreary. Physical drill 9-10 and outpost duty until noon. Dinner at 12:30 meat beans + spuds. Rained all day so we did not have any parades. Wrote some letters and played checkers. Tea @ 530. Norman Stommers and I went to the morning picture show at tin town. In bed before 9:30.

               Just a diversion don’t you think I am keeping good hours here.

               Friday September 22

               Up at 5:30 as per, instead of having early route march, we had some relay races, games etc. and believe me it was certainly hard on us breakfast @ 7 physical drill from 9-10. Extended order and manouvering until noon. Packed our its and had dinner at 12:45. Parade @ 115. Which was a 10 mile route march. It was a hard march but is all in the game. Got back @ 4:30. Supper @ 5:30. I had 2 stewed figs some bread + tea. Stayed in hut, played checkers and went to bed @ 8 PM.

               Saturday September 23

               Up at 5:30. Breakfast at 7, tea, bread + bacon, got some dry sand and cleaned out our hut. We also cleaned the windows and tidied up as we expect a hut inspection. Physical drill from 9-10. We had platoon drill until noon. Dinner @ 12:30, it was the best dinner we have had for a long time. Beef, carrots + spuds. We were issued with Mattress bags to-day. C Donaldson, J Barnard, Murray + I took the bus to Guilford which is about 9 miles from here, we certainly had a good time we walked around town and I managed to get a couple of old popular magazines I had not read, we went to a restaurant for our supper and while there I disgraced myself. By the way Guilford is about the size of St. Thomas. It was a very small table we had and we were crowded my sleeve touched my B+B plate and it touched J Barnards cup of tea + turned it right upside down, we had a good laugh about it, and it did not worry us much. After supper we went for another walk and saw two red cross trains come in. They were met by military ambulances and it made a sad looking procession only they seemed jolly enough. In the course of our wonderings we met some people J Barnard knew, who lived in Godalming. They were very nice and invited us down for tea Sunday night. Caught the 8 o’clock bus and was in bed @ 9:30. This was quite an enjoyable day.

               Sunday September 24

               We were awakened at 2 AM. There was a Zep raid on England. We had to get up and dress in the dark. Went outside and distinctly heard reports of firing. This is about the third time we have had these. Hurry up calls. But none of them have been close to our Camp. It was a nice clear morning and I imagined I saw Zeps in every star. Went to Bed at 3:30 and got up again @ 5:30. Breakfast at 7, porridge, bread, tea + bacon. Our rations have been away short, nobody gets enough and it looks like a row to me if it keeps up. Capt Graham our own Chaplain preached on Christ died for the ungodly, we had hut inspection at 10:30 by Col. Robinson. Then sent some letters. Had dinner @ 12:30. Beef, spuds, peas, after dinner Clarence Donaldstone, J Barnard + I walked to Godalming. By the way you might hear me mention Don’s name as we are great chums and he is certainly a dandy fellow. We met Jim’s friends who are Mr. + Mrs. Highes. They took us out for a dandy walk. Through country lanes, we were picking nuts and wild berries. The scenery and foliage were beautiful. They took us back to supper and this is the time I have been in a home since I left London Ontario. We had a good tea and talk about apple pie it is not the same as we get in Canada. There was more apple + less crust. There was custard on it and believe me it was Jake, after supper we went out in the back yard + shot at a target with an air gun. We left there at 8 PM and it was by far the most enjoyable time I have spent since I have been in camp here. I took some pictures but it was dark and they were not any good. Went to bed @ 9:30.

               Monday September 25

               Up at 5:30. Roll call @ 6. Our Battalion is duty Battalion here this week which means we have to supply guards, fatigue parties etc. in camp. Had breakfast at 6:30 which you will notice is earlier we had porridge, tea + tinned beef + bread. A bunch of our officers and no. coms are away taking courses and it makes us pretty busy. We had physical drill from 9-10. From 10 until noon a lecture on musketry and the care of arms. Had dinner at 12:30 some stew, spuds + turnips. There were some more Canadian Battalions came in to-day. They expect to have 50 thousand Canadians here before they are finished. We paraded again at 12 PM with packs and were inspected by Hon. Sam Houghes. It was some inspection we had about half a battalion and our Colonel as usual got balled up in his commands. Supper at 5 PM, bread, marmalade + tea. After supper I had a boxing match with Don, + believe me there was some lively stepping. Most of our fellows are broke. They will do almost anything for a penny. Bayley filled my mattress bag to-day for 3 pence. I went to bed at 9:30 and believe me that straw felt like feathers.

               Tuesday September 26

               We were awakened again @ 1:45 another Zep raid. I did not even get up. It was only a small raid, not very much damage done and none of military importance. Breakfast @ 6:15 fish, porridge, bread + tea. We had physical drill in our hut. Had a lecture on advancing + night marching from 10:30-11:30. Dinner at 12:30, beef, spuds + beans. The meat to-day was so tough that I should not have even mentioned it. We had outpost and general field manouvering from 2-4:30, at 5 PM tea, rice, tea + bread. Murray, Don, Norm + I went down to Godalming. Had a dandy bath in a real tub. They have a lunch room in connection with the baths, we ordered our supper to be ready when we had finished our bath. They got our order all mixed up and we did not enjoy our supper very much because we had to do so much fussing to get it straightened out. I met Rod Erskine. He has only been here a few days and I was surprised to see him we got back at 9 and had to do some tall old stepping to make it.

               Wednesday September 27

               Up at 5:30. Breakfast @ 6:00, porridge, bread, tea + canned beef. We have six new officers attached to our battalion and the one we drew will have to have his comb cut. Hi is certainly officious and if he yells much more we will have nervous prostration. We had to parade with full packs 8 AM, marched to Hursley commons about 3 miles away and found out we should not have left camp, when we got back we had physical drill and passing messages until 12. No dinner at all to-day. They gave us a sandwich. A riot nearly started in #1 platoon. But Murray stopped it.

               Paraded again at 2 PM. Our new officer although a junior is going to try and remake the 135^th Battalion, but believe me he has some job. We had advance guard work I had charge of a left flank and we got along fine. It started to rain so we were called in and given a lecture on it until 4:30. Had a pretty good supper but can never seem to get filled up on army rations. I stayed in and went to bed at 8 PM.

               Thursday September 28

               Up at 5 AM. Breakfast at 6. Muster Parade at 7. We had to stand around until 9. The parade was for pay office and every man had to answer his name. 9-10 physical drill. Our new officer made some awful mistakes when we were falling in and of course we were glad. We did extended order and passing messages until 12 AM. 1 sandwhich again for dinner and they forgot to put the cheese in mine. Fell in again at 2 PM and had a lecture on outposts, Murray and I had charge of one Buynch and we made a good showing, knew our duties and had our men placed well. We then had a lecture on reconnaissance, we had charge of the same bunch and made a good report. Came in at 5 PM + had a good supper, Went over to Tin Town about 7:30. Had sliced tomatoes, boiled ham, coffee. Was in bed 9:30.

               Friday September 29

               It has been raining all day. We hung around our hut all morning. Got paid in the afternoon and collected my debts. Well dears this is as far as I have gone. Will write again soon.

                              Your loving son + bro

                                             Bob

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