Sunday February 10/18

Witley Camp

Surrey

England

My darling Mother, Father + Sis

              Just received two letters from home and there from Annabel and believe me dears life seems more worth while right now that it has for some little while. I think I will have to form a combine dears for the regulation of mails etc. I was sorry to notice that you had not been getting my mail regularly. But will just have to sympathize together. But we sure do appreciate them when we do get them.

              Well before I go any further I will tell you how I made out at Bordon. (Bordon is recognized by everyone that it is a pretty stiff all round course dealing in map reading, musketry, platoon + company drill, physical training, bayonet fighting and a touch of gas bombing + wiring. When I came back from pass I looked over orders to see how I had made out and was surprised to see that I had made Seargants qualification, which is the best qualification which can be made there. I am certainly glad I did buckle down and work although I have Sergt’s qualification I expect to remain a Corporal as our company has more Sergts now than we are allowed but I have the satisfaction of knowing anyway.

              I had quite a good time on pass in fact Edinburgh place I have really liked and I’d like to stay there about 2 months. We left there Monday night and arrived in Birmingham at 10 AM Tuesday morning. In the afternoon we went out and saw Charlie Axton. He is looking fine and expects to be back in Toronto pretty soon. We spent the whole afternoon with him.

              We left Birmingham at 8:30 AM Wednesday Morning and arrived in London about 11 AM. We went to the Strand Theatre in the afternoon and it was a comedy. I enjoyed it. It is surprising what a good laugh will do for a person. We left London at 5:30 and arrived back here about 8:30. I was only in the hut about 10 minutes when the orderly Sgt. Came in and warned me for the ranges Thursday. We went out there at 8:30 and I was on the firing point until 4:30 PM with about ¾ hr break for dinner. The gun I was in charge of was cutting up some pretty queer pranks and believe me I was tired. We only had 4 guns and over 350 men fired so you can understand we had some job. On Friday I had to take my section over to the divisional school. It was really a test of section commander, handling and organization of his section. I was quite worried for a while because my #1,2,3,4 were away. But I filled their places with reserve gunners and I was certainly surprised when the officer congratulated me and told me that it was one of the best organized sections he had seen. Now if I had only had my own bunch I think he would have kissed me.

              Saturday morning I was on parade and to-day is our Sunday off so I have been busy getting my things in shape.

              I have not seen Fred for about 3 mos. So I am as much at sea as you are what he wants. Billy Green was up to see me the other night believe me he is some big boy now.

              I am glad to hear you are feeling so well and I hope you keep it up. I have been feeling pretty good lately although I have been troubled quite a lot with indigestion. The food we get is pretty hard sometimes to chew and there are a bunch of the boys with a pain under there pinny.

              I was sorry to hear about Grandma Waite but hope she is better now.

              Remember me to all dears with love + kisses to you all.

                           Bob.