Somewhere in France

Monday April 23/18

My darling Mother, Father + Sis,

              Just a line dears to let you know I am feeling fine and I hope you are all the same. I received two letters from home yesterday and one from Carrie and talk about your silver lining.

              I am glad you have received my letters from here and know that I am mighty glad that my mail has started to come direct. I hope the food control does not affect the business very much but I suppose it will to a certain extent.

              I am glad you realize dears that I cannot write much of a letter from here and some times not very often but I will do the best I can if you could only see me now you could say so too. I am glad Carrie got down to Toronto for a few days and that joke about the letters reminds me that I have a letter written home + one to Annabel and they are in my pack but as I have not seen my pack for a couple of weeks and do not expect to see it for a week or so yet I guess they will have to wait.

              I am glad the parcel arrived all right that I sent and that Annabel and you were pleased. It is not very much, I can send in the way of parcels but thought you would like those.

              I see by your letter that you are sending me a parcel with trench candles, vermin shirts and insect powder. You asked me to tell you what to send and I am afraid so far I have not given you much help. I can easily get candles here + vermin shirts are too much bother, and the lice we have over here grow fat on insect powder so after this count them out. It does not matter what you use you get lice and there is only one way to do and that is make them crack or what we say louse up.

              The best thing to send in parcels is one pair of socks, eats, and players cigarettes, Clark’s small P+B cans are all right, so are sardines, and fudge cake, etc., jam, etc.

              I had a parcel from aunt Mary and believe me it came in Jake.

              I did not know that Capt. Emslie had gone back to Canada but believe me he is lucky.

              Now dears don’t worry about not writing me more than you do when you send a parcel every couple of weeks you are certainly doing your share.

              Remember me to all with best love to you all dears

                           Bob

803022 RW Leach.

P.S. I am glad you have such a good woman helping in the house. Hang on to her.

              Bob