March 10/17

Witley Camp

Surrey England

Dear Mother Father + Carrie

               We have not had any Canadian mail here now for over a week and believe me that is about the only pleasant event we have to look forward to, but as everybody is in the same boat it is not so bad. The weather over here the last few days has been simply awful, cold, snow, rain + worst of all very windy. I am afraid you will be disappointed with the letter I sent you on Thursday but I only had a few minutes in which to write, our night work Thursday night ended up in a route march with heavy marching order as it was too cold and wet to go out to the trenches.

               On Friday as per schedule we marched out to Hankley commons, it was snowing and pretty disagreeable, we got out there about 10 AM and were hoping all the time that the maneuvering would be postponed but no such luck. The officers from the school were there and we made a long advance through heather covered with snow and believe me dears that wet snow on the bare knees was anything but pleasant. We had our dinner on lunch which consisted of two slices of bread out in the open. Murray and I spread out our rubber sheet and had our lunch together, I certainly would have liked to see us in a picture, it was snowing, our rifles were all piled our packs around on the ground and we were sitting around in bunches. It was certainly a typical scene. We arrived back about 3:30 and had a bathing parade but as usual on these occasions Murray + I fooled them. We parade but instead of taking a bath we had a wash, then we went down to Godalming and had a real bath, we also had our supper down there, we got back to camp about 8:30 and we were certainly feeling fine after the bath.

               The next Canadian mail does not go out until Monday 5:30 PM so this is only a beginning as we now have lots of time to write. This morning one of our chaps was taken to the hospital with mumps. This means that we are quarantined for 28 days. We are closely guarded and a guard goes down to the wash room while we wash. Murray + I are jake. I never saw Murray looking better and as for me scaries are the only thing bothering me.

               In my last letter I mentioned about cabling for money, which I do not think was every delivered, so I expect I will be sending another just as soon as I can get someone to go over and sent it.

               I expect we will be able to get passes when we get out of quarantine and my money here is pretty limited, we get just enough here for general use such as cigarettes, eats, etc.

               Murray and I had passes for Guildford on Sunday but now we will spend our Sunday in the hut.

               Sunday March 11/17

Well dears here we are again, I got up this morning about 8:30 and it was sure nice to lay in. This is about the only pleasant part of quarantine. It was raining all night and also rain in spasms to-day. So we cannot even go out and play foot ball, for exercise I have been laying around all morning and after the active life we have had lately it is pretty hard work loafing.

               It is just 11 PM now and I can hear the pipes which means the boys are coming back from church parade. I got the corporal of the guard to send the cable, this morning and I hope you receive it all jake as I have been using Murray for a bank lately.

               I had a boxing match this morning which however did not amount to very much.

               Monday March 12/16 [sic]

Yesterday it kept raining all day therefore we could not get out for exercise, but in the afternoon we had to move all our belongings over to the 124^th where they have quarantine enclosures, we are in one now and it is just the same as an internment camp, barbed wire all around and guarded night + day.

               It is still raining and pretty blue here to-day, everybody in our huts are growing Charlie Chaplin moustaches for a joke.