Transcription
Somewhere in France
Dec. 11th. 1916.
Dear George:-
How is everything going I expect you are now enjoying your holidays, as they mostly started about this time. The skating will likely be about its best, there can't be as many lads knocking around on the ice this year as others.
Well I guess we have had our little Christmas holiday, being billeted in a little town for a few days, this is the rest all troops get after leaving the Somme. Were given a little extra money for Xmas [abbreviated: Christmas] which is very easily spent, but we have been getting everything at once about five or six parcels came within three days, you know the mail was held up during the time we were on the march. got Maggie Garland's, you people certainly send a great many parcels. I have so many letters to answer that I am almost
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discouraged in writing. Sid and Ervie are fine while Earl is in Bristol with an attack of appendicitis which you have already heard, on a card I got from him, he stated that he wasn't certain of being operated on.
How is school going? you want to keep to school as steady as possible, how is Charlie making it go? does he be down very often rec'd [abbreviated: received] his letter but never got answering it yet. I forgot to tell you I got your letter some time ago being very glad to hear your news, as you always of different doings than mother for the rest, you sure did well with the horses last fall. I heard the 207th. was loset [spelling error: lost] some time this month, but there are always alot rumours going around, how is Eric Channon + Willie getting along. heard Willie was married + sick in hospital, hope he is getting better, the military life must of [spelling error: have] sure
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set him crazy. Well George I wish I could tell some of our experiences down on the some [spelling error: Somme], it sure was some dive, lost a great many of our men, talk about mud but that is where it is, the line is bad enough anywhere, but here you would have to throw back your ears to get through the bog holes.
We had those long hip rubber boots on + often lads would get stuck + even go over the tops of them lose their boots + have to come back out in bare feet. They weren't very good for the mud but were ahead of the short boots in the water. You have no idea how the field is covered with equipments rifles + dead where they are advancing. The French of the district are very friendly + good to the Canadians, although everything is very dear which is expected here. I suppose things are also dear in Canada this winter.
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I only wish you could have one day's experience over in this country, their methods are so far behind and different to ours. You would bust your boot laces if you saw some of the outfits they drive about, mostly carts about three times the size of the donkey or mule, not any bigger than a dog, these are driven principally by old women + kids, they also have some fine big horses drive them mostly by one line + have 3 or 4 horses hitched to one team's load.
Rec'd [abbreviated: Received] a letter from Grandpa containing a dollar, which comes in very good. Some of our Batt. [abbreviated: Battalion] are now away on pass we expect to get, but there is only a few of the Batt. [abbreviated: Battalion] go away at once. If sending any boots I think those half length elk boots are the best, some of the lads have got them.
With Love To All.
Sefton.
Wishing You All a Merry Christmas.Language
English
