Transcription
Dear Papa,
I received your letter of the 22nd O.K. I was surprised at you only getting four letters from me by that date as I wrote about 8 that you should have received. This is the eleventh letter I have written according to my diary. So some must have been lost. Do you get any that are censored? If so that might cause a delay. I do not know exactly how many I have received from you but I am pretty sure I have received all six. As regular parcels I have received one pound of Tobacco and another in the 11th parcal of eats. I have received both large parcels of eats but have not yet received the 8th one you mention in your letter of March 2nd as having sent.
I received a parcel of eggs and socks from Blauche, but unfortunately the eggs were spoiled though they were hard boiled. I also received a parcel from an unknown sender containing [??????] goods bought at [???????] Co's. Strawberry jam, peaches, baked beans and macconi. I presume it was is was from either you or Blauche sent is but is was not addressed in either of your handwritings.
The butter kept perfectly and has also kept in the box in barracks I put it in, as there is no heat now to spoil it. I still have about 3/4th of it to take to Lackhill with me.
You may be surprised at my being in the village again, well I [?????] One of [?????], and got a weekend leave forced on me in order to make an empty [????] For newcomers. I go to Lakehill on Saturday planing for a month's course tomorrow morning. I did not want to stay in expensive London as I only had a couple of dollars left so verys the [???????????] And I came here. You see we travel so cheaply in uniform + can put up in this village so comparatively cheaper confined with such home comfort that we would rather be here than in London. The climate is such an improvement also. I took a lot of snapshots here in Easter holiday and got one pristine printed of each. I am sending them to Blauche and am getting another copy printed now which I will mail to you this week. They wil be finished this Thursday.
I got 83% on my final exam - that is on the assugate, so I must have done very well in some exams to pull up my bad papers on [??????????] Of [???????] And diving drill. Our good old O. C.mayor Harrison wrote some [???????] [??????] our names and we accidentally saw them. He had [???????] Mine "very good, very smart, and capable" The second in command, capt. Todd, a Scotchman, who is our [?????????] Also congratulated me on my drawings of shells and buges showing the interior [???????????]. He said I was an artist, and as animation is one of his hobbies he was quite pleased that I put some beginning trenches on my sketches.
I am so glad your wrist is improving. It was too bad it happened as it was no dought extremely painful, and would also keep you back in you work. I am glad our are getting the new edition under way and only wish I was there to give out a hand with it. it just seems as though the time when I can be of some help to you to [????] You in some small measure for all that you and Mamma did for me, will never come. But the end of the war may be near. Germany is certainly surely pressed in the western front and I do not believe there will be a complete halt to this offensive. [???] [?????] Said the other day that after the [??????] Offensive when the German [????] Woke, there were more shells ready to use than there were at the begining of the offensive which is a good sign - and an answer of [??]peated successes due to superiority in artillery.
There is not much more news to tell you as I had to study too hard last week to get out. Mr. Reid and [?????????] And two others from our company are now in London. I have only seen one of them but expect to see the rest when I arrive back in London tonight.
I had to ca[?]le you for some more money last Wednesday Papa as I had to order a pair of slacks costing about $8 and a few other things and had no money to pay for them. I don't think I will have to have any more after this as £10 ought to see me though till I get my allowance. I will be so glad when I commence drawing pay so I can live on my income.
I am glad the States have at last come in to redeem the pas. They are such an impossible call that they may easily make up [??] [?????????]and [??????????] For what they have so far [??????].
Well I must [?????] Now I will write again by Saturday telling you all about Lakehill. Weather, [????????] And [?????] Also per[??]ed high up. So we are all still together.
Yours affectionately
Harry.
P.S. I forgot to mention that Mr. [?????]th has a [??????] house at Sulton - [?????????] 2 1/2 miles away which I have seen.Transcriber
Victoria StewartLanguage
English
