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Date: October 1st 1916
To
Mother
From
Earl
Letter

Camp Borden

Sunday Oct 1st

Mrs H. Johns
Elimville
Ont

Dear Mother:- Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope to find you the same. We have had a busy week last week. And will have a busy one coming. We have been on the ranges 3 days and have two more to put in Mon and Tuesday. We have to get up at 4:30 tomorrow and next day. After we get done Tuesday its the trenches for us. Tuesday night untill Wed. night. Thursday we go home so we are told I have done very good at ranges the first day I made 49 points out of 70 next day 66 out of 70. Sat. 52 out of 60 so it is not too bad is it. Tell Lloyd that I would like to see him fire off these big rifles. I tell you what they kick some the second day I caught a few on my shoulder that shook me. I did as good as anybody I guess and a little better than the most. Tomorrow we shoot 300 yds I don't expect that it will be much harder than the 200 yds which was esier that 100 yds Some of us had another (medical) examination they made a mistake in the papers and so had a lot of us up again Well Vale and I were the only ones in our tent that they called up. It was a little time off as we did not have to work when we were undressed. A lot of the Batt are warned for over seas 142 are on their last leave Monday Maby ours will be our last we come Thursday But Suppose it is you must not fret any as most of the Batt have to go somewhere soon as the weather is getting very cold. It frose the ground hard this morning. It will catch us to get up at 4:30 tomorrow morning. It is good fun out there. It feels funny to hear the bullets going over about 2 feet above your head. As they go through the target with a crack louder than our 22 rifle. Its a great job raising and lowering the targets. A Rice. L Day and I went out behind the ranges and picked up a lot of spent bullets it is out of bounds so we had to do some sneaking I can tell you. I picked up 250 spent bullets laying on top of the ground I'll bring some home. Well I must close.

From Earl

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Original Scans