Somewhere in England
May 18th, 1940

Dearest Mom,

Please excuse the long silence but I have not been able to get out to post any letters. Ever since Hitler invaded Belgium, the whole brigade has been CB'd and none have been able to get out to get stamps or mail letters. We are moving somewhere tomorrow. I don't know where we are going but we are taking everything along with us. So you had better start putting my old address:
CASF. c/o Base PO England - instead of Aldershot as you have been doing.

I have told you that I got back into my company alright. I really enjoy duty and find it so very much better than the Officer's Mess that I am beginning to wonder how I stayed there as long as I did. We have not been doing much this past week. I think I told you about our 18 mile route march. Since then we have been on two schemes and another five mile route march. Yesterday we marched past the Turkish envoy to England and his staff. He seemed to be very impressed by our smart bearing and generally good physique

I bought myself a camera today. It is smaller than my last one, more compact and very much sturdier. I like it very much. It cost 15 shillings, the films cost 9 pence each and are 2 ins. by 17/8 ins. I'll send home negatives as well as positives so that you can get them enlarged if you want to.

There is really nothing to write about because as I have already told you we have been CB'
d for a week.

I have not told you before that we have a cinema right here in the garrison. It is as big and luxurious as any in Aldershot and is very much cheaper 6d and 3d. They show very good picture too. Last night I saw "Girl of the Golden West" with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. It was superb.

Today there was a sports day in the garrison. The Brigade Sports. We won every event except the 3 mile relay and the hammer throw, so of course we are very proud of ourselves.

I have been very busy packing and washing all day. I have had to throw away all the letters that I have saved; even yours. Altogether I must have received 200 letters since I came here. It made quite a pile in the waste paper bucket.

I received a very interesting book from the Canadian Legion War Services yesterday. It is called "On England" and is a collection of different speeches made by Earl Baldwin since 1921 and is very interesting indeed. I have read nearly all of them and have written a poem from one of them. It is enclosed.

Well I don't know where you will receive the next letter from. It will probably be in England but I have no idea where. Good bye till next time

Love as Ever,

Jim