France

Monday 27th May, 1918

My dear mother,

Yesterday was my fourth Sunday in France and I suppose that I am just getting used to the new style of spending a Sunday. As before, reveille was at 7 and breakfast at 8 so that there was no hurry and I had the chance of a little longer rest in bed which was welcome. After breakfast I had a wash and got ready for church parade at 10o/c. The service was held in the same field as last Sunday and commenced at llam. We were formed up in [?] to make three sides of a square and the two padres stood in the middle. This time there was no band for some unknown reason but we managed quite well without it. I enjoyed the service very much and welcomed a change to the ordinary daily routine. The form of worship is quite simple and easy to follow in the Army prayer book. I thought of you at the Quadrant all the time and felt rather comfortable to that we were each doing the same thing and thinking of each other.

The weather was quite mild. Stuart and I made our way to the orchard where I wrote a letter and read the Daily Mirror that you sent me. There were some cows in the orchard and they looked rather menacing so after a few vain attempts to frighten them away we decided that discretion was the better part of valour, especially as we wanted a quiet time and sought some shade in an adjoining field. The post arrived at 3.45 and brought me five communications, a p.c. from Isa dated 5th and sent to Wimbledon, a letter from Mrs. Noble dated 10th inst forwarded from Wimbledon, a letter direct from Bert Cross, Uncle John and Auntie "C". Thank the latter very much indeed for her long interesting communiqué to which I will reply when I have a chance; she seems to be enjoying life on the whole.

After tea Stuart and I went for a stroll and arrived back at about 8o/c. The former then recovered a very big appetite which he decided to satisfy with some boiled flaked rice. Accordingly he bought a jug full of milk and tipped in plenty of rice and then took it all to the old lady who owns this billet and asked her, as well as he could, to boil it for him, which she did.

I turned in fairly early as it is a case of early rising on a weekday now.

I only discovered yesterday that I am in the province responsible for the [?] in a famous song "[?]". I can't be certain about this tho' because I haven't a map and my geography is not as good that I remember what French province it is in.

I hope that you are keeping well and happy and that dad is not overworking.

I may be moving at any time now and as far as it lies in my power I will keep you advised of events. If however my correspondence is interrupted for a few days it simply means that there is no convenience to write or post letters so there will be no need for you to worry. On the other hand I may be here for a long time but I think it advisable to just give you some sort of warning in case I [?].

Now I must conclude,

With fondest love and xxxxxx from your

most affectionate son Bert