Witley Camp July 28 1918

Dear Mother:-

Received yours of 7th July yesterday & am answering it.

Glad to hear you got the parcel. I forgot what was in it. It was the night before I went to Fenny Stratford & I grabbed some stuff I didn't want to chuck away & mailed it to you I expect there was all kinds of trash in that diary. It acted as a sort of hand receptacle for almost anything for about 6 months & I mailed it without opening it. Did you see a piece of paper with some pencil writing on it "false alarm shock you felt was depth-charge dropped by us-Jarvis" Well that was copied down one night after dark on the brigde of our transport. I was on duty as a signaller. It refers to an explosion which nearly sunk us but sunk the submarine as we were afterwards told. The message came from the destroyer which sunk the sub. This all nearly a year ago so I suppose it is all right even if the letter is censored.

Gee mother I wish I had known you had to pay so much to cable money or I would'nt have asked you to cable it but to send by registered mail. The only thing about reg. mail is that if the ship sinks-exit money.

I cabled only a few days ago for some money & worded it "cable two his[?]". Well I hope you register it instead for I really thought that to cable money was just as cheap to cable words.

You asked me why I was dismissed from the O. mess. Well it strikes me that that question is just as sensible as if you asked me where I left my school-books when I came home from school last time. You seem to forget that it is months & months since that happened & I forget. But I think once we left because we were A category & only low category men were to be employed. But I'm not at all sure.

I think we will all be back soon. At least I think the war will be over soon.

Am enclosing a snap taken on my holiday in Wales. The beach doesn't look very inviting but along farther it is all golden sand & it is about 3 miles long. But I forgot, you have have a lot of views of Llandudns, haven't you I hope you got them O.K.

I'd like to know what to do when I get back. Life in a stuffy little dentists' office doesn't seem to appeal to me now after this life. In fact I think it will be hard to settle down to anything so nearly everybody is restless & unsettled after being in the army.

Well must close now. Lovingly Ludlow