Bramshott, Eng.

17th of Ireland

Dear Mither
Say if I were to start today I could fill this pad with my woes for we are being badly abused these days. first we have had no mail since dear knows when. I hear they are only going to bring it across every two weeks from now on and convoy the ships. Thats a slow but sure way and I suppose it is for the best. "next we were in C.B. for most of the afternoon and I wanted to see a footbal match and by the way our team played and I was left out "another kick", I don't care much on that score though for I expect to get away from this darned hole soon and they are, or seem to be making their team up of "bomb proofs" or in other words some of those yellow cusses who cling to their stripes instead of going to France. A good many have given up their stripes to go and then these ginks step in and take them and stay here. The army is anything but a square deal any way so we should worry. They should give the soft jobs to the returned men of which we have plenty here. There are men here who came over at the first of the war who have never seen France. Say I will have this filled with woes pretty soon, but just one more. I have to go on as policeman the night to keep order among the Irish and I wanted to go to an Irish concert in Haselmere. Then they are taking us shooting tomorrow ("Sunday") Over home they used to fine us for shooting on Sunday. Everything is in the same old monotonous tenor as per usual. I don't mind it so much except for the mail shortage which of course makes time hang heavy waiting for it to come.

They are having some time of it in Russia just now. It seems they have things settled up fairly satisfactory but you never can trust those darned Russians. I would sooner trust an Austrian any day and I as you know have not much use for any of the Bohunk class. I hope our government will wake up to the fact that they are a useless bunch after the war but I suppose they will give them all the best of everything to show there is no hard feeling. Say I going to quit Im in the wrong humor for writing.

March 18th 17

The storm is over. that is the one that was raging yesterday against the army etc. They actually gave me the priviledge of not going on church parade this morning because I did not get in until 1 oclock this morning from police duty. Pretty good of them wasn't it. It is a swell morning this morning and the paper is just in with the news of the fall of Bapaume, the big French advance and the settlement of the Russian revelution so now if I could just get a few fat letters from home I would feel jake once more. The changed their minds about sending me to the ranges today and sent another bunch and we go tomorrow. (Thats better.)

If the day continues fine as it is now Bert Dickey and I are going to take a walk away out onto some historic cliff out about five miles. They say the view is dandy on a clear day.

We are getting all kinds of practical work now. We were throwing the live bombs the other day and the next day we were through the gas chamber with the masks on. In a gas that they say one whiff of on the lungs would kill a man or ruin his lungs. We stayed for 15 minutes and never knew the difference. Each man has two masks at the front and gas is rarely effective.

There are a few casualties among our boys who have gone over but none real serious so far. There is still no noise of a draft going to France and we are beginning to think that they don't want us over there. Well I guess I'd best ring off for there is very little to write about. every subject is gitting very stale now so ta ta. Love to all.

Lovingly Rae.

I hope they don't work the same stunt on mails from here home.

Rae