Letter from Pte. Durand

The following letter was received by Mrs. Durand from her son Herbert, from somewhere in France, and is dated Sept. 25th.

Dear Mother:-
received your welcome letter the other day but no parcel yet.
I am getting along fine. Got a new job the other day in the transport section, and do go into the trenches. It is a job they call "bomb-proof" and there are a lot of the fellows quite jealous of me, because it is a job everybody looks for, but I happened to have my eyes wider open than the rest. I am not sure whether I can hold it or not as I don't know much about horses, but I shall do my best.
The second division arrived here the other day but have not gone into the trenches yet. They are certainly a fine lot of men.
We hear to-night that the British had taken Labasse. That's near where we first went into the trenches and it was certainly a hot place. By taking Labasse it means that the Germans will have to fall back all the way along the line and it will have a lot to do with end of the war, as the Germans are pretty near bankrupt now.
We are having some rotten weather. The rain is coming right through the tent and the mud is something awful.
I am sending you a picture of a town where we are. I saw the steeple of the church blown clean off by a German shell and the rest of the town is shelled to the ground. I can't tell you the name as we are not allowed to.
Our Battalion is in the trenches and they have had quite a few casualties.
I met a number of fellows in the Second Division that I met out West and it sure feels good. I think I told you about meeting Mick Sullivan. I saw him again to-day.
Tell Marguerite I am sorry I can't send her any buttons, but that the mail clerks at the base are looking for souvenirs and the boxes don't always get through intact, but I will try to take a lot home with me.
Your loving son, Herb.