France

August 22nd, 1917

Dear mother and father:-

You will be surprised when I tell you where I am writing this from and why I am here. Well, if I had been told a couple days ago that I was coming her, I don't believe I would have believed it myself.

Yesterday morning as I was coming off gun crew the sergeant asked me to be ready in half an hour to come down here to a Rest Camp away behind the lines. Of course you can imagine how happy I was and did not hesitate telling him that I could be ready in 5 minutes if necessary. We do not know just yet what are the exact plans, but will know in a day or so for sure. It seems that what are supposed to be the 3 best ball players from each battery of the Heavy and Siege guns are being sent down here. The idea is to pick an all-star team and I believe there are some big sports coming off. Rumor has it that the all-star team might go to Paris but this seems too good to be true. However we will soon know all about it.

Well, by some mistake I suppose, I was included in our trio and we left the battery yesterday morning. We spent the night in a big French chateau, sleeping in the stables. While there I met a Victoria college fellow who is in the Division of signallers. Then to day we journeyed by motor lorry away back here to this Rest Camp. There are only 10 of us ballplayers is here so far but the rest should be coming in to-morrow. We have just finished having a catch and have come down here to do some writing. The gramaphone is playing while I am scribbling this.

My, but I am a lucky fellow. To think that I should have such a chance and only out here such a short while. The other 2 boys with me have been out here about a year. Moreover we are well out of harm's way and no chance of being called out in the middle of the night to strafe the Huns. We do not know how long we will be here. I guess it depends on whether we make the team. Some say 4 or 5 days, some a week and even 2 or 3 weeks. Just since coming here I have met a number of artillery chaps I know who are here on rest.

We have been kept terribly busy lately strafing Fritz so you see looking at it in every angle I am just about the luckiest boy in the world.

As I only wrote a couple days ago this is going to be a short letter. The trip down here was simply beautiful. This part of France is very pretty and wonderful scenery. One of the chaps from another Heavy Battery is a first year University of Toronto boy who came over from Canada on our boat. His name is Douglas and his people are quite wealthy in Toronto I understand.

By the way, I guess it would help much if you send me a little money on receipt of this if you think it necessary. You see while here it of course takes a little and we do not know whether we get any more pay.

Our camp here is in a pretty valley with a stream running thro' it and amidst the woods. A beautiful spot. Well, I guess I will close this and write in a few days. Hope this finds you both well and as happy as I am.

As ever
With much love
Vaughan

PS Saw a great concert Party yesterday given by members of the 21st Batta