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Date: January 28th 1917
To
Hazel
From
John
Letter

Witley
Jan 28/17

Dear Hazel -

This is Sun. afternoon so I will write a few lines altho there is hardly anything new to write about. It seems to me that every time I write to you I tell you a different story about what we are going to do in the near future so I wont say anything at all this time about what will likely happen in the next month or so.

It has been rather cold here lately and everything is pretty well frozen up. There is no snow at all and the roads are dusty and fine for marching. This morning all the waterpipes were frozen in camp and we had to melt ice to wash in.

The signallers are having a big Banquet on Tues evening at Godalming and we all expect a big time. The adjutant Capt Murphy and the sig officer Mr Lester are both going so we expect late passes and a big time. There is a Red Cross dance the same night and I guess we will all get tickets thru the adjutant.

We got a large draft from the 120th Bn the other day so our battn is up to strength now. They came in on Burns' day so we had quite a celebration including an extra dinner and supper too. These Scotchmen never miss an opportunity to celebrate and I am not a bit sorry that I am Scotch.

Bill, George, Lee and I had our usual Sunday dinner today. We had roast chicken and roast potatoes, fried turnips, Plum pudding apple pie and coffee and of course cigars. We go to a swell place and spend all our money on eats. It seems as tho we thought a whole lot of our stomachs.

We have all our overseas equipment now and are all ready for France. I got a new tunic, trousers, shoes and a few other articles that you might not be interested in. Our tunics are English with collars and cut away in front. Really we look quite sporty in our new outfits. We are in a new division now and wear our div colours on our sleeves. They are orange and blue and of course represent the best Can division yet (so we think). I have changed my opinion lately about the length of the war. I imagine that it won't be over quite as soon as we thought a while ago altho next summer should make a big change.

I guess we will go to the show tonight. We usually go on Sun. evenings. I was hut orderly this morning and didn't go to church so I feel rather wicked. We didn't get up till 8.30 this morning and enjoyed the extra sleep immensely as we are putting in longer hours now. I wont be able to write either as often as I did a while ago as we haven't very much time at our disposal. We haven't had any Can mail since Jan 5th so I guess it is held up some where.

Well there isn't anything else to write about so I guess I had better stop.

Yours
Jack

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