April 17th 1915
Miss Olga Brown

Dear Sister:

Well Olga as you have evidently forgotten me altogether so I guess I will jog your memory and let you know I am still in the land of the living.

I came off the homestead on the end of March, and when I got into town there was not much work to get, and wages are poor also. I stayed around town for a couple of days and then I joined the fifty third battalion here in Prince Albert. I like it fine in the army. We have it pretty stiff on the marches sometimes, but the grub is good, and we have some jolly good times. The Daughters of the Empire here is P.A. have been kind enough to set a room aside here where we can come and enjoy ourselves. There is a piano in here and all kinds of books. We come in here in the evenings and on Saturday afternoon & Sundays. We get a half holiday every saturday. We also got three days off at Easter. We expect to go to Sewell in Manitoba in about a month to train. If the Kaiser could hear some of the songs we sing about him, he would either be pretty badly scared, or else be all the more determined to win.

How are you feeling now? Is Aunt Birdie and Uncle Mat well? Did your tonsils bother you much last winter. I was lucky they never bothered me much at all. They generally caused me quite a bit of trouble, but not so this year. I suppose your cat is well and [?] well too. I guess that I will not be homesteading next winter. We who have homesteads count the time we put in the army as homestead duties. I am going to take my next homestead in germany as soon as we get the germans beaten. They must be cruel men when they do such outrageous things as we hear about them doing all the time.

Well Olga if anything should happen to me, you will get my homestead as I left it to you in such case. I will give you full particulars about it in my next letter that I write to you.

Well I guess that you are getting to be a pretty big girl by now. You will be twelve in the twenty first will you not. I tried to think of something nice to send you on your birthday, but as I am a poor judge of girls I had to give it up. so I am enclosing a two dollar bill in this letter and you get something you would like with it. Well I guess I will close now hoping you will answer sooner this time than you did before. With Love to all.

I am yours lovingly
Don

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ADDRESS J.M. Brown
c/o 53rd Armoury
Prince Albert, Sask

P.S. Tell Aunt Birdie to write. I am going to write her soon

[Written on the back of page one of Jack Brown's letter to Olga Brown]

Postmaster
Prince Albert
Sask.

Dear Sir:

Can you give me any information regarding the 53rd Battalion which was stationed at Prince Albert in April 1915. I am in quest of my brother, J.M. Brown [?] and I have not heard from him since April last though I answered his letter. The Battalion was to be [?] to Sewell, Manitoba but I do not know whether it is there now or has gone to the front. Any information regarding him or the battalion will be gratefully received. I am enclosing stamps for reply, and hope to hear from you soon.

Your truly

Olga Brown
Frankville, Ont