France
April 24th 1918

Dear Mother:

Have a little spare time so will use it to write you a short note. Think some of the Guelph mail must have gone astray as I have not heard from any of you there since Evelyns letter of March 9th although I received a letter from Isabel dated March 25th written on her way back to Toronto and telling about her trip home for Easter.

At present everything is about the same in our locality without anything out of the ordinary although just now there is a heavy strafe on our right which may or may not develop into something. It has been raining a little tonight and as a result the ground is wet and very slippery. Also had a few crashes of sharp lightning which at first we mistook for guns as there was the flash and report. It is the first I have heard for almost a year.

We have finished our dugout and moved into it yesterday. Six of us are living in it. It is built of sheet iron walled in with sandbags which are the principal building material. One dugout which holds 20 men required about three thousand sandbags which meant a little work to fill them. However they are good for stopping bullets and shell splinters.

Yesterday I met a fellow I knew well in Edm. He was also a friend of Smyths and I thought I might see him too but he was apparently in the line. Yesterday was a very hot day but just fine if you were not working hard. Today is much cooler. We will soon be getting all the warm weather we want and more so do not complain. Have a canteen here now and also a phonograph with some good records to amuse us.

Yesterday bought a supply of biscuits as they are much in demand. Did I mention that I got a glass for my watch about two weeks ago and it has been going ever since and keeping good time. Will be able to use one if you have sent it. Did I mention that I had seen Foote of 64th who used to live in Fergus. He called here a few days ago having come out a short time ago after being in hospital for some time with poison in his foot I think it was

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