France 30-7-18

My Dear Wife

Just a line to let you know I am well

It is quite a while since I have receved a letter from you but I hope you are well I receved a letter from my Cousins in england yesterday. They all seem to be well and they are looking for me to be over on another leave, but I hope my next leave is to Canada to see you and my dear kiddies I have been in france over three years now and would so much like to get a leave home it is getting all most unbareable my dear I cannot understand why they cannot give us a leave to Canada instied of to England and paris that is no good. to us it is only a farce I do not think the canadian government thinks very much of its fighting men the only men that are getting to Canada is none - combatants from England or from our Bace depot in france a man up the line can stay around do all the fighting and dirty work while the Bomb [?] as he is known by the lads out here gets all the Cream thousands of them never had a better job in there life, Just becuace the have a little pull of [?] officer of hight rank to speek for them. There are lots of soldiers out here wost then the me that object to be a soldier they do show there coler while the are thousands of fellows in the army that are hiding behind a soldiers uniform posing a soldiers there is now need of amy one man to be in the trenches for three years obout one half of the army does all the work and bares the blunt while the other half does nothing and never intend to do any thing just because they have a little pull. And Sylvia dear you know just about my style I always like to be a little independent, and I suppose I will have to do my own bit and as many others as they see fit I would not mind it if they need us abit like a man or humane. Now my dear Sylvia I will try stop complaining And tell you about the weather or somthing here My dear I am still waiting for that little photo you promised me solong ago I do wish you would send one, as you know it was a year ago last winter when the last one you sent me was taken and I know there must be a change

I would so much like to receve one of you and kiddies that has been taken this last summer, the last letter I got from Ethyle she was saying you were so fat and had changed so much that she did not think I would know you, so if you do not send me a photo I may not know you when I come home and deny ever saw you dear, and I think you have mencioned in your dear letters to me how you had changed and I am to under stand it for the best you have changed better looking then you ever was, is how Ethyle put it I think. Now Sylvia dear you must not wounder at me being so ancious for that photo you promised me.

well Sylvia darling I have not much to tell you that would chier you up but I am quite well and I am writing this letter in the trenches between two fires our artilry is having a go at fritigies and the boath fires is going over our heads thanks to the boath artilry men

I am going to send you a little fower from the frmt line I cannot tell you what it is going to be like because I have not got it yet