Lydd, Kent,
May 10th, 1916

My Darling Mother:

Received your letter and papers this morning. Am just going to drop a line tonight but am going to write a long letter tomorrow evening. Pardon me for not sending a letter last week. I received Earle's letter on the Thursday and was going to write the next day but the unexpected happened and I did not get around to it. You know we did good work and got a good name in Horsham. Well we came here and continued doing such good work that we completed it in three weeks - about half the time generally takes, in fact in record time for the camp. We came on Wednesday and finished on Wednesday. Not only did
we do our work in record time - we did record work being much the best battery in camp.

Well on Friday at noon the unexpected happened. We were given our four day's leave. We had not expected it for a couple of weeks. Well we got ready, took the train for Scotland that night from London. Got into Glasgow Saturday morning, spent Saturday in Glasgow Sunday at Loch Lomond and Dunbarton and Monday in Edinburgh, returning to London on Tuesday. We spent Tuesday night in London and got back to camp at 10 today. It was a perfect trip. I have not time tonight to tell you all we saw but that will come when I write tomorrow.

We expect to leave here in about a week's time for two weeks at resting camp. Then we will mobilize and at last will get our chance to do our bit. Our next trip will be "On to Berlin" I was awfully story to hear you were sick. I am afraid you are worrying about your boy. If you knew how happy and contented he is you would be more at ease about him. I know you are picturing all kinds of hardships. Our life here has been extremely pleasant. We have worked hard for efficiency. And we have gained that efficiency and have won the best praise for it. But even when we were working the hardest, there was a pleasant aura in the work. Now our work is over and even when we get across it will be much easier than ourtraining was.

Am glad to hear that they have a new mare in the barn. She will be a noble animal when she grows up. Yes I had received a long letter from Mr. Sterling. Will write as soon as I get time. Had a letter from Clemmie today, also a pair of socks and two handkerchiefs from Maggie Green. Must write to her sometime in this week.

It is nearly bedtime so cannot write much more tonight. Am sending a lot of postcards in a day or two, also a few little trinkets from Bonnie Scotland. I hope they go all right. Now, Mother, I have a bit of good news for you. Some five weeks ago one of the fellows in our hut came in tipsy. He was a splendid fellow when sober and didn't want to drink but went with the bunch. Well the next morning Lawson and I got hold of him and he signed a pledge to leave it off and with our word of encouragement now and again he has been able to keep away from it ever since. He proved himself during this last pass. Was four days away and never tasted a drop. And what is best of all he has a courageous enough to tell the rest of the bunch that he did without and never felt better.

Think I must us a good night now.

Love to all from your loving soldier son, Harold