"Somewhere in France"
Sunday Mar 24'1918

My Dear Mother:

We had a beautiful trip across the channel today. It was a perfect June day and almost warm enough to be July. The channel steamers I think I have told you before are very fast indeed and three of us tearing across such a grand smooth stretch of water was an excellent sight indeed.

It is now 730 P.M. we arrived in this town about three o'clock and have spent every minute since in the usual army manner of chasing here and there all over the show trying to find someone who knows something about us and what we are todo. As we are an unusually large party the authorities seem to been unusually at a loss to know what to do with us and consequently we are all placed temporarily in a rest camp to await further orders. Where they will come is very indefinite and what they will be is still more indefinite but tomorrow may tell and a few days at least should.

This is not one of the finest towns I have travelled through in France. In fact it is a very dilapidated old fishing and harbour town. Taking it all around it is about as filthy as any town I have seen in France. I had always pictured it as a thriving French post but am slightly disappointed in it.

There are a good number of Canadians in our party mostly new men who have come across now like we did a couple of years ago and in the crowd there are three chaps of my own year. Men I knew expected to come while I was home on leave. I was somewhat surprised to see them this morning.

Incidentally since arriving here I have run into a couple other chaps of my year who are in the Canadians. Chaps I haven't seen since graduating. This is a small world after all.

We had rather an exceptional reception here today. A German Airwave arrived about the same time as we did and the anti-aircraft turned out in full force to meet him. In about fifteen minutes there was a continuous bursting of shells in the sky and finally old Fritz departed for safer quarters without dropping even a note of welcome.

I do hope you won't worry about me. I think I have been in the army long enough to know how to take care of myself and I hope to put what I know into practice although I don't intend to shirk my duty if the authorities think I am needed to do it. But at the present the great possibility and in fact almost certainty is that I may be stationed at the base.

Please don't worry I will be alright.

Lovingly,

Charlie