Bramshott. Hants
July 9/16

Dearest Mother

Here it is almost two months since I left you at home in Dear Old Winnipeg and only one letter from you and none from Dad or Stell. Now Dearest Mother I do not want letters for the news they bring but just to know that you are really thinking of me sometimes. I have tried to write you or some one of the family every week and believe that I have gotten in on average of almost two a week. But it does not seem much good so far.

Today is Sunday and I have been so lonely and blue that if I slipped one foot in the Idian Ocean the whole ocean would be turned a deep dark indigo. But that is partly because all the rest of the officers are off every evening chasing pleasure. And poor old me has to stay at home and sleep all the time I am not writing letters.

This morning after parade I went into the mess aute room and went to sleep until mess was called. This afternoon went to bed and slept till 5.50 somehow the more I sleep the more I seem to want. But the roads here seem so awfully hard that my feet and legs get into an awful state. Besides which I am getting awfully fat especially in the face and have grown a moustache.

Last Sunday Mon & Tues I as laid up with Eddie's miserable complaint. I still have it but it was simply awful hanging around with nothing to do so I hiked off Tuesday afternoon to the training area & fell in with the battalion.

Major Rimmell is going over to Aldershott to-morrow evening on a special class for a short time so that I shall have to take command of the company but I am getting so lazy that I do not altogether relish the idea.

Yesterday morning we were all out on an attack scheme when the officers were being detailed the O.C. seemed to have overlooked me so that I was roving around loose during the operation. Suddenly the Col shouted at me wanting to know what I was doing and when I told him that I was unattached but that I was the Com Official Eyewitness he appreciated the idea but thot I ought to wither have an aeroplane or dig a trench. Still later when I had taken charge without orders of part of the advancing firing line he now knowing who was in charge was pleased to compliment the officer there to Major R who immediately told him who it was on the job. With which few remarks indicating a justifiable pride or conceit as also indicating progress with the O.C. and particularly myself's. Well I will quiet boasting

Yours with much love
Gordon