Mons
Belgium
Dec. 5. /18

My Dear Auntie

We have been camped several days near this historic town which still bears scars of the early & heavy fighting by the "British Army" in August 1914. You will be pleased to hear that I got through it all safely & am enjoying a comparatively easy time just at present we took the news of the end very quietly indeed & continued on with our daily routine of work quite as usual. Anything we could do seemed so totally inadequate in view of all the friends & relations we had lost & all the hardships we had suffered to an outsider it might have seemed we where sorry to see it end so perfectly quiet was it all. When in reality we have gained everything we have sought for quicker than we had dared hope.

We are ultimately proceeding to occupy a large German City on the 11 line we are very anxious & restive to get back to Canada though in the meantime Father has always been in a state of anxiety since I left & I hear he has greatly aged for no doubt the strain has been very severe on him and I am only too thankful that he has no more worries on my score after nearly 4 years of it.

I shall probably find it very difficult to go back to civilian life & settle down at my old trade after such a lot of wandering around. I have always longed to come & see you all Auntie & if at all possible I shall certainly do so when I get back.

The people in this neighbourhood have suffered very severely under the "Germans" And do everything in their power to try & make things comfortable for us.

I had a trip through one of the coal mines here & found it very interesting & instructive they are very modern in their machinery & ideas. But I should not care to have to work down one for a living.

The weather is continuing remarkably mild fortunately.

I sincerely hope that you enjoyed a very very Merry Christmas Auntie

I shall probably spend mine in Germany now

Hoping you are all enjoying the best of health.
I Remain
Your ever loving & Devoted Nephew