Some France

Nov. 15/16

Dear Mary and kiddies

I have been on guard at a well one of thoes open tops wich a cat juped into. It is quite cold today but not any frost. we came back to our village again was not needed up their for a few days longer we will go through in a few days one thing change rests the mind had big dream last night about Marguerite and You you had a new man picked out a fat jolley looking fellow but a loafer Marguerite was riding in a funny shaped electric street car which ran off the track turning round and round I ran and carried her out then awoke we were on some place I was fixing up the pig pen 3 pigs ran out, don’t forget my address.

I see by the papers butter and pottatoes and meats are very high. shoes will be the same. I hope you have enough to get all you need you must not do without enough or you will have to much colds, I have just a tuch of sore throat M.O. gave me some pot ash tablets yesterday, I have not got useed to my teeth yet I put them in between meals chew gum a little with them I think they are to luse, I am in first Batt. put my no. and france and name it will get me put bef also they will not let us put it at the first of our letters or the last, If I ever go back we will be ashamed of some strains of these letters but I do wonder how things will happen if I do not, but as the saying is one man is not much worse than another but

will try to keep most of this frame to help look after thoes fine kiddies some talk of it ending this Xmas but not likely but it will not be over another year it will soon run around, your letters have been going back to the base at harve if you have sent any since the Sept 22 I wish you make a practice of sending a word three times a week so some of them would get here Marguerite could write them some way if you could have her make some taffey or nut candy or popcorn get a big cigar box send it in, are you alone in the front part of the house yet, hope you have a good gas stove well lots of kisses and bushels of love for each one      

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dad Gullen
Roy

Nov. 19/16

P.S. If you can fix up a good tin box with a piece of your dandy old nuty Xmas cake just a small stronge tin box, little parcels are very welcome over here, it is fine to be able to give the boys a piece of something from canada or home Mother and Father could have fixed up something before this but thats [written then crossed out: “just like them”] hope they doing little things for you, my whole wish is that you have had the best of care in your sickness you and the new kiddie by this time, you would laugh to see us on the march you would think we were in the family way only on the back I hope your cares aches kiddies and money [?] run smothly for you my dear little wife will be more than glad when I get a letter from you

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Roy

[Editor’s note: Dot code used by Gullen to secretly indicate his location. Characters that appear to have been intentionally marked in the written message with dots underneath them have been marked in the transcription with an underline. Written together (space inserted) they spell “lie trenches”.]