D Company

Otterpool Camp
J. War Office
London, Eng.

7/9/16

Dear Mr Irwin,

I should be ashamed of myself for not writing sooner but when I am not working I am off with some of the fellows generally Corp, Garlick, seeing the country and near by towns.

England is certainly some pretty place, clean where ever you look and very picturesque.

We are doing very little drill now days but are at Lydd for our musketry.

I have finished shooting and am now at the Butts to see that the fellows send the proper signals and got the proper score.

The most beautiful and soft part of this job is that we get up at 3.30 every morning. which seems like crawling [out] in [the night].

About one hundred and fifty of 93rd boys have been taken from us, chiefly H & B. Company lads. Only [?] from Norwood were in the draft, namely [?] Cross, J. [?], [?] Little and J. Livingstone.  They left two days ago for France to join the Canadian Mounted Rifles, and I believe that as soon as those left have finished, they will move out also.

I got a letter from Pte. T. J. Wright this afternoon a former Norwood boy who enlisted in Winnipeg in the L.B.D.S (little Black Devils).  He informs me that he is warned for a draft to go very soon.

Everything is quite comfortable here but, barring myself, some of the boys are quite homesick and long for Canada.  We have the Y.M.C.A. near our lines with concerts and religious meetings every night.  When off duty the football is constantly on the go, and baseball in another camp. You see we still hold on sports and speaking for myself have a very good time

One of our pass times is the pipe it is the soldiers [?]. You may think it strange that I am using it but should you speak to mother about it you would learn that ever since I worked for [?] P. Ceffe I have smoked it while but when I returned to school mother asked me to stop using it on the street, which I did but continued in the house. Probably it has reached you ears before this but whether or not I preferred to tell you myself.

Am in real good health and hope you are likewise

What is wrong with Harland I hear he has practically cut out the church?

Sincerely

Art.