Sept 8th 1915

My darling wife -

I am just writing these few lines to let you know that I am all right, we are still in the trenches, but expect to go out to billets for a few days soon, the weather here has been awful of late but is beginning to clear up now, the trenches are full of water & it even gets into our dug outs, you have no idea how miserable it is, walking in water over the boot tops & lying down on the damp ground with only an overcoat to cover you & now the nights are beginning to get cold which makes it so much worse, they say that this is a warm month here, but so far we have had no heat at all. I received the parcel with the Sabadilla all right, also the Popular, my, but I was glad to get that powder, as soon as I got it, I stripped off all I had on & rubbed it well into my clothes & sprinkled it on my skin, I used up half the box already, you would hardly believe the relief I had, it made me feel like a new man, send me a box now & again, I can assure you it will all be used up, you know the vermin are an awful plague with us, we get them off the ground & in our dug outs, the trenches are alive with them & so far as I can find out Sabadilla is the only thing that keeps them off the person & it has to be used regularly & freely for that. It was like old times getting the populars again, I read them both from cover to cover & enjoyed them immensely. I was speaking to a chap yesterday who has just come back from Hospital in England & he saw Bob Griffiths in Shorncliffe & was speaking to him, he is still in the Officers mess there & says he is going to stay there, he will not come here at all, all that story of his being sick & in hospital was bunkum, he has had nothing to do to make him sick, what ails him is cold feet & thats all there is to it, is Percy still in Vernon? if he is I suppose he still knocks around in the same old way & does he ever come to see you at all, I suppose he will be sore because I did not write to him. I have not received that parcel from Harlow yet with the shaving soap he promised, I wish he would hurry & send it. I could do with it.

And now, dear, what about yourself, I am expecting a long letter from you soon, to tell me how you all are, are you keeping well & strong & are the children all right, I hope you are not taking too much out of yourself dear, attending to those boarders, you know how much I want you to take good care & have a good time while I am away, oh my dear, if only you knew how much I love you & how much I would like to be with you again, I can hardly stand it sometimes & I am looking forward to the end of this beastly war so that I can get home to you again, & then wont we have a good time, dear, I know we will, you & I, we will just live for each other & for our children & wont bother about anyone else at all. Now Sweetheart, I must close, I dont know of anything else to say just now, but I will write you again in a day or two, give George & Eileen a great big love & kisses from Daddy & with all kinds of love & kisses to you my darling Wife, I remain

Your loving Husband

Jack.

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