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Date: May 30th 1917
To
Dad
From
E B Nash
Letter

Aldershott May 30

Dear Dad- I suppose you will be wondering what I am doing up here. Well we had go to the ranges and the camp up there is quarantined so we are quartered in the town. We are in an old imperial barracks here it is two long three storied brick buildings. It is the finest time I have had yet. We have to leave about half past seven for the ranges and loaf around there and get back about two P.M. then we have lots of time to shine up before 4.30 when we are allowed down town.

I have been doing extra good shooting with the Lewis gun at four hundred I got 16 shots out of 20 and today we were firing traverse the target divided into twelve strip and I only missed two of them I is shaped like this [TTTTTTTTTTTT] I like shooting with it two men and one gun  can do better shooting than 50 rifles. The gas coming from the barrel strikes the casing and causes the air to rush from the back and cool the barrel and also takes all the “kick” of of it. I hear that Milf has gone back to the trench mortars school. I expected a letter from Rollie by now but it may be up at the camp

We certainly are having a fine time here the cooks are better than they are at camp and we get better bread and Margarine down here I tastes more like butter. They call Margarine the Backbone of the British army. I have learned a lot of new words over here England is now known as Blighty. Blighty is also the name of a slight wound. Sharpin got one when he fell out of the canteen and dislocated his shoulder. When everything is all right and couldn’t be improved you just say its “Jake” and there are lots of expressions like that.

Well dad I guess this will do for now as I must get cleaned up now or I won’t be able to sleep in in the morning so good bye

654132 E B Nash
A. CO. 161 Batt.
Army P.O.
London
Eng