Somewere in France
Nov. 2/16
Dear Wife
Just a line or two will register it wish you would mail some by registration, hope you are bright again, I have had my old stumach ache again but will wear it off.,. it somewhat different from [written then crossed out: “your stumach aches”] I wrote Fred a card yesterday but can not tell if it is held for longe or not have not had any word from you since 22nd of Sept, I think will surely get some soon how are the kiddies getting along at school. I have writen a number of letters to you but the mail get delayed very much here, I hope will be able to live with my little wife and big family in a few months, I feel that I have not lived worthy of the privelage, hope which every way things go will be for the best, you nature will make things run alonge smooth any way mary I am writing in the dark excuse scrible
lots of love and kisses your old man
Roy
[Editor’s note: Dot code used by Gullen to secretly indicate his location. Characters that were marked in the letter with dots underneath them have been indicated in the transcription with an underline; the dotted punctuation sequence “.,.” seems to have been used to indicate a space between words. Written together the message reads: “near artmentires” (most likely intended to indicate near Armentières, France).]