Somewhere in France
Pte WR Gullen
No 772521
Feb 11th 1917

Dear Mary and kiddies

I had a fine dream of you Mary last night could see you walking and you came in and you had not been well for you were tired and looking tired so I kissed you on the mouth, in the dream we had been apart for some reason, but felt we will never be parted again it is the only dream I have had of you I think and it seemed so real I saw Willie Rawzel to day he is in the 2^nd he was getting water in the line for the cooks Geo. is in England Wounded we are at a school for training for a days I found this pen it is a good one sticking in the wall some one of the 4th’s I have got a boil on the neck as big as that other one cannot sleep it came on as we got in so my mind has been kept off somewhat and sweting lots standing on guard with changing for this and that have a bandage on it will not have anyone open it untill it is very soft we came very fast this morning no need of it my cloths are stuck and cold am no good to day but this will soon get soft and take the out of my neck and [cord?] and shoulders broke my lower plat have not any but my front ones, this table is not any smoother than my hands, have not washed for six moons you would laugh look colored like will have a good clean up soon be in again in 10 or 12 again wish we had not anymore will get one of your dandy letters soon I hope got one of Freds while in your cake was a peach will write again soon your old dirty man

Roy

[Editor’s note: Dot code used by Gullen to secretly indicate his location. Some of the dots used as code markers are easily identified, others are more difficult to interpret. Characters that appear to have been clearly marked in the letter with dots underneath them have been indicated in the transcription with an underline. Written together they spell “hersine” (probable reference to Hersin-Coupigny, France?).]