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[Sent by Staff Sergeant (then Corporal) Robert James Duncan to his young daughter Patricia “Paddy” in Calgary, Alberta. Duncan was at the time stationed in England with the Canadian Postal Corps, Canadian Army Overseas.]

My Dear Paddy Girl:–

….For the first 3 days I was in this place we didn't even have a tent but we are quite accustomed to sleeping in the open now although most mornings there is still a frost on everything. Now we have a big tent called a Marquee (it sounds like "Markey).

There are some offices in a big house near me but our office is right in the tent where we sleep, so we can keep an eye on all the mail we might have. Between our tent and the big house there is a fountain and a pond with gold fish in it. We sometimes watch the little fish and try to round up a few crumbs for them too.

This is truly a strange country Paddy Girl – It is really never what you could call warm and yet those gold fish are OK in that pond in the open and there is a flower of some kind coming in bloom every month of the year. Just think of seeing roses on the bushes outside and frost enough to make shell ice at the same time. This still seems strange to me after seeing three winters of it but just the same it is true.

In reading your letters I am inclined to think you have a very great liking for waffles. You will have to learn to make them so you can fix up a big waffle feed for me some day. Perhaps you can make them now, can you? By what you have learned to do it would not surprise me if that is another of your new tricks.

Well Little Lady I must go now as it is supper time. Do write again when you can and tell any other little girls or boys you know whose Daddy is over here that we are always looking for even just a few words put in with Mother's letter.

A Great Big Hug and Kiss for Mother and another for Yourself.
All my Love Paddy Girl
XX Daddy XX