Sunny France
Letter No 106
Friday afternoon,
16 Aug '18
My dear Dad,

I was ever so pleased with your last letter written on Aug 7th and would have answered before, but have found it necessary to write mother instead in the meanwhile. Like you, I find that to write a decent letter I have to get into the "swing" of it and the adverse circumstances at times accounts for the fact that some of my letters home have not been up to the standard. However I am proud to think you appreciate them for what they are, emblems of love and affection. For a long time I found the limited scope of the news I am permitted to give you a great hindrance; but now I have more or less learned how to relate my doings so as to make the account as real as possible without giving information of Military importance. My object is to "paint" a picture every day to enable you to see where I am. I might explain that the reason why the details of the pictures have lately been almost entirely obscured. The reason is twofold - one is obvious to you in the light of the letter I sent you on the 9th inst; the other reason is that the picture is rather a drab one at present and we only look on the brighter ones. You will rush at a similitude of wrong conclusions, so for the sake of your (and mother's) rest of mind, I am constrained to add that I am very comfortable and also (oh how faithless we are) in comparative safety. As for the grub, my word!, we are doing well. For breakfast this morning I had boiled ham, tea (hot), bread, marg and gooseberry jam and for dinner, cold roast beef, bully, potatoes, greens, beans, raisin duff and apricots (tinned)!!! "Bon, eh?"

You "silly" old thing; I did not scold you at all; and as for your letters being "scrappy and unconversational" that is all "tommy rot". But I shall look forward to "the" letter in the near future - when you have time to write at ease of course.

Yes, I should like the book you mention but there is no hurry - wait till I am on Divisional rest - till!!

I have umpteen letters to write but they must all wait for some little time so if anxious correspondents get impatient just tell them that I am OHMS and rather busy. Now I am going to sleep - forty winks I hope. So tootle loo!

Your loving son,

Bert