Saturday Eve
17th Aug 1918
Letter No 107
PS. A field card from Uncle Geo states that he is "going home" on leave presently. Good luck to him. Bert
My dearest mother,

The post today has brought me several interesting things. First and foremost Dad's letter which he wrote to me last Sunday and with it little Nig's nice epistle. A book from Mr. Waller called "The Secret of Success in Life" by Walter Wynn with an affectionate presentation - "To my chum Bert" - Two papers - Sunday Times and British Weekly; thank you ever so much for them. The Sunday Times is extremely interesting this week as it reflects "Local colour". Reading the account of the recent successes on the British Front it must seem to you that things are very hot at present but you can take if from me that such not the case. Some of the news that is recorded in the paper I heard almost as soon as it took place and some of our chaps (I was down the line) were spectators of one of the "stunts". You must have been extremely relieved to know (as you do now) that I was not in the thick of it, being at W---- at the time. The maps given in the papers are very interesting as they give us an idea of how the "land lies" on the flanks, of which we know but little. It is remarkable that the disparity of what I imagined things would be like during an advance and the actual happenings is so great. Of course I only speak from what I saw from "afar off", as I have been well back ever since leaving the "Wing".

The best part about it all is the "remarkably small numbers of our own casualties" in comparison with the losses inflicted on the enemy.

Since I wrote Dad yesterday I have "moved again" and am now in an even more cosy "billet" - absolutely proof against iron foundries and other nice things. Really, I am having quite a good time on the whole, mainly because I have to do little or no work (The same old complaint exists out here - none of us are fond of work). The rations continue to be good and we like cooking our own dinners. Stuart was cook today and turned out an excellent dinner of hot Machnachie's tinned meat and vegs, fried meat, potatoes, onions and bread; to supplement this we had raisin duff and prunes. As Stu had a parcel our tea table was graced with a nice cake and some biscuits, so you see we are doing very well.

It has been a fine day today altho' rather cloudy and I hope the good weather will continue. I am in a rather picturesque little spot which I am sure no war was ever meant to spoil, and everything is quiet.

I am going to conclude with some jolly good news:- by the time you get this I shall in all probability be a good deal further back than I am at present even. So cheer up and "smile, smile, smile"!

I am horribly short of envelopes, owing to the fact that nearly all I have are "stuck up".

I trust you are safe and well as I am now.

Give my love to dear old dad (I write him tomorrow) and the boys.

Loving thoughts and much affection from

old Dinkey Doo xxxxxxxxx