Gunner Hale
NO. 85519
1st Battery, R.F.A.
Canadian Reserve Brigade
Ross Barracks
Shorncliffe

16/6/15

Jessie's Wedding Day
2:15 p.m.

My Dear Alice,

Just received your nice long letter. I am so very sorry to hear that you have been so sick. I hope today you are feeling quite fit and well and able to face the terrible ordeal you have got to go through tonight. It is a beautiful day here and I hope it will be the same for you at home. It will be so much nicer for a wedding. I hope you will have a fine time and when bed time comes for us I will be thinking of you all hustling round and getting in each others way and then just getting on the job five minutes ahead of time. I guess it will take you at least two hours to dress won't it. I had a letter from Mrs. Bird the same time as yours. She told me the H. Senior's friend has been badly wounded and is in London in hospital. I hope he will get better again. Why don't you go out with the Turners some night in the boat? It will be a change for you and I think it will be quite safe or some Saturday afternoon. So Hobbs has decided to come on Active Service. Well I hope he will like it. I am glad he has changed his mind. If he had come when I came he could be quite sure of seeing the fighting. There is a rumour round now that the whole bunch of us that are here are going shortly. We have heard so many rumours we don't know when to believe them or not. I hope it is true anyhow. I am glad L. Dryden is still doing well and the baby too. That must have been some wedding you were telling me about. I wish them luck. You know in my last letter I told you I was going to be best man for one of the boys. Well, I have changed my mind now. It is this way. The girl is only 20 years old and her father has refused to give his consent but the fellow says they have decided to go ahead. I told him I was sorry but I would have nothing to do with it. Do you blame me? I don't mind when everything is on the square, but I fail to see any use in doing anything like that. I would like to have a letter from Hobbs now he is an active man, but before I was not keen about it. Was your tin shower a success Alice? I hope so. Anything you do is a success, so I know that was. Please thank all the family for my present and tell them they were all very nice. Your handkerchiefs will come in very useful dear. The pipe is quite all right. Thanks indeed. I should not throw it away even if it were not so. Don't think that Alice. Anything you send me go among my limited number of sacred treasures. Now, Dear Alice, next time those people tell you that you are going to have the mumps take no notice but just tell them gently but firmly that they are crazy. Tell Ma so far we have been able to get lots to eat. There is no great danger of me dying in the immediate future. But perhaps when we get over the water we may be a little short sometimes. Then I will just sit down and think of those cakes you used to make and the corn fritters that I made one day. Do you remember, when I used two or three pounds of lard and Ma gave me a call? I am smiling about that now as I am writing. My that was funny. I can still remember the look on Ma's face. She was horrified at my extravagance. Those were the only days. I often think of those old times now and wonder if we shall ever live them over again. I guess we will. That is of course if we have any kind of decent luck at all. I think that picture of you is very good Alice. I am sure that my Mother would be pleased to have one to put along side of mine, if you have one you can spare. I am sorry I cannot send you a snapshot of that castle because the day I was going to take it, it was raining and now the camera has gone to London. I was talking to Pat at noon and he wishes to be remembered to all of you. Well little girl, I don't think I have any more to say now so I will close. Don't forget, now darling, enjoy yourself whenever you get the chance and go on the river sometimes. Good luck and goodbye. Give my kind regards to the house and remember me to everybody. With fondest love to you.

I remain

Your ever-loving Boy Bob
Lots of love and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Please don't go sick again, there's a dear.