July 5th, 1916.

You should see your home at present. I came up to relieve Howard Burnham the other night. Take a good look at Bairns - father's picture "We are staying at a farm" and imagine you see your son sitting there writing to you. We are sitting on chairs with backs to the farm looking at a field rank with weeds, stinking shell holes, half full of water with scum on it, broken shovels, bricks, old iron, empty biscuit tins and rotten sandbags. The long rows of trees that are so common out here has about every fourth tree cut off half way up by a shell. Still things are going fine. We hear good news every day from some part of the line and have hopes of Xmas. at home (perhaps?)

Doug's parcels arrive regularly and we did enjoy that maple syrup and pancakes. You bet there was none wasted. I have plenty of socks and shirts too. I'm glad you are sending woolen shirts, this country is rather chilly most of the time.