No 4 Canadian General Hospital
A.I Ward.
Basingstoke
Hants
England

My Dear Betty:-

It is Sunday evening 5º clock, & I have just returned from a walk through the fields & hedged lanes of Old England,
it is quite a change from London but it is doing me a lot of good & I am already quite a lot better& am getting quite a little more sleep, one good thing I don't think we shall be bothered by air raids here, the week of air raids in London was simply undescribable & I personally do not want any more of it - of course when my nerves get alright, it would not bother me, for we had it a thousand times worse in France. By the way Betty I must have written one or two gloomy kind of letters just lately, but you must take no notice of them - one is apt sometimes to give way to the strain of circumstances, & give expression to such feelings that are only a passing phase.

I thank that in another week or so I shall be quite all right & as I have said I think in previous letters.

We do not need to worry for the time being of going back to France. It will soon be a year since we left old Winnipeg & what an age it seems, & what a lot has happened in that time.

I'm afraid that the children will have quite forgotten me, don't I picture us all bunched together in the big chair & just enjoying the experience of being home & together once again. May it come soon.

Are you doing any thinking about the farming proposition? I must confess that I do not like the idea of taking any more churches, unless there has been a radical change in the meantime. But I suppose we cannot determine anything definite until we get back again. I am enclosing a couple of cards for Billy's birthday, though I must confess that I cannot remmember the exact date, let me know - yours is the 3rd or 4th of January is it not? & Shirley's the 28th April?

Billy will be five years old (the little rascal) it seems a long long time does it not since we were nursing the little chap at St Peters, putting the white ointment on his poor little face & carrying him up & down I do hope & pray that he keeps better = how hungry I am for a sight of you all, & if I am spared to return to you, I don't think that I shall ever want to stir far from my "Air [?] fireside" It is about three weeks since I received your last letter, I wish Betty you would address all my letters to Bella & not to any hospital you see we are moved to other hospitals so frequently, & for some time to come we are able to be moved arround quite a bit = but is you send my mail c/o Bella, I let her know any change of address almost immediately, & as soon as she receives your letters she can forward them on, & I am sure of getting them without delay or trouble. I will let you know when it will be safe to address me direct. I suppose you will have had some cold weather over there ere this? - have you got all your winter fuel in? I hope you have - you will also be wise if you keep a couple of sacks of flour in stock. Let me know the state of your finances, am afraid I have lost track during the past month or two. I wrote Ruby & Frank a few days ago, & I received a letter from Maggie Flett a day or two ago, her mother has been very sick. Will close now dear I hope you are all well - don't worry any about me, I trust very soon to be perfectly alright again. Best love & hugs & kisses for you all- God bless & keep you my dear ones

Daddy.

Betty xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shirley xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Billy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Divide the little cards between the kiddies