Shornecliffe
July 11th 15

Dearest Mother & all.

I rec your letter in Ottawa and that was the only one I have rec sence I left Vanc. Will we had a very nice time coming over. we came over on the S.S. Northland and all the way over we never had one day of bad weather the first two days out where very rainy but after that we had sun shine and warm all the time, we never had no bad sea at all; I was not sick at all some of the boys where, but I never felt it at all there was about 17 or 18 hundred soldiers on board. and we ate not to bad we had chicken twice & plum pudding nearly every day ornges & apples every other day. We landed at Plimith on Friday July the 9th at 8 a.m. & then took the train for Shornecliffe at 2 P.M. after dinner and arived in Shornecliffe  at 12 midnight we came through part of London about 8 P.M. & seen some of London any way. But the trip from Plimith to London is beautiful and we where treated fine, At Exeter we stoped for ten minutes & Ladys came on train with, a lunch for each man, sandrey-cake & fruite, hot tea & cigarettes

I am sending a card that was in my lunch and we had more then we could eat all the way over at every town the treated us the same But I donet like this town at all. where we are at, the town is cold Folkstone there is about 40,000 canadian soldiers around here, you remember the last Bunch of Engineers that left North Vancr last winter. they are all here too, I was over to see them today, and they sure where glad to see me I know over 30 of them, the 11th C.M.R. came over on the same boat as we did that is the bunch that was in Hastings Park I was over to see the  29th Batt from Hastings Park to day, but they where all out on a long march for three weeks & also rifle drill at some town close to here, this part of the country is simple coverd with Canadian tints for soldiers, I seen more Canadians yesterday than I ever seen in my life befor. This is a summer reasort and is a very pretty place But some of the streets are not wide anove for a wagen to go down. we tiny streets as every you seen in your life and you got to pay three prices for every thing, dearer then Vancr. and where our camp is, is just acrost from France, If I left here at six in morning I could go acrost to the firing line get wonded and be back here in Hospital at six o’clock the same evening one of the boys left this camp a fue weeks ago and was only away 12 hours and was back again wonded, there is Hundreds & Hundreds around here that has been to the firing line, I was talking to one from Vancr yesterday. he was in the Engineers in Noth Vancr he was shot in the lage, he is going back to Vancr in a week or two, he is not going to firing line any more he has been there four times now, he said he thinks he has done his share. Our camp is very nice here we could not ask for better, we eat fine 50 times as good as Ottawa. & our grounds are fine, the old R.E. camp or Royal Engineers Camp all our boys are together that came from Vancr. I am going to get my picture taken some day this week so you can see my new uniform, there is sure lots of fun country money around here, I am geting on fine. can count it very good now, some of the boys dont know if they have $500 & 10¢ sometimes, some of the boys dont know if a Ibbo[?] is worth 200 shillings or a penny, all the young girls I have seen around here, “as yet”, I would not be seen walking down street with, I think all the good looking English girls are in Canada, and you should see the Houses here they sure are funny about twenty houses in one and about 500 people live in one house from what I could see coming through on train, “But I will say,”  That England is a very beautiful place it is not very big, But what there is of it is beautiful. & London is sure a dirty smoky place, am going up there to stay a fue days pretty soon.

Will I guess I have told you every thing that will intrest you, I am feeling fine, could not feel better. the weather here is just like Vancr weather, so  its all O.K. give my love to the lettle Girl in Pink, tell her to write, I will try & write her some of this nights.. Must close with all my love Hugs & Kisses Love to all. & remember me to all my Friends and will be glad to rec a letter from any body. you know my address But will write it again to make sure on other side of this sheet. I am as ever Lovingly, yours as ever

Harold

Dr. L. Irwin

Div Engineers Training Depot

Can Expaditionary Forces

Army Post office

London England

#2339