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Date: March 14th 1918
To
Chrissie Utting – (sister)
From
Benjamin Utting
Letter

14.3.18

Dear Chrissie

I was glad to recieve your letter of the 7th I sent a whiz bang to you, Dad and Missy yesterday, as I didn’t know whether I would have a chance to write a letter or not I am going to write them a letter as soon as I finish this, you mention that I must write to Dad and Maud. Well Chrissie I have [wrote?] to them nearly every possible chance I have had. And between whiz bangs and letters they should have been getting word from me about every five days I got the last letter from Mother about a week ago and I haven’t had a letter from Maud for a dickens of a long time now. I don’t remember just exactly when I got her last letter but it must be about 3 weeks now and it seems an whole lot longer. No doubt she has wrote but I have not recieved her letters. I write home far more often than the average fellow does. right now while I am writing all the rest of the boys are sleeping except just one who is writing also. I dont think that they should expect a letter very often and should write 3 to me for every one I write to them for it is some task very often to write a letter as most often we have to write sitting or laying down as I am at present, on a narrow bunk with a chicken wire bottom which is some luxury. as it is generally the cold bare ground, the only time we have a table and a table and chair to write on is when quite a piece behind the lines at some YM, or Church army hut and then the tables are so crowded as a rule that there is no comfort in writing and there are about twenty in your light and jogging the table and your arm, so I think at home where they sit down to a nice quiet table with lots of light and writing material on hand they should not wait for a letter from me first every time, I have only two more envelopes left and the nearest YM to here is about a mile and old fritz is most careless as to how he throws stuff around here and likely when I get there the envelopes will all be ‘Napoo” So how am I going to write a letter So you might give them a hint at home or show them this letter as it is to much to write this all over again

I am glad you got Aunt Lizzie to go down home as I think she does not get out enough, Well Chrissie I hope you have heard from Arthur by now, I had a letter from [Missy?] and John. And one from Vic Crockett he is over here by now I think as he was on draft when he wrote, I hope he gets through this scrap OK, as I want him to go out to Canada with me “Apres la guerre fini” Vic and I could make things go good as he always lets me have my own way which is about the only kind of a person I can get along with I suppose it is selfish, but it seems to be my nature We are having some showers but it is not very bad yet

CHEERIO

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