France
Nov 8/16

Dear Fred

Just a word am well hope you are same was up to front line yesterday on a working party was not to be there slept in some old dugouts ate a can beef dryed my feet at a fire we made and heated some water, I keep my head working to take care of my write foot, I asked Cutlife to stay till next time but it was no use but they are drafted over now any way we are in a quiet spot they all say, we go in trenches to morrow, we walked 15 miles last two days, will walk 8m to morrow, got you letter of the 9 Oct. last night

I am with one of [our?] 125 fellows in the thirteen platoon 1st Batt. BEF one hundred of this draft went in to the trenching Batt but are in the same Batt they have to work rain or shine we happened to see some of them on the side_of the road yesterday will write again when we come out again I have not had any letters from mary since 22 Sept they are held at the P.O in a village here, we saw to ruined villages big places just piles of bricks some guns hiden amongest the ruins they made to much [nois that?] we could not sleep, we got our bottles filed they put lime water in the bottle first one hundred thousand are lain buried,

hope you look in on mary once in a while phone down and find out how she is getting on hope I get some letters from home to night we are in a village about 8 miles back things are very dear but am getting a good lot to eat very funny way we get fed I sleep well bought [7D?] of straw it made a great coutch this is very good farming place we are on a deaf and dum mans buildings find lot of young fellows in this 13 platoon from Toronto D Company I do not know how it is Marys letters do not come

it is getting quite cold today and I left my gloves in the dugout will have to buy a pair to day I have writen you 3 or 4 letters hope you get them, we have been in france over 4 weeks now time goes quite fast we move so often if you can look in on mary quite often write often will be good was glad to get your letter last night hope you saw Mary a week or so after the 9^th glad she is as stronge dear little giant bye bye brother

Roy

[added at top of first and third pages, date/author unknown: “Wed”; “9”; “Rec’d Dec/11/16”; and the French city “Lens”]

[Editor’s note: Dot code used by Gullen to secretly indicate his location. While some of the dots used as code markers are relatively clear, others are very difficult to interpret. Characters that appear to have been intentionally marked in the letter with dots underneath them have been marked in the transcription with an underline. Written together they spell “writelensdlenslens” (possibly intended to convey Gullen’s location as right of Lens, France?).]