Letter to Mother from Somewhere in Flanders
#782373
S.W. in Flanders
9–11–17
Dear Mother.
I have a few minuits to write just before I fall in we had a dandy dinner roast beef brown gravy mashed potatoes and biscuits which we like as well as bread.
We spent the A.M. practising bombing and etc.
I don't know what to write about now but I have this started so I will finish after parade
6 P.M. I caught a motor when half way down town and road aways then it turned off so I had to walk another half mile that only done me good.
After parade at 2.30 an other lad and I went about three miles to carry out the desire of the boy that got wounded the last trip up.
I am in the recreation room at the Church army hut. it is well packed with boys you know we are quite numerous in certain parts of France
I witnessed on funny experience when a bunch of heinies came over and gave themselves up I was standing so they showed up in the moonlight and as they stood there covered by our boys with there hands up, while they were search I surely laughed they looked so funny they were tired and looked hard worked not a bit like our boys.
7.30 P.M.
Bob Mc and Bob B. and I just got done eating eggs and bread butter drinking coffee I wrote a letter in answer to Mrs Westgates letter of several weeks ago.
10th 9.45 a.m.
It is raining so we are staying in today just talking, reading, and writing. There will be a time soon when a pause will come in the letters for I don't think I will have the chance to write very handy but will write a few lines each time I get a chance. I have seen things a little different than I first discribed in my first letter of up the line I have seen dead horses along the road, dead mules and nocked out men up a little farther, where the big shells hit very thick it is hard to keep things just as well cleaned up as one might desire, but those things don't bother us so bad.
The only thing that has yet scared me about the battle field, has been on two occasions. Once I looked up and saw a man coming with his head tied up in white cloths. I thot can a woman be up here, and it hit me with such a starte that my heart came up in my throat.
Another time I came across a dying man in a shell hole bandaged up, to see the white in the darkness has some kind of a scare in it for me but I don't think that I will get scared again I will be on my job now.
Say Mother I have run out of something to write about, the last couple of days, but when we get an other change I will be able to write again. I have to write Annie, now again, each time you write her just mention me because I can't write her as often as I do you and lots of times I am a long time in getting her a letter.
Well bye bye Mother dear as ever your loving son
Laurie
P.S. Bob McKeith gave me a letter to read from his mother this a.m. we are getting better friend all the time Bob Banks and I are breaking down that cold resistance that seemed to always come up between use,
bye bye L.