Letter to Mother from Witley South Camp
Witley South Camp
6.30 P.M.
Oct. 4th 1916
Dear Mother:–
I just received your letter about 3 min. ago so will start to answer it now before we go out on a little night work. for about 2 ½ hours we will have a good time, we had a good time to day out on the common. there was a few of use tomany[sic] for a wire intanglement class so we just looked on the same in the pick and shovel class so we just stood in the lecture and then spent the balance of the P.M. in looking over the completed trench which are dug in sand stone I never saw any such stone before, it has to be picked, up and then it shovels just like any loose sand. It sprinkled quite often all day but did not amount to any thing, we took our oil sheets to sit on while we ate dinner and etc. We have a great time with the Jews that bring out dray loads of fruit and candy for use at recesses etc. they always stick use a little hard when they start to sell the stuff, and then when we get filled up they get cheap. When I went to get some apples they charged me 3 for 4¢ after an hour they sold 6 x 2¢, they sell a lot of grapes the ones that we call winter grapes you can get 4¢ worth and you can’t eat any more than 2/3 of them chocolate is dear here just about like out there
Well Mother it seem strange to think that you have been married more than 38 years and I guess that is a lot longer than I ever will be if things don’t change when I get back. But still I long for a little home and some little folks to spend the evenings with. I would like to have a girl to sit and talk with by some of these old fire places they look like they would be the greatest thing I ever saw.
There was a fight at the common today just after dinner. Skinner and Evens, Evens called Skinner some name in fun and Skinner called him a worse one and jumped up and pulled off his coat Evans said he dident want to fight but Skinner did so they started and Evans knocked him down a good half dozen times and he dident want to quit then he would not own up that he was licked and he stood there to get his breath with tears as big as peas running down his face, it is an other example of English bull headedness. I dident want to see them fight at all but I dident know eather of them intimately enough to say a word. I have to run over and get a lunch before we leave I spent 16¢ this a.m. on fruit and candy. I just got back again from canteen. I see by the co’y order that H. T. Anderson Mitchel Burns and L.D. Cunningham are posted to the co’y Lewis Machine Gun Section from this date, so I will have a change program for the next little while. They are getting use lined up to suit themselves a little better every day. I will get out of building barbed wire entanglements in no mans land by this change and of course I will no more about the work later on. Bob Banks is in A co’ys M.G.S. The big section is divided into each co’y.
I enjoy your letters so much only I hate to read on I would like to keep them for later on to read. I don’t in other words like to come to the end of them.
I am very glad that Alice and Leah were spared to come through there pain as well as they have for I feel that the most noble thing a girl can do is desire a family, and they do deserve a V.C. just as much as any soldier that ever fell on the battle field or fought there with out falling. I suppose that Elmer will spend the winter over here yet all tho he thot that they would not be over here untill spring. The rains are just like we would get in June or July over there we walk along with our heads up and never mind the mist in our face or rain, but I can’t think they will be like that after Xmas.
If there is any way that we can make conections in our finances out there I want to take enough of the pay that goes home to go down to Annies this winter, I don’t care about any debts if they don’t want to wait on me when I pay the interest they can sue me as fast as they like. So you go to Annies any time before Xmas and it will help you to pass the winter I have to close and will send this to night the Quarter dress went some time ago so good bye your loving son
Laurie