Letter to Mother from Witley South Camp, Surrey
Witley South Camp
H.I. Milford
Surrey
30-12-16
Dear Mother:–
Well we are back at our old camp again, I counted the boys in the ranks that weren’t on fatigue and there was 160 men with out the officers, then 30 of use come ahead so that is 190 and maby there is 50 so I guess there is 250 men left in the ranks of the old 128th boys.
We carried our dinner and at about 12.o.c. I had some candy chocolates out of my Cardiff box, and some dandy wafers on orange to eat on the way we got here 10.20 I think it was a dandy march mostly down hill we had two rests of about 10 minuits
It seems good to be back in the lines we first come to, we are better sheltered here than out at Bramshot we are about on a level here with trees about 65 feet high on either side.
As we come into the camp there was men and women loding logs on motor truck every one works, all the men are old or else badly phy. unfit
It is 2 p.m. I am sitting on the floor beside the stove the boys have just finished there dinner, and are all sitting around on the floor talking, we may be here till spring yet, we don’t know but of course we would not care if we were, you can understand that part of it.
I will get down to Milford S.S. tomorrow again and hope that we will have a good time I wish the boys would be good and I would try to teach them altho I will own up that they all have better knowledge of the scriptures than I have still we could all get great good out of the lessons each Sunday, but I won’t take the class unless they will let me, run it and if the boys won’t listen I will send them home and after that I will go to there homes and have a talk with there Mothers about the boys I may get my hair pulled. but it won’t be as bad as facing the Germans.
We have a s.c.a. hut right close to here to so I am in for a good winter if we stay here, It is very warm to day I worked around here with my sweater on & no gloves at all.
The mail service has been so over loaded this week that we have not received our Canadian letters yet this week.
Got a letter from Mrs Peel that I will send you, but your letters have not got here yet every one is the same. I have lots of money so don’t send me any, I had 7 lbs. last night but I got some stamps so I haven’t got quite that now but it is to much any to have when you don’t need it. Well bye bye mother dear as ever your dearest son Laurie.
Sunday 8.55 – pm I am just going home from Milford church and visit at Gowers where I am at the S.A. barracks
as ever
Laurie.