Letter to Otto from Witley South Camp
Witley South Camp
2-1-17
Dear Otto:–
I received six letters yesterday at noon and since then I have written seven so I guess it is your turn next on the list.
I am sitting on a box in the door of an empty hut opposite the quarantine hut door that I am guarding.
The officers come by once in a while and I have to put my pad down and come to attention.
I enjoyed your letter a lot but don’t know what I am going to write about to make an interesting answer.
This job I have is a good lazy mans job for I was called up at 9 a.m. for a few minuits then dismissed untill 1 P.M. I sit here on a box untill 5 P.M. then I am off till 1 A.M. again spend my four hours off with not a thing to do but write and eat. off coarse these jobs are only on when some huts are quarantined four are here in our lines now.
I have taken all the training I need for the front only going thru the actual gas with the helmet on and throw two bombs I have taken the practice with the dummy bombs and have woren the helmet several times
The M. Gun coarse is a very good and interesting [Page 3/6 missing]
3rd
1-30 P.M.
Well Otto I went to bed at about 5.30 and stayed in until close to 12 o/c not altogether because I needed the sleep, but I could not very well get up before the hut inspection at about 10.30 for fear the officer would request me to do a little fatigue.
And I fell asleep again and did not wake till about noon.
Since I came over here I have up till last night just got my hair cut twice at a barber shop, and last night I went up to the shop well it took about an hours waiting untill my turn. Otto you never saw such hair butchering in all your life the boys are fast all right but some of the men I would hate to meet out after dark if I had done such a job and charged him 5.D. or 10¢ for it. there is some difference in the price to canada but there is no place where you can get a better job done they don’t know any thing about style at all.
I got five letters and a card again today so I have to keep on writing I like to receive the letters so I will surely try to answer them in my own ockward way.
I will likely have some more interesting things to tell about in France. A lad was telling use Sunday about a shell hitting a motor truck
[Page 6 missing here]
Out here.
Your crop was very good considering that rust come so close I never expected to here of grain being the price it is this fall. I only long to get back to that old homestead again, and I will surely stick fast, I’ll bet.
All tho you know I am putting in a good time here, I an’t taking the life a prisoner at all, I am as cheerful and happy as I ever was in my life but I do get lonesome and long for that day when I can get back to see Mother all the rest of my folks and freinds. This is realy the thing that will make twice the man of me that any other experience I could have had would have done. If I ever come thru you will quick see the change,
I left the camp Elmers batt is at on Saturday last and did not see him to say good bye for he was away at the ranges. I would laugh if he beat me to France yet.
I am glad you have your place fenced it must be great to know you stock are going to be there when ever you want them every farmer should have a good sized fence on the place.
One thing that might make you laugh is the fact that they have no dampers in the stove pipes here at all. an other thing is that we often meet a team of horses hooked in two pair of shafts and no whipple trees at all just hitched back solid to the bar of the shoves. I’ll tell you manys the funny thing when I get home
Well bye bye old freind write often for I do enjoy your letters
as ever
Laurie.
(over)
Give my love to Kate and the dear little ones.
Laurie
Oh, I could just holler for I heard today from Millie Reel and she said she cast her first vote in the great work of abolishing the bar and that they were being closed Dec. 30th it is great. We do see the terrible affect of it work on humanity here in the army.
Well I’m done.
L.
P.S. I’ll have to beg your pardon for forgetting to mention that present, and I will surely appreciate the good things I get with it. Thankyou
Laurie