July 1916

14th July, 1916

My dear Mother,

We are out for a rest from the front line after three months. We can get a good look around and the country is in great form. The crops – wheat, barley, oats and spuds, we saw the people planting when we first arrived – are just about ripe. Some people are gathering them. They are mostly only small farms about 20 acres of wheat but the crops are very heavy. There is a lot of rubbish in them which they pick by hand. It’s full of poppies and corn flowers. Most or practically all the work is done by women now.

We have a feeling amongst us that this job will finish shortly so we may be home again soon. It seems ages since we came away probable because we have traveled around so much.

I met Frank Crane recently. He has been in the battalion for some time but I had not noticed him. He looked familiar so I asked him where he came from and we soon got to know each other. I saw G. Low yesterday, too. He is getting along all right. I found L. Newth too. He is a tall fellow now, a first Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion. We spent the afternoon together. We are billeted in a chateau, but in the stables. It’s pretty cold at night and not very hot in the day.

Love to all, STID