Transcription

No 142556.

1. Battalion C.E.F.
2. West Sandling
3. June 9th Kent. Eng,1

My own darling Minnie.

I received your most enjoyable letter safely yesterday, and was very pleased to hear that my dearie is still well, and happy, I'm glad dearest that you went out to Oakville the 24th and I was just thinking of you on that day too, and was wondering where you would be going, and I wished that I could have been with you then dear, but all those nice things are coming to us, probably sooner than we think, and we will appreciate them all the more, I also had a letter from Maude, and mother, and she had some nice things to say about Bob and some other dear girl I know, and she told me too, how nicely Bob had fixed his house up for Hilda, and told me to try and copy him in that respect for you, so darling, you can rest assured that I'm doing my best to keep those promises that I made and I haven't broken them yet, and I intend to keep them, as I don't think you would care for me to come home, and say I had broken them just once. 

They are going to let us out of quarantine tomorrow night I think, but am not certain yet, but only hope they will, as I haven't had my leave yet, and there are several things I want to get, down town. when we get out. It's raining and thundering hard out just now, and I hope it will stay that way as we will have nothing to do all the afternoon. 

We have been drilling pretty hard this last week, and had three test route marches, ten miles the first afternoon twelve the second, and fourteen the third, and believe me it was lots to walk, on the food we are getting, but we are used to that now, and don't mind it so much now, I often think of the nights I used to come over to the house, and refuse some pie and cake, but if any is ever offered me now I'm sure I wouldn't say no, but the war will be over some day and I'll never, never, leave my dearest one again, will I. 

They are getting a draft of 280, men ready from this battalion and are going to send them to the front pretty soon. While on a march the other day we could see the coast of France, quite plainly, and when that naval fight was on the other day we could hear the guns being fired, so we aren't such a very long way from the firing line. but I hope I won't see it for a while yet. I'm enclosing some ivy leaves that I got while out the other day, so when you get them I guess you'll think more of the boy that's far away. 

Now darling I'll close now as there isn't very much to say, so bye bye with fondest love from yours ever loving and true, and I'm always thinking of you as the dearest girl in the world, yours ever loving.

Dudley.XXXXXXXXXXXX

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Do you think you could send some, Fatima or Murad, cigarettes, as the ones here aren't near as good as those at home.

Archivist notes

1 Archivist note: Year inferred as 1916 from correspondence sequence (cf. letter 2026.028.005 dated June 4) and C.E.F. station at West Sandling. Header layout reproduced as written — "June 9th Kent. Eng," appears on one line.