France 12/2/17

Dear Lil.

As you have been so good as to write to me so often I really must add to some of them. You see, I have such a large number of correspondents and so little time but I find it a bit hard to come up to the mark at letter writing. First of all I am so pleased to hear that you have got a place and I hope it will soon turn out a bit more cash full as it must. After a while there really is not much to write about except the snow and ice and cold, which I suppose you have read and heard volumes. As a matter of fact I don’t feel it very much more than I did at Glen Innes. As there has been very little wind to date we only have one blanket when we are in the line and get no fires either. I believe I must be very pretty hardy not to stand it.

The ANZAC HQ in France announced the other day that word were had been received that the Australian troops were standing the winter as well as any other troops so far and we (censored three lines).

The Australian Comforts Fund looks after us fairly well and we have received several little lots of stuff to divide such as lollies temperate soaps, towels, caps comforters pads clips etc and I can tell you that they have mostly come at the right time. One thing about this winter is that most of our food is frozen hard with we get it and consequently we are always trying to thaw something or other. When we get to bread and bully beef it is full of icicles and we can’t eat it. One thing I found rather funny was frozen eggs which we took out of the shells with a spoon. We often get thirsty on account of all the water being frozen without anything to melt with.

At the present moment I am at a Machine-Gun School learning the workings of Lewis machine gun. I came out of the firing line to go to it and was very sorry about coming either as it is a decent place where we can get warm. I was ordered to put up a stripe the other day but declined and I have not done so yet. I do not know whether they will make me do so when I get back to the Btn. I always said I would not take on stripes and be a corporal or sergeant for several reasons one of which is most Australians are a jealous backbiting crowd as a rule and don’t like seeing one another get on. Another reason is that I honestly don’t think I would make a good NCO and would only make myself a fool of myself soon or later.

How is the farm doing?. Next time you write tell me the facts of the thing as I believe you are all trying to make out you are better off rather the real truth.

Did you ever received the letter from me in which I asked for another full mother to get a ring? out at my expense. Any ring up to �10 or so you know I trust? Please do so.

I am glad you got those pos? of Ypres the censors need not have been so particular as sending pcs? without writing on them is quite in order.

Will close now with love to all from Walter 12/1/17?