France 2/5/1917.

(Ed – some page degradation)

Dear Lil

I received your letter of the 11th Feb a few days ago and, needless to say it was as welcome as ever. The past 3 months have been jolly hard ones for us and we have been on the go nearly all the time. Hardly ever got out of range of shellfire about that the shells worry us at all. No one takes much notice of them. If father gets that big letter from me, you will ‘compree’ free. A fairly many things ? ? easy before I think.

In the last stunt, we had the Huns ? passed some guns and stayed until we chased them away again.

An artillery man happened to be asleep in a dugout at the time and greatly surprised to hear that the Huns had ? him and that we had compelled them to retire again. He had been a prisoner and did not know and was lucky not shot asleep as the German like a lot of then here.

At the present moment I sport stripes and am a temporary Corporal. This is what all the lads call a mug Corporal and it also means that I am acting in place of another corporal who has been wounded and sent away. If the said corporal arrived back in three months I then revert back to Lance Corporal. It brings a bit of a rise in screw also now draw 10/- a day that will not make any difference to my allotment at home.

I may remit something to father to be placed to my credit occasionally I last long enough at it. I am glad you are ? fed with your place and hope you will get on even better still.

With proudest regards to all I will close.

From your affectionate brother

Walter.

PS the enclosed is a Hun letter and I don’t know what it says. It comes from the big town we took. WHE 2/5/17