Montignies Le Tillevue Chaleroi Belgium 10/2/1919

Dear Mother,

We have moved again and are now at the above place which is really a suburb of Chaleroi and 7 kilometres from city. It is connected with Chaleroi by a 15 minute tram service so that we are able to spend a good deal of time now in Chaleroi looking over coal mines and factories etc. The Belgium people around this place are rather hospitable and are quite eager to do things for us so far the civilians have been on the best of terms. I have been in Chaleroi several times now and have seen a bit of civilian life. One night I visited the Cafe Central were they dance to the music of an orchestra of violins. When not dancing the people sit at tables and drink and the orchestra plays and every now and then the men and women get up and dance in the centre of the room waiters continually bringing drinks and thus keeps going round collecting stray francs for the orchestra.

This letter seems to be the most frequent thing that happens and one is lucky to get out under 20 francs in an evening. These dancing cafes are rather lewd establishments and in fact could be classed as immoral and would make our Australian wowsers cry tears of blood. Then there is a museum of wax works run by a medical society and whilst it is instructive and open to the public I don’t think it would be acceptable to the general public in Australia. It chiefly goes in for illustrating results of diseases and when one has had a look at the place one feels uncomfortable for a week.

The French and Belgians believe in making everything public and some of the things we hear and see over here would as I say make our wowsers cry.

The weather now is cold and 1″ frost was registered last night. The ground has been frozen hard snow. Several casualties have been the result as people just simply slip and break their necks, arms and legs etc. One of the lads was frozen to death the other night having become inebriated and slept in the snow. The troops were considered fair game by the Belgian kids after the first fall of snow and they got snow balled mercifully as they marched into this place and could not retaliate. They always take it in good part though and give as good as they get. Uncle George gave me a solid silver case when I left him last week It has my monogram inscribed and must have cost 3 pounds.

Yours affectionately

Walter 10 Feb 1919.