France 25/12/1917

Dear Mother

Today is Xmas Day and I am in the thick of it near the name of that broach I sent you beginning with A. I am writing this in a dugout 8ft underground stretched out on a home made stretcher out with a coke fire giving off evil smelling fumes. However I am not doing so badly as I am dry and warm and have plenty of Xmas fair to eat and not much work to do. Comparing my present circumstances with my last Xmas experiences I am in heaven.

Last year I was on the Somme at Dellville Wood and had nothing but bully beef and pork and beans and dog biscuits to celebrate Xmas with. Moreover the mud was knee deep and it was raining and sleeping by turns whilst we only had one blanket. This Xmas we had as much rum and whiskey as we could drink plenty of Xmas pudding etc to eat and two blankets and in a warm dugouts.

The sector is a quiet one and Fritz does not worry us very much except with an occasional spasm of shellfire to let us know he is still there. I got a good snuff of his mustard gas the other day which may me quite sick but did no real harm. It smells just like mustard and tickles the throat and makes one cough and blisters the skin if very strong. The Huns use a great deal of it and swear by it but we are well prepared for it and do not get caught very often. They used great quantities of it on the Italians recently with success.

We have just had a heavy full of snow and the ground has been covered for a week to a depth of about four inches. It gives the country dreary appearance but as it is frozen underfoot we do not mind. Frozen ground is always preferable to mud and slusch and we can always make ourselves warm with work which there is an abundance for all.

Enclosed you will find a few remarks about the different “famous’ Btns of the AIF which our Btn claims to be six most famous. I am getting Mrs Hookham to send you 2 of my photos which I hope you will like. In a couple of months I had to get my second star and then I will be fully fledged lieutenant in one of the best Btns in the best Divs of the best Army Corps in France etc eh what.

Cheerio bon sou from your affect son

Walter France 25/12/17