Transcription
8th Queens.
B. E. F.
28. 7. 1916.
My dear Father,
Many thanks for your letter & for one from Mother both received to-day. It is certainly curious how the sound of the guns varies as on some days they are as distinct as possible & on others one can hear nothing though the wind is the same. I am positive I heard the Verdun guns when we were at Hooge but everyone said I was a liar. However it is no further than from you to Albert. It may depend on the sensitiveness of ones ears. I see that another of our Battalions has been in the thick of it, from to-day’s Casualty List & I suppose our turn will come in time. As far as I can gather many regiments ^ battalions have been through, with extraordinarily few casualties – one Division got into the Bosch front line with only 3 – & others have been more or less badly knocked. I suppose it
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depends on the variety of Bosch opposite.
We are still out of the line & have had the men out on parade. They need a little drill as Trench life is not ideal from a discipline point of view. The weather is gorgeous & altogether we are having a very pleasant time.
I am sorry to hear that there are a lot of Carshalton Casualties. I saw that they had got young Madder. I ran into a Mill Lane Man in Well Walk the other day, Well Walk being a trench we both have frequented from time to time. I didn’t know him & I don’t know his name now, but we had a short chat.
Love to all
Jack.
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