John - Monday 17th May 1915

My dear Janey,

Thank you very much for your letter which came to me in the trenches.  I had one from Sarah at the same time and your parcels which we had last night when we came out of the trenches.  We arrived at the huts late last night, and for once we've had a decent night's sleep.  One of the three parcels was smashed up and the remains of a small bottle was found in it.  We do not have parcels delivered to us in the trenches, they are always waiting for us when we come out.  Before I forget I don't want my watch sent on; I borrow Billie's when I want one. 

We had a fairly quiet time in the trenches last time.  We had to do a bit of firing yesterday just to keep the Germans occupied in front of us.  Our rifles were nearly red hot; the oil simply boiled out of them; we used some thousands of rounds.  The idea was to keep their minds on us while our army smashed them further up the line.  Providing we can hold them on our front we shall do our share for some time to come.  We are putting plenty of barbed wire up the front so they will have a problem to face if they come our way. 

You say that Thompson wants to go now.  I agree with you that he ought not to do anything of the kind until all single men are made to go and do their share.  I think we have done our share for the family and, seeing he is included in it, I shall do a bit extra for him.  If all the single chaps from every family came out here it would be a very different matter now.  Still my view is this: let all those who are afraid to volunteer stay where they are, they would be no use to us out here, they would only be in the way and we have no use for ornaments now. 

Everybody (Officers included) has to do his share of hard and more or less dangerous work, but we have got accustomed to it.  We all look at it in the same light.  If you have got to be hit it is no use trying to dodge the bullet.  We have instances every day of mavellous escapes and equally marvellous accidents, and we are all absolute fatalists now.  I got slightly mixed up with the dates and thought today was Whit Monday, while it is next Monday.  We shall spend it in the trenches and I hope it is a better day than Easter Monday was; we seem to spend all the holidays in the trenches.  I hope we are not in for August Monday. 

By the way I am in 3rd Platoon now.  I asked to be transferred and now I am in charge of the section in which Billie and all my pals are.  We can easily share our parcels, in fact we have all our meals together. 

Thank Aunt Sally for the bread for us. 

I must close now as I have a few more letters to write. 

Love to Thompson and yourself.

Your loving brother, John.