Many thanks for the letter received last night, also thank Janey for her letter and the parcel which arrived in splendid condition. The oranges were a treat and came in fine for the hot weather. Also thank Aunt Joan for the coffee au lait; it will be all right for having during the stand-to at nights.
We had a fine time in reserve in the wood the last four days. It was like a picnic, any amount of strawberries - wild ones. We were there 4 days and engaged in working parties carrying rations up to the trenches and digging. The last two days, our section was picked out to build a bridge across a large ditch and we had a fine time of it. We had to fell our own trees and I was one of the axe men. You should have seen us bringing great big oak trees down. I should think we felled about 50 altogether and put them all in the bridge. We were complimented on our work by the Colonel of the 7th and we had the pleasure of seeing a double horse wagon go over the bridge quite easily so it was a good test of our work. It was jolly work and quite a change from trench life.
We have the advantage of the Germans here as we can be relieved, and there is a big wood behind us. We came into these trenches yesterday and are fairly decent time up to the present. We are too close to the Germans for them to shell us much, although we are nicely within range of hand and rifle grenades and bombs of all sorts, but they are not so bad as the big shells. The heat today is intense and the flies are awful.
We stand to all night and have bayonets fixed night and day as this is a very important part of the line and we have to be ready for surprise. However if they do come they will get a surprise. I was pleased to hear Joe may be sent back to make shells, and I do hope they will give him no option but just claim him. The last time I wrote to him I told him to try to get an easy job in the stores or something like that as I told him what it is like here, and that he need be in no hurry to come out here - it is no picnic, but he never mentioned it when he wrote to me.
I saw a fine sight this morning about a dozen of our aeroplanes crossing the German lines off to do some damage somewhere and the enemy wasted about a thousand shells on them without doing any damage. If there is one thing we have the better of them it is by aircraft. They cannot touch us at it.
I've received all papers and parcels up to the present. Well I hope all are well. I must close now hoping all are well as I am in the pink. I had a box of 50 fags from F. Gibson.
Your loving brother Billie.
The garden will be looking fine. I received a letter from Tom a few days ago.
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