Just a line to let you know I am all right. We are in the trenches for eight days but thank goodness we have got six of them over. The weather is terribly wet and cold and the trenches have been flooded out. We have had eight days of continuous rain, and the mud and water is up to our knees, and at nighttime walking through the trenches you have to watch out or you'd be in a swamp hole. All the covers were off the swamp holes, so we had a birthday and no mistake.
The last four days have been dry but bitterly cold and you could scarcely see for the mist, so that meant we had to have double the men on sentry. We have had some freezers these last mornings, seeing everything was covered with frost. They have started giving us an issue of rum - two tablespoons per man, and I can tell you we can do with it after having all the night out. We are having the fur coats and capes issued, and we all hope they will let us have them instead of talking so much about them.
After this spell we will be back in a village two miles away, and we will be pleased to get there as we are mud from head to foot. Oh if you could only see us. There is one thing - we have had some grand fires in the trenches this time in, and we've been having some decent feeds. One chap from Yarmouth had about a dozen kippers sent and they were fine, we had them for breakfast this morning. We had the meat Mother sent for breakfast two days ago, and all the chaps agreed it was fine. Nipper Flear had two jam and suet puddings sent, so we had them for dinner, so we did well.
It was a good thing we all had extras as the rations were very poor. We are usually starved coming off sentry duty, so now we made some bread and milk porridge (Nestles milk) and it was great. Oh before I forget you might send me some oatmeal and sugar in next week's parcel so that we can make porridge. There are a couple of canteens now in the village so we will be able to get some things a bit cheaper now, as the French people will find that we can get our extras cheaper somewhere else. I think we can settle down to Christmas here.
They are beginning next Sunday to send 10 men per company on leave each week, so that is much better, and we should not be so long now, if they keep that up. Well I must close now, hoping all at home are well as it leaves me in the pink.
Your loving brother Billie.
P.S. I am pleased to see Lord Derby is waking them up now, plenty of single chaps who ought to be made to go. Remember me to Thompson's father. Hope Aunt Joan is improving. Cheer oh Billie
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