Just a few lines to let you know, I am quite well. We are still on our good job & having a Bonza time.
We have been living on roast & fried meats & plenty of potatoes, jam tarts, (I am pretty good on pastry cooking) but I am getting short of flour now as these Froggies buy bakers bread & unless
I souvenir some more flour, our tarts will come to an end. We had some nice fresh fish which we caught too. One of my lads got possession of a fowl to-night so the troops will likely have poultry for dinner one of these days.
Most of our lads are collecting little souvenirs to send horse '& you can get plenty of nice little ornaments too, but I do not bother anything like that. (I believe the leaning figure of the
Virgin I sent home has fallen at last).
You can get anything you want here, from a frying pan, to a grand Piano, & my word these Frenchies have some lovely furniture. To look at most of the houses from the outside they do not seem very flash, but inside the furniture and decorations are beautiful. There must have been some wealthy people here, & it seems such a pity that they should have to leave such nice homes. It is also quite possible that if there was any heavy fighting about here the houses would be levelled to the ground by shells.
We have a fair amount of sport when we are looking for food owing to the language on the labels but, we can generally pick out what they are by the look or taste. One of my men reported a large find of flour but, on examination I pronounced it plaster of paris (what a sell). The best of the joke was that he gave a sand bag of it to some other chaps & they carried it about a mile, but I found out & told them about it before they tried to use it.
The war seems to be going on with a good swing & though we have lost a bit of ground I do not think Fritz can stand the pace he has been going for long. He has had a little go or two at the Aussies but does not get on too well with them.
I hear that poor old Tom Dearlove was killed. He was one of the best soldiers in our Battalion, He never growled or grumbled no matter what happened & had been with the Battalion right through everything. These sort of men do not get much in the way of decoration but I think they are real "dinkum" heroes.
I expect by the time you get this you will be pretty near finished tilling. I see the Governmentis guaranteeing 4/- a bushel for last seasons wheat so that is not so bad, as you have had pretty good returns.
I suppose Annie will be nearly finished her course at T.T.C. by the time you get this. And Kathie's leave will be up. Of course she will find that keeping house is not all sugar & honey & I
suppose she will be glad to get back to her teaching again.
I have not seen or heard anything of the other Mt. B. boys since I came to France this time as I have not been near their Batts. I guess those chaps who have returned home are doing some swank, but I am sorry for those who have lost a limb.
Well I must close now hoping you are all well.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Brother
Tom
