Good News - We Are Going To France

Date: Not given

Address: 3rd Platoon A Coy 14th Battalion Durham LI, Halton Park Camp, Nr Tring, Herts

From: Bob

To: George

Dear George

I am glad that I can write and tell you that we are all keeping well and in the best of health. We are still enjoying camp life - it is nice and healthy and full of fun. Father was telling us that you had a boil on your face. You did not say anything about it in your letter. I hope that you have now got shot of it as they are not very pleasant company. I have got some good news for you, at least it is for us. The Sergeant Major picked twenty-five men out of each platoon to get ready to go to France. He said that we might be there in an about a fortnight or three weeks for musketry training. Tom, Jack and I are among the 25. Jim wasn't on parade or else he might have been one as well, but the captain will look after him (I guess).

We had a general inspection on Wed. and the Lieut.Gen told us that we had passed the elementary stage of our training. We are to begin with field training now upon the hills. We are hoping for a grand time. On Tuesday night we had a surprise visit from Dr Chapman and Mr Alexander the celebrated missioners and I can assure you that we had a grand time of it what with singing choruses and Dr Chapman speaking - it was the best night we have spent in camp. You will see by the paper that I am writing on that there is a YMCA tent here and concerts are being held every night and also singing competitions. Tom is mess orderly today, that is to say that he is the housewife because he has to look after the food and the tent. Your cousin George Curry of Hetton is camping about a mile off us. He is in the East Yorks. We saw him last night and he is liking it very well - they get plenty of food. His brother Bob has had to come home bad with pneumonia. I was going ot send you a postcard with a few views of camp life but there isn't any in stock. But you will see a real view in the postcard enclosed. We got taken just as dinner was being served out as you will see that some have meat on their plates. That big pan that you see in the front is called a "dixie". Each tent gets one of them for dinner, 14 or 15 men in a tent, and you should see the rush for lean meat. I think this is all the news this time only I like this better than putting in S.East 1 or S.West 2. We will send you one of our photos when we get taken with the rifles. Hope you are keeping alright and in the best of spirits.

With love from

Bob