Series 3 Dave Radcliffe

III

the organ, I suppose your sister does yet. She will be getting quite at home at that work now.

Was Mrs. Owen home to help on the "1st," and what kind of weather had you for the garden party.

And so there is to be an election over there in the fall. We will likely have a vote here. Some of the soldiers say they will vote for conscription, but a great many don't favor that, so they say.

I hear about every other one has a new car now over there. They are getting too common, I think I'll get an airship and travel one hundred and seventy miles an hour. That's the record or something like that.

We are tired looking at aeroplanes now. Sometimes I hardly bother looking up when they are flying over our heads, but they are

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doing splendid work.

I may get a pass this fall or winter sometime and if I do I think I'll go to Paris, as they are making preparations for the accomodation of soldiers who go there on leave. I mean Canadians. Wish Oliver had come over at the same time and we could have gotten our passes together, but perhaps we couldn't have managed to get off at the same time anyway.

Well I guess this is about all for this time. Write soon and give me all the news. Is Mabel Branion alright again. Some fall she got.

Good-bye for the present,

Dave.

Somewhere in France, 3/9/17.

Dear friend, -

Shoudl have written sooner to thank you for the gift you sent me, which I very much appreciated. It came all O.K. Did you get my field card. It hasn't been very convenient to write lately but am trying to do a little at it to-night. I see your cousin Jack occasionally. He is looking fine. I had a parcel of tobacco sent me from Oliver a short time ago. I sent him a whiz bang but must write him a letter soon.

We have had it very cold since the middle of January, with the exception of a few days towards the last of Feb. It is quite cold again just like the weather we get in Canada at this time of year. We had a heavy fall of snow the other day and some more to-day. The ground is frozen quite hard so you see although we're in sunny France it isn't all sunshine.

We thought we would have seen Premier Borden to-day, but missed him.

II.

He was in the vicinity though and saw some of the other battalions march pass.

Some of the people seem to think we have never been in the front line yet. Well if forty or fifty yds. from Fritz isn't being there, I don't know what is meant by that term.

We can't say where we are at time of writing or give any definite information, but we are not kept constantly in the front line as it would be too wearing on the men.

Well by the time this reaches you I expect the snow will all be gone and the farmers will be getting ready for seeding.

You. will have to excuse short letters as it is pretty cold on the fingers writing.

Thank you again for the kind remembrance. I shoud have said before that I received your letter. Write soon.

Yours sincerely

Dave

[in separately drawn box, to the left of signature] Pte D.H. Radcliffe C. Co. No. 802864

OAS [stamp] Passed by Censor no. 4578] [postmark] ... office De 9 17

[Censor signature sideways] APMcKelly

Miss Nettie McNaughton Granton, Ontario, Canada