Letters From the Front

Dated: August 24, 1916

Thursday 24th August  1916

Dear Father and Mother,

   I am writing to you again, I hope that you got my last letter to say that I had arrived safely. I don’t know what I am going to do. I have never heard any more about the Machine Gun Section. I think that it is called off. I hear that 400 men leave on Sunday, but I don’t know if we are going to France or some other camp. We have been shooting with the Lee Enfield rifle. We were told that we had to pass with as short a practice as possible. I have passed. I could do nothing else, they knew that I had shot well with the Ross rifle and I couldn’t try and shoot bad with the other. We have got our web harness and have a big list in the tent as to what we have to put in them. The whole Battalion is fast up and can’t get anywhere. I will be able to let you know more about the end of the week. It might blow over, but if it doesn’t, we will be picked out this weekend. How are you all going along, fine I hope. I will be sending a parcel up if I am going away. I have far more stuff than I can carry. This is some game, they don’t know what they are going to do next. One day it is one thing and the very opposite the next. I suppose you will be very quiet now that you have [?] and myself [?]. I don’t know when I shall get another pass. Well I hope you are all getting along fine. I wish my pass had been twice as long. I have not heard from you since I came back, but then again I have only been away for [?] days. I think that I have no more news so I will have to close, With love to all, Your loving son, Reggie.

P.S.

I had not a chance to mail this before so am writing this tonight and Saturday night. I am going tomorrow. I think to France, but I think it will be a long while before I get to the trenches. I don’t know when I will be able to write to again, but just answer this to the same address. With love and will close now. Your loving son, Reggie.