Guilmont Baracks
Aldershot
Jan. 23/40

Dear Wannie & Matt:-

I received your card and was very glad to get it. I took very near a month on the road. I also received your welcome gift, God bless you as Murry would say, it sure came in handy. Dan and I laying in our bunks were trying to figure out where the next cigarette was coming from when out of a clear sky the problem was solved. We dont get our money regular here. It only comes once a month, and then they give us only a little, they keep most of it for when we go on leave, I guess its better that way.

How are the kids, I suppose they are having lots of fun in the snow, the kids over here are all sickly looking with pale little faces and small little legs. They go to school carring their gas masks, "nose bags" they call them. I guess they are half starved any way. Every thing over here is rationed. When we go on a route march there is always a bunch of kids following us and asking for Canadian money.

We have a telephone system here in camp and the signalers have to operate the exchange, it has to be operated twenty-four hours a day, so three of us take it for a week. It is my turn to-nite from twelve to four so you can guess where I found the typewriter.

The weather was pretty good here this week, to-day was real fine, it snowed a little yesterday but that is all gone now.

I wrote two letters to Mom, one when I got off the boat and one about a week after, I expect some mail in the next few days. There is almost a riot when the orderly corpl. brings in the mail, every body looking for a letter or parcel. One of the boys had a Halifax Herald sent to him, our pictures were in it, they were taken the day before we left, you've seen them I suppose.

Every body here are all excited just now. The King is coming to-morrow to inspect us, for two days now we are practicing how to greet him.

I got quite a supprise the other day when I received a Christmas card from Joey McDonald. It was addressed to Sydney, I guess she didn't know I was over in England. It should be quite a supprise to her when I drop her a note from here.

I wish Matt could see some of the brick work over here, every house is built with bricks, I never saw a wooden house in this country yet, and up in Scotland is the place, the houses are all stone even the shingles are stone. Wood must be very scarce in this place.

I guess I'll have to stop now, my buddy will soon be over to releave me, Dont forget to write soon. Tell Lorna and Tick to write too I guess Mom's letter is on the way. This is all for now.

As ever
Boyley

P.S. - I think you had better address your letter to Canadian House, London England. It will get here twice as fast. Tell Mom to use that address too.