Etaples (E-tapes)

France

4/1/19

Dear Father & Mother.-

Well I am on the move again, or rather still. As we say in the army "We don't get much money, but we sure do see life."

This is the Canadian Base and is sure a big camp I get lost everytime I go out. This is my second visit here, I came to here from Boulogne last October for two days.

It isn't too bad a place, there are all kind of [?] and a couple of moving picture shoes, so don't mind if they keep me here for awhile. I went to two moving picture shows last night, they were both very good too, one was at the Y.m.c.a. for was free and the other cost 2 d. Sunday night I went to an illustrated sermon, that is illustrated by lantern slides.

The camp itself isn't much, all chalk and sand and lots of tents, a rather dismal looking place. It was very heavily bombed during the war some of the hospitals here, of which there is a lot, were hit.

It was rather a cheerful sight for the new recruit coming to France to see the rows of little wooden crosses just as we approached the camp, I believe there is 14,000, but of course not all Canadians. It made him realize there really was a war on. I am in a big hut, that used to be a dining room so [?] jake, there are all kinds of blankets too, I must have at least a dozen.

The first day here we were standing about, talking about Gen. Carrie, I of them began telling about him in Victoria, so I asked him if he came from there. He turned out to be the orderly in the St. Josephs Hospital that looked after my neck when I had that [?]. You both saw him, he was about middle height with Very fair hair, partly in the centre. The other one, that didn't look after me properly, was short and darker.

We have been going around together since then, he seems a decent kind of a fellow, and it's nice to have some one from home to talk to.

We moved into the big hut at noon today from a small one. The first person I met there was Tom [?] so I won't be lonely, while here. Tom is looking fine.

Just got two new suits of underwear (not second hand ones like we got at the battery) over-shirt, breeches, and puttees, so am fixed up fine now.

The weather is rotten, been raining ever since I came here.

Hope you are both keeping well and not worrying about me, I'm alright and feeling fine.

Your loving son

Walter

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