In a Farm Yard.
Sat. Oct 21st 1916

My dearest Min

I'm determined by hook or by crook to reply personally to your two letters received recently because by doing so I make sure on getting at least one more from you. You are a dear good girl and your letters are so full of feeling as well as crammed with news. But you know these feelings of mine towards you and your letters so I need say no more but get on with the answering of the said letters.

Thanks for going out with Pritchard and getting what he sent me. I certainly enjoyed those "State Express" cigs! I like your new word "sawful" it struck me comicably. Oh yes! I have my opinion regarding Len Bragg but it's no use explaining it. There's partial hope in that word "missing" and it's no use destroying hope.

Yes there was furious fighting as you saw by the placards on the evening you wrote. I was then "in" busy at it and am mighty pleased to be out of it altogether.

Oct. 24th. Tuesday

I never had time to finish this on Sat but am at last able to get to it now. Yes. Please let me have that scarf as soon as you like and tell Ma I can get socks washed here all right by the French peasants for a few pence.

I'm sorry but I must here add a line or so to Mother because since writing to her I have received two letters and a parcel, which I acknowledged by Whizz-bangs. I thank Mother very, very dearly for the amount of writing she has done to me lately and I have only been too sorry at my inability to reply. The reason being as before marching, marching, marching but now we are quartered where we expect to be for sometime and having got over the marches I am able to get my correspondence. Thank goodness for I've a lot to answer and they worry me (don't think). Arf a mo! Lets have a fag. Yes I sure will speak to Madame Strathearn if I hear her.

Nothing partic was happening when Pa had that dream of me as I was sleeping in an old barn in some back-of- beyond village. I received Ma's parcel containing the helmet and socks and cake and pudding. I'm tickled to death with the lot. Is that sufficiently comprehensive?

As far as sending the makings of drinks if you can get hold of some more "Godsend canteens" like Auntie Rosie sent me I should like them. They really are fine. We are using it now and my pals are very tickled over its extreme compactness. Regarding vermin (very important topic here), Everybody has tried everything and our only successful preventative is Paraffin Oil smeared over the body. Pleasant I know but sure. So I don't want any more concoctions for that.

Now I must stop so bye-bye
Your very loving boy

Jack.