Witley
Feb11/17

Dear Hazel -

This is Sun evening and it is fairly quiet here so I will write a few lines. We have been working very steadily lately and have had very little time to write to any one. I have cut down my correspondence a whole lot - you and Mother are about the only ones I write to anymore.

The weather is breaking up now and I guess spring is here. This sure has been the mildest winter that I have experienced yet but I am not sure that it was the most comfortable. Still we have had it quite easy as a soldiers life goes and I suppose we should be glad that we didn't have to spend it in the trenches.

This country is thoroughly organized now and they are conserving all their resources for the crisis which every one expects to be soon. In this country the opinion prevails that the war will be over before next fall and it is generally conceeded that Germany is beaten now. Their sub-policy isn't bothering the nation at all and is regarded as the enemys last gamble. We all hope it is.

We sigs are attending a brigade school just now and they certainly are making us work - altho to look at some of us you wouldn't imagine that we were overworked. I weigh somewhere about 185 at present.

I was at the cinema this afternoon and heard Rev. George Adams. He is known quite well in America and is a great speaker. He told us he saw a soldier boy in Montreal saying good bye to his sweetheart and he promised her that he would be true to her. He then asked how many of us had made similar promises and had kept them. It made some of us think a little anyway. I am glad to be able to say Hazel that I haven't wandered very far away but it would be a lie if I said that I have been absolutely true because a man would almost have to be super human to be true to anyone while living the way we have to.

I guess you will think this is rather a funny letter. I guess a lot of mine are peculiar. Perhaps tho I will get over the habit before I go back of being peculiar. I don't know when we will go to France or whether we will ever go or not. If we don't go there we may be back very soon altho we hope we don't have to go before the war is over. No one here cares whether the U.S comes into the war or not, they certainly haven't been invited in by the allies. The Allies are progressing very favourably on all Fronts and the navy is still supreme.

Now Hazel I know this isn't a very good letter to write to one's sweetheart at home but it will have to do for tonight. I hope you are all well and happy and having a good time. I would like to be back there just for a night alright but our place is over here and in France until this old war is settled. Well I must close.

With lots of Love

Jack

I wish we were together just like we used to be on Sunday evenings don't you.
JAM