Writing to Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Love on July 3rd from Belgium Gunner McIntosh says:
Just a few lines to let you know that we are all well as I hope this finds you both. Frank has just received the parcel you sent him and gave me a pipe that you said was for me. I thank you both very much. It is a fine one, and I had rather smoke a pipe than cigarettes.
To-day has been very hot. It is Saturday afternoon about four o'clock and we have a half holiday. That would be 10 o'clock a.m. in dear old Cobourg. I had a parcel from mother Thursday afternoon with some good things in it for us and some handkerchiefs from you, which was very good of you and useful out here. We are all getting away on leave to any part of the British Isles so we boys have a great time figuring out where we will go. Frank says he is going to Scotland again. Well I think I will go over and have a look at the 'old sod.' I will try Dublin and meet some of those showy Irish lassies.
In one way this pass looks good to me but in another very bad. It means we are getting a little holiday so as to be able to come back to this country for another winter, or perhaps a year or two. But we are here to stay until we make a clean-up of those Germans.
Our guns are in action about a mile ahead of us, but things are much quieter here than we are used to. The Germans have not found our position as yet and I hope they do not.
No doubt you have heard of Stuart Craig's accident. He was wounded. It was a bad flesh wound. We have not heard from him since he went to the hospital. One of our corporals was wounded the same night that Stuart was and has since died. Two other fellows of our battery were killed instantly the same night. I think I have told you all the news for this time. Again thanking you very much.
NORMAN H. McINTOSH.