21.11.14

No. 8367. G Company
2nd Batt. 1st Brig.

Can. O. Forces. Bustard C.
Salisbury. Eng.

Rev. Mr Irwin
Norwood, Ont.

Received your very welcome letter last night & hasten to reply, was glad to have a few lines from Norwood & to hear the news. Am very pleased to hear that Norwood has sent a few more boys to fight England’s’ battles. George Mastin was my work-mate at Mr H.J. Buck’s & I hope to see him on the field with the rest of the boys. I know several of the boys who are coming with the second Contingent. I also knew Tom Collier but have not heard anything of him here yet.

So you have a “Home Guard in Norwood now. Norwood will be up to the best of senders of recruits.

So you are going hunting. it will be over by the time you receive this, & I hope you had the best of luck.

Well we are all busy here, myself, I am with a com. of carpenters who are building wood & tin huts about 5 miles from the main camp. It is getting cold here & so they want to get our boys away from the tents, into a dry place. we are working at the huts every day Sundays included, so we don’t get much time.

You know Lord Roberts is dead now, well, we all had the pleasure of seeing him two weeks ago with the King & Queen, Lord Kitchener, etc., little did we think he would leave us so soon, so there is a lesson for us, we do not know when we shall be called upon to leave this world, so we want to be ready for the call when it comes.

Wherever I am I will try & let you know our doings, I may not be able to write a long letter every time, but you will not mind, for we are soldiers now & do not get much time to ourselves.

All the boys are quite well with a couple of exceptions & cheerful & anxious for the fray.

I will conclude now trusting you & your family are well & also the majority of your church workers & others.

with best wishes I remain your friend in Christ

Walter T. Robus.