No. 83

Etaples, France

April 9th 1919

Dear Mother & Dad:-

Am still here and don't know when we will get away, it may be a few days or it may be longer. It's sure to be this month sometime. I hear the whole 5th Div is coming down at the end of the month, so even if we wait for them, which is unlikely, it won't be long. We can't kick much as we are having a pretty easy time. It would shock an old soldier like you, Dad, so see the lack of discipline here. On parade in the morning we stand around in a bunch with our hands in our pockets talking and smoking while the sergeant calls the roll. We never have an inspection so needn't shine up at all except to suit ourselves. We have no reveille, except the breakfast call, I seldom get up before 8 a.m. There is no "lights out" at night [?]. Well the war is over now and all that kind of stuff in not necessary it isn't as if we were a permanent force.

The [?] of the French towns are very dirty, the streets are nearly closed up with piles of rubbish, I don't know if they ever clean them away, anyway they are always there, and they sure smell. It's a wonder the people are not sick most of the time, but I guess they are used to it.

I went to Paris Plage again on Monday, it is much cleaner than Etaples, and the majority of buildings are pretty classy. There is a cement promenade running for about a mile along the beach, it's a swell beach too, a long stretch of smooth sand, a couple of [?] long.

It's funny to see the French people standing around the dining room picking up the scraps of bread, cheese, meat etc. that's left over. I bet some of them get enough to live on. They are not at all particular about what they get either, they don't mind picking out of the [?] barrel.

Haven't had any mail at all lately, there must be some around somewhere.

There is nothing to write about so will close.

As ever, your loving son

Walter.