Friday August 9th 1918

Rev. A. Mansel Irwin

Dear Friend just a line to let you know I received your letter of May the 20th & was glad to hear from you. I was in Hospital & it took some time before your letter reached me I got it on the 3rd of August I was in the Hospital with Influenza but is all right again & is at the Convalescent Camp at present but expect to go to my own unit before long. I shall go to my own Base from here & I will likely see my Brother Willie he is at No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital. He got wounded the last time he was in the line & he got a stationary job down where he is at now they dont allow the names of places to be mentioned so therefore I can’t tell you the name of the place as it would be marked out by the censor well I see by your letter that Conscription has got a few more of the boys. Well in a case of this kind many hands makes light work [?]. Well we have got the Hun going back fast now & we are getting fresh men every day from America & I think this year will finish our taste in France & the Kaiser will no what a Civilized Nations of the world made of which are fighting for rights & liberty. Well I see where you said that Bill has met there match on the Western Front well take it from me he has met his match on the Hole front to-day. He has put his Prussian [?] up against our men & [?] got cut to pieces & they are the best men he has got. Well I saw James Livingstone a few weeks ago & he is feeling quite well. I heard Captain Neilson is back in Canada well when it comes my time to go back I can look the world in the face & say I have done my duty for my King & Country like a soldier. Trusting my life to the Lord to bring me safe threw all my struggles that may come before me for a war like this. I just received a parcel from Mrs. Charles Vanderburg & four letters the same day I got yours. So I am busy answering them all as I am only to glad to hear from people from my own town & I dont like to owe them any letters so when I receive them I got busy the first chance I get to myself & answer them when I have no Duty to perform well I am trying to write you a long letter. I was down to the beach the other day & had a swim in the sea & it was fine. One can go out for a ½ a mile & it dont take him over the waist, we also have all sorts of sports at this Con Camp. Its for getting the men in good shape before they go up the line when they have this Camp I had a very interesting game of Hocky last-night. You have a small Hocky stick with one flat side on it & the other side is oval shape & one can only touch the ball with the flat side & iff you touch the ball with the round side its a foul one can stop the ball with his hand or feet. But has got to hit it with the right side of his stick it about the same as we play in Canada in the winter only on the ground with a baseball Its some game [?]. Well I will say good-bye with Kindest regards. Answer soon. Yours sincerely 195475 H.J. McMaster 52nd Batt D comp.