France

May 1917

Dear Marie;

Received your letter with the kiddies photo in & the Easter Card from Aunt Kate. I sure did appreciate them all. Isn't kiddie growing up it looks like Hal sure. It certainly is a good picture of her. The night before last I received a letter from you & last night I received another from you. Thats fine.

Well Marie. Ghee but it was some Scrap it seems funny walking over ground that was German ground a short time ago & looking over the ridge & seeing for miles back over the captured ground

Its thinking I am that the war will soon be over. It is peculiar when a fellow is in the line, he thinks the war is never going to end; when they are relieved and as fast as they march away from the trenches, so his spirits rise, and by the time he arrives and billeted, he is positive that the war will be over some day soon. I dont like Russias attitude.

Good! I have received two letters from Mrs Ross, enclosed in one was a note from Elsie. Thank them for me.

So you are calling the kiddy Hallie, thats fine I like that name after her daddy

Wasn't that a rotten picture, that last one I sent?

Thanks awfully Marie I knew you would help make things easier for mother in case anything should happen. So the boys are still notorious in Toronto. Well I don't blame them although they get worked up very easily. No, Marie I'm afraid I'm not over fluent with French, that is grammatically speaking. Tres bon a box eh Marie. Whenever you send a box will you put lots of eats in it. Pardon my saying this, I like so much to eat stuff from home. We don't get much dainties out here.

Yes that sure was a scrap we gave it to him for for fair. We have still got him on the go. What do you think of the German attitude, and the Russians just now.

Well Marie, here I am back of the line about ten miles taking a five week course in Signalling  [deleted word “Course”]. I expect I shall be made a Signaller when I return to my unit.

Well I guess I'll close, give my love to Aunt Kate Uncle Henry, Vic, and my “Sweety Heart”

Love

Joe