France

May 24 1917

Dear Bee,

Am not busy this evening so think I will send you a a little letter. We are out resting again and only have parade in the forenoons now; so with the afternoons and the long evenings we have plenty of time to ourselves. I saw quite a few of the boys from my old battalion the other day and was certainly pleased as I am the only one of the old bunch in this company. Our old section was all split up after we came to France and were sent to different Machine Gun companies, wherever they were needed most. However I hear that we are getting another draft of new men soon and think there may be one or two in it. The boys in my company are good fellows but it is nice to meet some old faces. If mother got my last letter alright you will know that my address is 9th Can. Machine Gun Coy. B.C.F. France. I received both your letter and mothers, dated April 4th when we were up the line last time and certainly was pleased to get them as it had been a long time since I heard from home. We had a pretty good trip up the line last time altho it was a little longer than usual. We have been having good weather lately and that makes everything more pleasant.

So Guy Morton has been thinking seriously of enlisting this Spring. It ought to be safe enough now as by the time he puts in 6 or eight months training there should be some signs of peace. I see by one Canadian paper that they are going to pass a measure of conscription in Canada. Some of the young men in Canada will feel rather cheap if they are forced to join after dodging the recruiting seargants for so long. Mother was saying something about sending over tobacco to me again. If she does, do not send smoking tobacco or cigarettes as I can get them for less than half the price over here. It would be better to send chewing tobacco & Bull Durham as we can not get them over here. The paymaster does not give us enough money to suit us or does not pay often enough which amounts to the same thing. We only get 15 francs at a time and that is a little less than $3. However there will be all the more coming at the end of the war.

Tell the kiddies that I got their letter alright want to hear from them every time you write. They must be having big times now. I wont know them at all when I come back. It wont be long till Jack will start to school and then I think you will have your hands full.

I suppose Harry is through seeding by this time. I hope you have good weather & good crops this summer. How do you like your new car? I think you folks are getting pretty sporty buying a new car every year.

And you think Guy Wickerson is going to get married eh! Well I think he has earned a good wife after batching it so long. What about Herb & Nelson, have they a notion too? I think Annie Duncan will open her eyes when she comes West. She has never been away from home all her life. I would like to see her once more. Do Jack and Annie get along or do they have their spats too? Well I think I have written enough this time. I only intended writing a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine and have written 6 pages. Will expect to hear from you & mother more regularly now as there is very little danger of my mail going astray now that I will not be wandering around as much. Heaps of love to you all from your loving brother. Bruce McLagan. 781871