France

Thurs. Dec. 14 '16

My Dear Mother, Father, and Dorothy

I will not attempt to write you a long letter tonight, but only a few lines, - the last from this camp Tomorrow our draft is leaving for 'up the line' to join our battalion in the trenches.

We are very very glad to get away from this awful hole. Every-one tells us that we will have it better when we join our battalion. We will be able to to get a bath and a change of underwear and perhaps dry foot-wear. And we will get our mail. This place is simply a clearing out depot, and the men are used like - well I cannot tell you what like for no animal that I have seen in Canada, is ever used like men are here. The training however has been good, and I glad that we have taken it. We have been taught how to kill the Bosche and to take care of ourselves - more than we learned all summer in Camp.

I do hope that when I get my mail, that $10 will be in it. I am going to send it over to Frank Pecover, and have him buy me a pair of high leather water-proof boots. I think that if I can get a pair of them big enough to put about three pair of socks in, I will be able to keep my feet dry & warm.

I wish that you would send me all the socks that you can. I cannot have too many, and they mean so much here. I have been mighty glad to wear the big ones that Mrs Kerr sent me. I have had to buy 3 pair here, and they have cost me between .75¢ and $1.00, and they are no good either. When you send sock, only send one pair at a time. If you send several pair inn a parcel, the extra ones will be taken out and given to some one else

I am feeling just fine. No cold or indigestion or any thing else. Never felt better or happier in my life. Argyle is the same. We are so glad to be together. Send me a few snaps of home once in a while -

I will write to you again just as soon as I get up to our new quarters

Your loving boy

Markle

Pte. W. M. Pecover

#875439