Belfast
30/11/18

Dear Annie: –

I received four or five of your letters the day I left the battalion to go on leave. They went the rounds of the different hospitals, etc., I was in and back to the battalion.

When I left the battalion we were at a little place about five miles past Mons. We were in Mons several times. Our third Division were the first troops of the Allies to enter Mons. It is quite a large place and has three large squares. There are some fine stores and buildings there. There was almost nothing at all to eat there at that time. We passed through it on our way from the battalion and stopped at at smaller place called Paturages. The Canadian is always welcome in any of the towns around that part of the country especially in Paturages. We were billeted there a few days and had a good time. We left there the following day to take the train at Valenciennes. Nearly all the civilians are back there again having been released by Fritz, and things are a great deal different from the time when we went in there first. The trains run in there fairly regular although the station is nothing but a heap of ruins. The people have more to eat now. We took the train from there that night and arrived in Calais the following night. We stopped there two days, and then took the boat for Dover. From Dover we had a three and one-half hours ride in the train to London. I stayed in London that day and left early the next morning by train for Hollyhead. From Hollyhead I took the boat to Dublin, arriving there about noon on the 27th.

Dublin is a very nice city. It has fine wide streets dotted all along with monuments. Sackville street is very wide. It has four car tracks in some places.

I left Dublin yesterday evening about 7:30 and arrived here about eleven last night. It is very foggy and cold here and I haven't moved about the place much. I expect to leave tomorrow for Glasgow, on the return journey to France. I am due to leave London again on the 11th. I hope I never see over there again. I am going to try to get back home without going to Germany at all.

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year to yourself and Min.

Jack