3rd. Battalion,
Toronto Regiment,
1st. Canadian Division
February 21st. 1916.

My Own darling Girl:-

I suppose I should really give you a capital "G" shouldn’t I, seeing that you are not ’'girl" in general or even generally typical of your sex, but are the "Girl particular". Darling, you see I leave with a small initial because I know that your darlingness is a property you possess not only for me but for all who come in contact with you, dear. So the capital "G" represents my ardent confession of your pedestalary status. The small "d" is my tribute to your inherent and objective loveliness. As for the "My Own" - well, that’s just a little pardonable swank on side, indicating that all the same I know perfectly well your’e just nuts on me, kid, Eh, what? There, I thought that out while the guns are making the damnedst racket I ever heard, and I think its about right. You see this letter has been delayed somedays, and I simply had to start out with something particularly nice for you may be so peevish over the neglect than otherwise you wouldn’t read it. Sort of - "If he wont write to me when he should, I "wont read his beastly old letters at all, nohow" attitude.

Please dont strafe me, little one, because I’ve been horribly busy trying to command a company, and at the same time gind opportunity to be properly sick once every night while in trenches. The only time I wasn’t one or the other for the last ten days was because I was so scared to death that I couldn’t think of anything except keeping a whole skin and the birds from flying away to the woods.

The Bosches threw some beastly heavy things at us the last hour in and the worst of it is you can see them coming and immediately experience an intense desire to occupy a more distant part of the world. One can’t be a fatalist about those trench mortars in the same way as in the case of shells. You can tell too jolly well about where they are going to land. Something must have annoyed little Willie’s insides - perhaps it was trench mortars, but at any rate they refused to have anything to do with anything I gave them, and just about the middle of the night watch used to throw out the whole offering, so altogether it wasn’t fun, and now just as we are all beginning to recuperate after several days in peace, along comes the M.0. with that damned little shiny needle and pumps us full of all the anti this and anti thats in the materia medica. I suppose the result is a very mild case of half a dozen sorts of typhoid and a spasm of lockjaw, but the obvious symptom is a left wing that feels like an inflamed pump handle. Bless your heart its a wonderful life.

I was perfectly delighted to hear of what I supposed is your well merited promotion at the C.L.A. My darling Fern, it is perfectly splendid, and I hope you will find the new post pleasant and not too hard. Of course the nicest part of it is to know that they have appreciated the work you have been doing, but at the same time it may be of great value to you at some time to have so good a standing and to be able to take up some definite branch of the work right off the silver salver. You didn’t tell me though, to whom Miss Beck is consigning her future ample (?) happiness. I hope the dear fellow is a real buck or dear, ’dear’ - what a time he will have! I guess (please note spelling) yes!

You should have seen the bang up minstrel show which the 3rd. Field Ambulance troupe of minstrels put on here with the assistance of the band. Of course they are behind the lines all the time and as a rule have plenty of time, so they go in for these diversions for the benefit of the troops. Some of their songs and jokes and local hits were splendid and their on the side business was killing.

The boys went home at 8-30 tremendously bucked in spite of sore arms. One joke or rather squib particularly struck me - ”Do you know Rastus, ah can be "two places a one time" - "How the dooce can you be two places at one time Bones" "Well, ah’s heah in Flanders ain't I" - "Yes" - "Well ah’s also home sick". !

Well, darling I have heaps of jolly stuff to tell you, but please, please, I’se sleepy. Kiss us. I shall write again soon if Fritz will only behave.

Yours every lovingly,
ERROL.