England,
Dec 31st 1916.

Dear Mother and Father

I guess by this time you will be thinking I am not going to write at all, but I have been in quarantine for about 16 days, and so I haven’t been able to write before, but will try and make up for lost time.

I hope you and dad are in good health as I am at present, outside of a bad cold, but always have that.

What kind of weather are you having in Coquitlam. I guess its pretty wet. Its rain from one day to another here but we’re getting used to it now and don’t mind the mud so much.

We are at the rifle ranges now and believe me its no fun laying in the mud all day with only our great-coats under us, and it don’t take long for them to get wet through, I don’t think I’ve been dry for the last two weeks but even at that its not half as bad as France.

I heard that Bill Wilson has landed a good job in Ottawa, he seems to have struck it lucky all through.

Things must be pretty lively in Coquitlam this time of the year with everybody gone away, but even at that I would much rather be there than here.

I sure had a rotten Christmas, in the first place, we only had one turkey for about twenty-five of us and in the second place, we didn’t get it until the middle of the afternoon, and I don’t think New Year’s will be any better as the orders say the range party as usual and that means, get up at five, and be ready for the road at six, and as we have about five miles to go there and back we will be pretty tired by the time we get back to camp.

I don’t know when we will leave here. There are all kinds of talk about us going somewhere, but we are still here.

If you have Sis’s address will you send it to me so I can write to her as I owe her a couple of letters.

Well I can’t think of much more to write as news is just about as scarce as hens teeth around here so I will close for this time hoping to hear from you as soon as possible and Wishing you a Merry Chrismas and a Happy New Year I remain ever your loving son

Amos