Sapper H.L. Irwin #2339
c/o Can Ordnance Corp
Ashford.

March 2. 16

My Dearest Little Mother

I rec your very Dear letter today, & also a letter from Greta and Glad to know Bert has at last joined & also glad to know he is sergant, But what is Gea going to do? Well I am stell at Ashford; But do not know what is going to happen, some of the boys are going to Shorncliffe Monday, & I guess from there to France, don’t know what is going to happen to me yet, We have got all our pay books back last week, and you never in your life seen such a mess, you see our pay master at R.E Barracks got into trouble, and was about $5000 in Debt. and tried to make it up by fixing our Books up and got caught at it, and is in jail for three months, so our books where back there geting straightened up., and some of the boys are as much at $80 00 in hole, and by rights they should have money coming, my pay book was not so bad, I should have about $30 00 coming, and in one way my book looks like as if I was about $40 00 in hole and another way you look at it I am $60 00 to credit; so they have written to London to find out which I am, so will know some day this week, But I got paid $20 00 this week, so have got things straightened up a lettle, But one of the boys claims he has $60 00 coming, & they show him on the books that he is $54 34 in hole, All the boys books are the same, and every one is raising Merry H__ over it, But I think I will come out very good, or not so bad any way, I might loose a fue dollars, or I might gain a fue But well see laiter,

Well Mother we are geting straightened up fine now, And geting lots to eat, we had a lovely tea tonight, Florence made a fruit salad. and it was fine, we are $5 00 ahead now, so not so bad; Florence is always talking about her fat she has got very fat sense we where married, she can hardly get her cloths on, she is so fat, I have got a lettle fat too, feeling a lot better now, we are both good and fat now, so you don’t want to be Granma so soon, well from my way of thinking you will be Granma befor you may think you will, and maybe befor your next birthday, But we are very happy together any way, and as Loving a couple as ever; and as comfortable as can expect in war time, I am stell running engine, But never know from day to day what is going to happen, But we hope for best,

The weather has been very bad for a week, we had about 10 inches of snow, But only lasted a week and is all gone now, and warm again, And the war is stell going at tope speed just now, every things soldiers over here now,

Well I guess I must close now. We are both as well as you can expect, Florence does not feel as well as she was befor we where married, But I feel about the same, With all our Love, and Write often, And hope to be Home soon

With best Love I am as ever

your Loving Son Harold

P.S. Florence is to fate & sleepy to write tonight will write later as this has got to go First Post tomorrow to catch mail,