#5 Conv Depot
Wed France
Dec 13 1916 7 pm

Dear May,

I wonder if it is raining (or snowing) and you are just home from the office and playing over a few of the old favourites – 5th, Gypsy R. La F etc. The other evening when in the canteen I heard someone playing pieces of 5th Nocturne & La Fontaine and you may bet I listened. The last time I hear them was in the long ago when – (you and I were young) in Lancaster. We are getting old, too, eh – tomorrow fortnight sees me another peg up the ladder. I was just thinking of my course tonight and wondered if I’d be in ’34 or ’43 but I guess it makes no diff – I’d be happy as a hired man for [].

The end is not such a fearful way off I guess – can’t be more than 15 years – when peace conferences keep going on and the ministry keeps changing around so much. They remind me of a square dance – balance gently for a while and then “get away all”.

Within a few days I shall be seeing the old sign “40 hommes on 8 chevaux” and I’ll be glad to see it as it will mean getting back to the lads – and Fritz – but the latter doesn’t bother much with me. It was a mistake that he hit me this time. On my last trip in, we could do anything we pleased – walk on open ground, mend wires in full view of the Hun – and he never bothered us. The section had only 1 casualty after I left (& they did 2 turns) and he didn’t get it up the line: They were in bivouac and a stray bit of an H.E. (High Exp sive) caught him in the forehead.

Charlies seems to be keeping up the MacD. Rep for winning in his sports. That was a good whack they gave Alexandria (or, as Dad would write, XK). Give my regards to Mr. Kerr.

Hope Brauce is keeping up his left arm exercise as diligently as he used to”! I’ve got two bad arms now but haven’t been lucky enough to have either of them serious. There are such things as blessings in disguise.

I think that I shall be to England on leave before Ewan jumps the ditch.

Yes Gun is OK once more. Has only two little marks in his arm where the sharp bullet went in and came out. See! He wasn’t such hard stuff – or rather as much of a tough – as I for I stopped my two lumps. I wish I could have had those pieces to keep as souvenirs.

Did I tell you that all my parcels wont be demolished by the lads! They’re welcome to them for if they enjoy them, I’m satisfied. Jim Robertson wrote me of 2 that they had already broken up and saw they were the usual kind. That’s high praise (but not too high).

Seems to me that Charlie is taking my place on Sunday nights – do you remember 2.3.4 years ago. But if he values that beautiful skin of his don’t let him go too far. Savez?

Ringing off now
Your loving brother

Mac

N.B. write in full the work Canada

132759
Cpl M.J.MacDonell
Signals
73rd RH of Canada
A.P.O. France