Lyndhurst, Clifton Gardens,
Folkestone.
Wed. Oct. 13th, 1915.

My dear Mother:

Just a line before I leave for the boat and the beginning of our Great Adventure. Much to our disgust and infinite boredom, they kept us waiting for a full week after warning us to hold in readiness. When once warned, of course, we had to stay in camp, unless the Colonel relented, which he did once or twice. Naturally hanging about and doing nothing but sleep and eat, one gets rather fidgety, especially as the library of an officers’ mess is of a rather limited nature. However, now that we are off and have something ahead we all feel keen as mustard. There are five of us going to the Third, but poor old John Knox Crawford is left behind to his intense indignation to instruct in musketry. However, he had an interview with the General yesterday and hopes to be with us soon.

I saw one of our men yesterday who is back wounded, and he told me that so far only one of the 35th bunch has gone West and about fifteen or twenty, I should judge, have been hit. This chap had a shrapnel wound in the abdomen but is getting on very well. I heard to-day that our old Q.M.Sergt. Leonard, a Varsity boy, with a fine record, has won a commission on the field. I hope it is true as he was a fine lad and very capable.

George and I and Jack Crawford had lunch in here together and I had a glimpse of old Jack Harman and his brother before we left Camp. Everyone wished us the best of luck.

Mr. Mackenzie has my box and will keep it for me. I have given him Dad’s address and cable address and he will wire or write if I have any messages to send home. It is very difficult to cable from France, I hear. This country is getting to be a jail. It is absolutely impossible to get in or out of Dover without a pass-port and one is liable to be held up anywhere at night and questioned.

Well Mother dear, I must go. God bless you all.
Yours lovingly,
Errol.