April 10 1919

Dear Mother,–

I am very sorry that I have not written oftener. I got my fourteen days Blighty leave alright which I stretched into twenty-five days. I spent about a week and a half in London and the rest of the time in Glasgow and Edinburgh. My chum and I with a couple of girls we were introduced to paid a visit to Loch Lomond and went out for a boat ride. It was not much to look at but no doubt in the summer when the leaves come out and more boats going about it will look better. I also graced the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the Zoological Gardens with my presence and found them well worth seeing. Madame Tussaud’s wax-works also came in for a share of my attention and they were wonderful, to say the least. My time in London was not all spent in seeing the places of interest. I took in a bunch of shows; “Going Up,” “Purse Strings,” [“As You Were?”] and some [?] cost quite a bit but they were worth it. I didn’t like going back but had to as my money had run out and the day after I arrived I was up before the company O.C. who remanded me to go before the Colonel and he in turn gave me seven days “durance vile” and eleven days pay forfeited or Royal Warrant as the army calls it. I just came out to-day and am back with the platoon. We moved from Belgium a couple of days ago and are now in Havre, France and in two or three days more hope to be in England and then in a week or so more will most likely have our eight days embarkation leave. At this rate we hope to be home sometime towards the end of May. There were four letters waiting for me when I got back and needless to say yours with the two dollar bill was doubly welcome as I was flat broke. The parcels I did not get. They must have arrived in my absence and been devoured by the platoon worse luck. During my internment in the “clink” I was unable to write because the canteens had no writing paper and my fellow prisoners had none to lend me. Well supper is up and they are chasing me out of the writing room so au revoir. Will tell you more in the next letter. Pardon the writing.

From your loving son,
Charley