Transcription

8^th Queens

B. E. F.

22. 7. 1916.

My dear Father,

I do not know if I have any letters to acknowledge as the post yesterday only brought official correspondence except a magazine from Odd, for which many thanks.  We are out of the line ^ ^trenches again & the men are getting a little rest without working parties, which will do them no harm.  I do not know that there is anything I can talk about as one is supposed not to say anything about military matters & when you come to think of it there is nothing else to talk about, even the state of the weather on our side of the trenches might be of immense importance to the Bosch, or again it might not.  I see they courtmartialled an officer the other day for using a code with marked letters.  He must have been rather a simple minded youth not to be able to defeat the censor. I have heard of people who have managed it, but perhaps they are more intelligent now.  I was rather surprised that they let through that thing I sent you the other day.  To-morrow being Sunday I am

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told though no one out here ever seems to know what day of the week it is, I suppose I must fix up a service.  Last week we had a Non Conformist who is far better than our C of E fellow, though the latter does his best. The former is a Cornishman from St. Austell & quite a good chap. he got mentioned in despatches last time & the others are consequently distinctly jealous Last week’s service was held round an emplacement they were digging for a big gun.  We cleared away luckily before the gun fired, as I was quite convinced that our abode which was under 100 yards away would collapse when they fired the engine but I hear that it has survived though I expect it rocked considerably.

Love to all

Jack.