24. 10. 16.

(rec’ 27. 10. 16.)

My dear Father,

Many thanks for your letter enclosing a copy of Uncle Jo’s–also thanks for various books & letters from Mother & Cecily. I am glad the pram is about again & hope she will soon recover her normal composure.

A filthy day in which we have walked some 9 miles in the mud & I am at the moment in a kind of greenhouse, which has no stove & hardly keeps the rain out. This is our mess, but we are going into the line to-morrow,

where we shall at least have a rain-proof dug-out, & perhaps a stove which weve not got at present. A copy of Blighty has arrived,

quite good–but I don’t know whether

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we owe it to you. I am glad to hear G. is back in her shanty again. I have heard from her to-day. I told you I think that we had a tame C. O. attached from the 3rd Som L. I. it appears that he was out last Nov. also attached to someone else in the very bit of line we are going into. He is quite a good old thing but not above the average in competence. I shall probably have to report on him at the end of his month, as the C. O. is still

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away & when he comes back will probably go to the Brigade at once while the Brigadier is on leave. I fancy Sam Barrow knows v. little about the tanks. A gunner told me, who had seen them & the particulars of the armament you give are greatly exaggerated so far as I can gather. Clayton was offered one but refused it, as he is still suffering from gas after effects. They tell me the Bosch tries to stop them by throwing

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bombs at their driving bands, but it doesn’t sound very effective & I expect any weak points they have have now been spotted & will be rectified. I don’t fancy the Bosch’s winter on other parts of the line, if they start these things at him at unexpected points & positions. They should prove far worse than a gas attack.

Love to all

Jack.