November 24th, 1918
France
To My dear Mother,
Well here I am again, Gee what’s the matter with you all, I have had no word for ever so long, it is at least over three weeks. I hope the influenza has not got out there too. I don’t know if I ever told you or not, but last fall I had a terrible dose of that influenza. My temperature was 104 for three days. Gee but I was a sick boy for a while. The doctor wanted to send me to hospital, but no hospital for this chicken. I saw enough of hospitals to do me the rest of my life.
This looks like being a very dull Christmas for me. You see Mother we are away up in the devastated country, not a civilian or a house for miles and miles. Of course, there are a lot of what were at one time houses, but they are blown flat with shell fire. Well, it’s a good thing its all over anyway. Just imagine Mother I'm going on my fifth year at this soldier business. Gee that’s a long time when you figure it up and by all accounts, I have got to wait some considerable time yet before I am out of it. I wonder what it will feel like to have a collar and tie on again. When we moved to this camp all the carpenters were awfully busy putting up quarters for the men to eat and sleep in and of course it was up to the rest of us to build our own huts, well you know how much I know about building anything. Anyway, I got four German prisoners and dug in. The darn prisoners didn’t know any more than I did and worst of all they couldn’t talk English and you know I can't speak German so you can guess what I was up against. Anyway, I finished it but God help me when cold weather sets in because I am sure to freeze stiff in this place unless I build another shack over the top of it.
How is Dad and VV getting on? Has VV given up the idea of quitting school teaching. Poor kid, I am sorry she has taken up something she doesn’t care for, but I believe if she got a school in town somewhere that she would like it much better, it’s a certainty she won't get anything that’s easier and better for hours. Well, how did the crops come out this year? I believe they are going to let the farmers go home first. Lord it looks like as if I am going to be one of the last to go home, as well as being one of the first to get here. Well, there is one thing Mother, our family as small as it is, has done their bit, and that is a darn sight more than some of our relatives have. By Jove, they get me sore, when I think of them. It’s a mighty good job we are not all of the same breed.
I may get a few days in England soon, if I do I’ll send the kid something for Xmas, but if I have to stay here I wouldn’t be able to send her anything only a few shell holes and they are not packable.
Well, Mother, I have no news. There is no such thing here so I will close Remember me to Dad and VV and write soon. I’ll close now
With love
Chas
