Torquay
Sept 29th
Dear Mother,
September has just about flown and there is still no boat to take me home. Another N.Z. mail has arrived bringing me a letter from Roy dated Aug 15th and one from Geo MacPherson dated Aug 12th but yours have not yet come along. I am expecting them by the next delivery to morrow morning. The weather seems to be breaking now as we have had rain every day during the past week.
Our marquees are fairly good and just about rainproof so the only nuisance is being unable to go about the town as usual. I had a letter from Neil yesterday in which he stated that he had cabled for another £15. You will no doubt be surprised at his request but living here is far from cheap and you know how fond Neil is of having a good time regardless of expense. I am a little short myself financially and I will try and take some of the money he has cabled for if it arrives in time. We will share the expense of cabling of course. I have had to borrow a £1 from a schoolteacher friend of mine owing to the loss of my pay book making it impossible for me to draw any pay until a new one had arrived from London. I will not be able to draw the money which accumulated after the loss of my book until my discharge. My friend – a Mr Jones from Bayfield – will be going back on the same boat so I will be able to settle up when I arrive home. If anything happens to separate us I may give him a note for you to pay him so don’t be surprised if you get one although it is fairly unlikely. I don’t suppose that I shall be receiving many more letters from you owing to the fact that I reported being being boarded three months ago.
I dont mind as I hope to be on the homeward way within a week or two. The war news has been so very good lately that I am hoping that there will be no necessity for me to come back again once I arrive home, but we have had so many disappointments that way that it seems rash to predict anything really good. I hope for Neil’s sake as well as for my own for an early end for it will be a lonely wait for him with the rest of us home.
It seems as though his chances of being sent to France now are absolutely nil so he will be safe although a fair way from home.
There is no news. Camp life is still the same monotonous routine day after day with nothing more exciting than the occasional arrival of someone we know from hospital or from France. It appears from Roy’s letter that he is keen as ever. You have some sense if he hasn’t.
Cheerio and Au Revoir
Norman