Norman – Mum: 13 Apr 1917

Military Camp
Featherston
April 13th 1917
Dear Mum,
There is next to no news yet as we have found out nothing since coming back to camp.  If anything Neil is a little more firmly fixed to his present job owing to the prospect of something a lettle better in the near future in the clerical line but there is no certainty about anything so far.  I had a bit of a struggle to get aboard that train but I landed it all right and had one of the rottenist trips I ever made on a train.  No passengers were to be taken aboard at Frankton, but Neil managed to get on although he had to do without a seat until we reached Taihape.  The carriages were terribly close and stuffy and I felt very sick and dizzy and had to spend a lot of time out on the platform the soot and grit being preferable to the bad air inside.  I could not get a wash in the train and when I arrived at the hutment some would be humourist passed some remark about Uncle Tom having come back to his cabin.  All day yesterday I felt as if things were all upside down but they seem to have got right side up again today and I am just about back to normal again to use camp language.  We have not got that cake yet and we are giving the Post Office a stir up occasionally to keep them from forgetting.  I can’t write any more tonight as the electric light has failed again and I have had to write this in semi darkness.

Good by just now
Norman

I will get Neil to write as soon as I can

The pastuy (?) went A1 although Neil didn’t get away with as much as I did.  Perhaps Frankton had something to do with it.

Post watch to Featherston please.