15th Company 3rd AIB Bat 15th Reg
Codford
Wilts
Dec 16th 1917
Dear Ben,
I received your letter dated Sep and was pleased to hear that everyone round your way is doing well. It is Xmas next week, and I suppose you are all looking forward to the holidays. By the time this reaches you I suppose they will have the second devision in camp. I see by the papers that Allen says the second devision will not be in England before next June, and that by that time he would know who was going to win the war. He told us three years ago who was going to win it, but he must have forgotten which it was. Everything is going on much the same here. I have not heard from Neil or Norman so far. They went to France about a fortnight ago. There was a heavy fall of snow this morning and the country looks nice and whit just now. A good many of us are going to London for nine days leave at Xmas. We leave here next Wed. I only came back from there ten days ago, but London is a place that we never get tired of. I am classified B1 at present and I may be in England for a good many weeks yet. I thought I would have been back in France a couple of months ago, but getting fit takes longer than I thought. Things are getting pretty short in England among the civilians, but there is always plenty for the army. There was a line of people over twelve hundred (the number was reported in the daily paper) waiting outside one diary coy. in London last week, waiting for milk. The young fry in the east end can’t get half of what the Drs say they should have, and at the same time a reporter proved he could get as much milk and cream as he liked to order in a west end hotel. All these facts are published in the daily paper and is causing a lot of bitter comment, both in and outside the army. Don’t think from this that we are going short. We are getting plenty and are always likely to. We get a lot of tickets for the theartres in London and in a good many other ways we are being looked after by people who can’t do too much for soldiers. Write again when you have time as a letter is always welcome.
Vic
Monday 17/12/17
Blizzard last night. Every pond frozen.
The sun wont melt the snow.
Leave granted from 19th to 28th