France
6-5-18
Dear May,
Received a bundle of letters during the week including your No 46. Am glad to hear that the parcels & p.c’s arrived safely. We are having extraordinary luck with them. Thanks for the pts off the Egyptian photos – it seems ages since we were there. You seem to manage the gaslight paper alright now. Have you tried the green toning again? I never used the stuff so can give you no advice, but if you followed the instructions you should get something like decent results. I don’t think it should require red light. I don’t think Prain will be able to enlighten you much on that, or any other subject. The p.c’s & book of views (including Gore) that you sent Elsie arrived alright. I have not been able to get leave yet as all leave is suspended but as soon as it starts again I am going to try my luck. Dick Wade arrived here this morning & is looking a trifle worn out. Chil Hurley is also here but expects to go forward shortly. Mark was to go out active but they had a case of measles in their tent so now they
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are doing a few weeks in the isolation camp. Norman Marshall is here too, he has turned out a bit of a character. I suppose you know as much about the war as we do. Old Fritz has knocked our line a bit bandy in places & strange to say it is in the sectors I know best. I know every road & village in the Armentieres area & you have views of most of the towns that he has captured. That big vinery at bailleau was specially mentioned in the cables as having been sent “west” by a Fritz shell. Of course we had scores of French friends around there for that was our “back area” for ever so long. How they got on we’ll never know. They’d have to “allez-toute-suite” & leave pretty well everything. I never quite realised before what a retreat meant for civilians. Down the Somme he has come right over the ground we know best. You know that photo of a long row of N.Zers waiting at a rather diminutive canteen, well that was close to Dernancourt & not far from Albert. When we were camped there in 1916 we used to go for a swim in the Anere at D’court. I believe that leaning figure on the Church at Albert has been knocked down by a shell, I don’t know if it was ours or theirs. Haven’t heard much new of the Division lately but believe they are doing good work. I intended cabling to say I was well but they are not taking cables now owing to the length of time it takes to get them through. They say it is as quick to write. In case my last letter went astray, the duff etc, & the other tin of shortbread arrived safely a short time ago.
Love to All
Len.
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Posted 3 separate pcls containing books of views, a few days ago. Give my Regards to the Bagries & any other of my old friends.
