Dear Mother and Evelyn,

Just a few lines to let you know I am out of the hospital and back to soldier life with a vengeance. I am in with an awful bunch now as they are only a bunch of rookies and everyone is boss. So you can imagine what kind of an outfit it is. We are in tents and I am sleeping on the wet ground with only three blankets. They sure intend to toughen me up.

I lost all my kit and clothing when the battalion moved away and am broke flat as we have no paymaster yet, only a travelling one and he will be along sometime this week. The only clothes I have are the ones I got on. I stand a pretty poor show of getting any unless I buy them as they have no stores here as yet. I don’t belong to the army any more but to Sam Hughes’ tourists. The camp is all full up again but with eastern troops so the boys will probably be home again this winter or at least in God’s country, Canada.

I got a letter from Jim last night. He is somewhere in France and feeling fine. Although he had not been up to the trenches as yet but expected to be going up any time as most of the boys have been in.

I was up before one board of doctors and was turned down and go up before the final board some time this week. I expect it will either be Germany or Canada for me but I would rather go on than back. But they are pretty strict with the boys over here now. A lot of them have had to be sent back from France and you have to be perfect to get through here now.

Your loving son,

Cliff