January 1916

My darling Wife.

This is just a line to let you know my change of address as I am now attached to the Trench Mortar Battery, I only came in here yesterday, so that I cant tell you very much about it, except that so far I like it very much, the work is much more interesting & exciting than infantry work & we have the satisfaction of knowing that we have done some damage when we throw our big bombs over, The bombs from our mortars do frightful damage to the enemys trench, just as much if not more than the artillery, & we have the advantage that we can shell the enemy when our artillery cant get at them, at present we are only about 40 yards apart & we can drop our bombs right in their trench, we always beat it back after we have fired a few rounds as they nearly always retaliate with Rifle Grenades, another form of bomb, but not nearly so accurate as ours, my address will now be

77681 L/Sgt J McNeill.

35th Trench Mortar Battery.

1st Canadian Division

France

My pass was drawn for the day I left the Battalion & is due next week, but I am afraid that this change will put it back again for some time, I hope not, but it cant be helped if it does, I also lose out on the rest, The Trench Mortars will not go back when the battalion goes out, we have to stay where we are, but I dont mind that so much as I can see that I am going to have a much better & easier time now than I have had since I came to this country, we can do all our work for the day in an hour, the rest of the time we have to ourselves & as we dont work at night we are always sure of our sleep, which is a great consideration, & most important of all, I have a chance to get clean again as we dont mix with the troops at all & we can get as many baths as we like.

I have not had a letter from you now for a long time, the mail must be getting held up somewhere & there will probably be a big lot come in one of these days, perhaps to night, fortunately I am able to send over to the Battalion for mine as they are only about half a mile from here, but after this five days they will have to re-address my letters & it will take about a week longer for me to get them, I havent got those parcels either, but I guess they will be coming along some of these days.

Now dear sweetheart I am going to close as I have got no news that I can write, dont be uneasy about me as I am all right & much more comfortable than I have ever been since I came to France & I think I am going to like my new job fine, I will get a whole week out of the trenches at a time, so that in future I will have lots of time to myself to write to you & I promise you my next letter will be much longer than this one, but it is hard sometimes to know what to say when there is no news floating round, It is getting late now & I will soon have to go to bed, the rest of the boys are in bed now, & I am getting kind of sleepy. So good night, dear Heart, & God Bless You, is my prayer, kiss George & Eileen for me, dear, & give them both a great big love from their old daddy & with all my love to you & lots of kisses I remain as ever,

Your own loving husband

Jack

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