Dear Mother:

Sunday, March 11, 1917

We are going strong in West Sandling but get very little mail. The mail service across the Atlantic is more or less liable to accident. I wonder if there was any Canadian mail in the Laconia which was submarined. Be sure to register letters containing cheques.

I was down to Folkestone yesterday afternoon and went to the theatre to see "Potash and Permutter", a rather farcical Jewish play that was rather interesting. It was American in style and took a fellow back to Toronto as it were. I met Cavell’s brother down there and a sergeant who knew Everett Henry very well. Both Everett and Cavell are near Shorncliffe and I may get over to see them sometimes.

I feel too tired today and tomorrow I’m going to the ranges with a party to fire the general musketry course. I always forget to tell you that there are two of Jim Agar’s boys, Stanley and George, in this battalion. They came over with the 96th Highlanders of Saskatchewan. They are very nice fellows. George is the picture of Bob Agar at Belfast only he is fair complexioned, very.

I’ve been breaking in a pair of English military boots lately. We call "Kitcheners" and they are built on a substantial principles. They are great for mud, resembling submarines. The leather used in their construction is black and there is an alarmingly large amount of metal on the soles. To look at the footprints around the camp you would think there had been a stampede of Shetland ponies as the heel plate is in the shape of a horseshoe of miniature size and pattern.

I haven’t been feeding so heavily of late but yet my efforts at the table are fairly zealous. I’m waiting more or less patiently for the kilt, which I expect to get next week and issue forth as a braw Scotchman. I will get my picture taken in kilts as soon as possible. The weather during the past week has been cruel for kilts. I hear a Scotchman comparing the winds to a stepmother’s breath. We surely get the fresh strong winds from the North Sea and a couple of nights were as cold as any March day in Canada. March is marked in this country by severe winds and we surely get them here.

I’ve got quite a bit of mail from France lately but it’s a week since I heard from Carman. Reg Topp said that Carman was lucky to get that YMCA job and was looking well. That job won’t last long I’m afraid. The 75th were in a raid of some kind about a week ago in which their Colonel was killed. I hope our boys of the 75th escaped safely. I haven’t heard from Buchanan for some time. Carman said in one of his letters that Buchanan did not look well but his prevailing optimism kept him going. There will likely be some big stuff pulled off at the front as soon as the weather is favorable, and reinforcements have been going to France pretty freely of late. I don’t know who to ask about home. I seem to have less and less to write about as the time goes on. The novelty has worn off everything around here and passes are harder to get than sovereigns of gold. The restrictions are being put into force with regard to food and traffic and it looks like we will have to do something on the sea or in the field to relieve the pressure. Hope you are all well.

Love from Cannon.