My dearest darlin’ Gel,
I ‘ope and trust this finds you and the children in good ‘ealth and ‘appy. We moved up into the line last night to relieve the 3rd XXXXShires and what a bleeding mess they left the place in. From getting here to stand to we were re-wiring to our front and cleaning up after the dirty buggers. They left it in a shocking state and no mistake. Big piles of sh*t everywhere as the windy buggers was too lazy or scared to sort the p*ss tubes and the latrines out, and just tipped their rubbish over the top of the parapet so what with everything else it stank to ‘igh ‘eaven and the rats were having an ‘igh old time, almost as bad as the bloody French but I shouldn’t moan as I am sat here now writin to you and that makes me ‘appy as little else can.
All is quiet and when the silly buggers stop shooting up Verys every two minutes it’s quite peacable and I like to think that I’m looking up at the same stars you are and in a way it makes me feel like we’re not so far apart after all. We are told we have a Saxon regiment over the way and you can have worse as neighbours. They don’t tend to raise ‘ell less you starts it. They do like to snipe you though so it pays to keep your’ ead well down. Lucky the Old Man knows better than to send over any toffee apples or such as we ‘ave a load of kids sent to us to replace the lads who went west after the last show and they need time to bed in. Kids is about right though, we lost three this afternoon, silly little buggers. Desperate to pop their ‘eads over the bags to have a dekko at the ‘un. They may well have seen old Fritz but damned if they can tell you or otherwise as they were sent to meet their maker in quick time. You’re old Daniel knows better though so don’t you worry.
You knows I can’t tell you where I am but I am happy to say I am in the pink. Tell Eliza her James is with me and is quite well an’ all, I think he’s shell happy as he keeps shouting out ‘Weeeeeeee’ every time he see’s an aeroplane, one of theirs or ours, silly sod. Prolly best not to tell her that though. I’d best go now as I need to do a foot inspection with Mr. XXXXXX our Leutenant, a nice man and a good officer but overly fond of ‘is bloody awful poety and, some say 2nd Leutenant Mr. XXXXX in B Company.
Please write right soon, also send some another one of your lovely scarves over to me. It’s nippin’ over here now and some bugger who didn’t appreciate your artistry with the knitting needles ‘as bled all over the last one you sent. I was in a rage to see it spoilt so and if that ‘un bomb hadn’t of done ‘im I might have!
Give Maxwell, Albert and little Annie their dads love but my best love is always is yours.
Your affectionate and lovin’ ‘usband, Daniel.