Orderly Room

11^th

(July 15)

Rev^d T.W. Walters

Rev^d Sir,

            Thank you very much indeed for your nice letter of the 6^th received about 3 o’clock today.

            Yes I think I have seen enough out her to fill a little book, but I am afraid it would be a very queer one.

            I have now passed my first test of trench life, of course I was not in the Fire Line, altho I spent some time in it during the early hours of two mornings.  The Sergt Major and myself had a little dug-out just behind, in which we did our office work, and also slept.

We had a very warm time and I was not sorry to get out.  The last morning in, a shell fell a very few yards from me, happily in a bog and so buried itself much more than if it had dropped on hard ground, but I was nicely covered with mud.

They are awful things, and we had a good number burst all round us.

I must thank you very much for your prayers, they are very helpful and also encouraging, constantly my thought are with you at the Sunday Services and week night meetings, and I can picture everyone, and also when I hear of the different members joining the Country’s call, I can see the empty spaces.

How I long to be at Sunday Service again.  It is very awkward for me to get to our service and there again it is not advisable to hold a large service and so they are held in small groups.

I heard from Lt. A.T. Sharpe and also my father what a nice Memorial Service you had the other week.

I read all Sidney Burton’s letters in the paper, I had met him once at Whitwick.

I think it would be nice to have a Tablet in church for Ernest Tugby, and I should like to suggest that should any more members have the misfortune to be killed, that they have one also.

I heard from home that you have had two very good thunderstorms.

You must be mistaken in the member of the choir you saw at Hugglescote Church.  I have no brother, only one sister.

We have many varieties of weather, some days hot, others cold and showers, but it is always very cold at night.

I get very little rest, there is such a large amount of work – always to be done.

I am afraid this lot will be a very long time before it ends by the look of things out here.

Must now close because I have several letters etc waiting to be attended to.

Kindly remember me to all our members and accept my very best wishes for yourself and family

Yrs obediently

Albert Will.

In a green envelope addressed to Rev^d T.W. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester, Angleterre

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 138 11 JY 15.

There is no censor mark on this letter.