Thursday 13^th July 1916.

My Dear Ethel,

            Thanks very much for your last Sunday’s letter – about Wednesday in every week I begin to look forward to receiving one from Harry and yourself and it is very nice of you not to disappoint me.

            I am sorry to hear you are having such wet weather in Dublin, but don’t think you can justly blame our guns as being the cause, as here, where they certainly make themselves heard we are getting quite good weather.  In any case I hope they are doing something more than merely upsetting the weather.

            I didn’t say what I wanted most as I did not want to trouble you at all to send me parcels, but as one is I suppose now on the way, I will admit that I shall be delighted to get it.  We get splendid food considering the position and circumstances but there are times when something from home is just the thing, as of course our diet does not vary much.  I think also that I enjoy the excitement of a parcel almost as well as the contents – it is just like being back at school.  We are not badly off for butter as we occasionally have tinned butter served out which is splendid stuff, also tinned jam and marmalade.  I am sure however that your parcel will meet the case & from this day henceforth I shall worry the life out of the postman until I receive it.  I have just warned him to this effect.

            It is a great pity you are kept in suspense for such a time as to your destination.  I suppose one of these days Harry will get 24 hours notice, and that will mean a fearful rush.  You have all my prayers for a decent place.

            I am not certain but I believe that after we have been out here three months on duty leave is granted in batches to England or rather perhaps I should say leave is not granted until three months service here has been done.  There is a great difference, as some fellows have I understand been out ages without leave.  In these stirring times I expect all leave is stopped.

            If the officer in the R.G.A. you know is at the place you mention I expect he will be out here long before the date you name (Isn’t that paragraph the model of discretion, no names, places or dates).  It is one of the places that R.G.A. men go straight to the Front from.  I imagine he is bluffing his Mother as I tried to.

            I meant to warn Harry not to bustle you when you are writing me – dinner or no dinner – if the effect is to shorten your letters.  Fancy in bed till 11 o’clock on a Sunday morning, he can’t realise how much valuable time he is wasting.  It is an extraordinary thing but the best way to tell Sunday from a weekday here is by the amount of work.  The Sundays we have enjoyed (?) out here have been by far our hardest days – anything but a day of rest.

            Give my love to Ada and Susan and thank the former very much for the cake which is on the way – it is reassuring to know that this time it is not being made out of her head, altho’ I cannot remember any complaints.

            Yours with love

                        Bernard.

This letter was in the same envelope as Bernard’s letter to Harry of even date.