"Comment allez-vous, je vais tres bien. Life is just very nice at present. Nothing much to do except exercising horses. I’ve been living very well. Grannies & Aunties cake arrived & moistly beautiful it was. I limit myself to a piece a day to make it hang out. You’ve no idea how we appreciate it out here and your parcel also arrived so I did well. The condensed milk was most acceptable, tobacco, towel & socks. The only thing you missed out was soap.

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My last got pinched so I bought some. The underclothes which they issue are very rough, send me a really decent pair of underpants & singlet, at the present time only have one of each, that’s all we are issued with. Expect we will be on the firing line any time now though there is no definite news yet."

Extract 2

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"Sleeping in an old shed, it’s not much but at this game you don’t expect a palace, it used to be a huge washing house of some sort. This town is very pretty in parts a canal runs right through it...

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At night with the girls dancing in the Estaminets & the musical boxes going & wine & beer at a 1d a glass, makes a very fair scene...

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Don’t worry over me if I am to be hit I’ll get hit sooner or later it’s no use worrying."