15 May 1919

Marcinelle
Charleroi
15/5/19

Dear Love

There’s very little in the way of news nowadays. Just had another letter from P. also one from D. a couple of days back. They expect to get married about the fifth of June and both want me to hurry up and get across for the event but I’m afraid that’s out of the question. Our draft on the 19th is only 60 & 1 officer. Our next draft, the final one, is put off until the 31st so I will probably only land in England on the fifth. We had a sort of a final review at Chatelet yesterday. It went off well and all the boys tried their best to make it a success. There were about 5 or 6 thousand civilians out on the ground as well as the Mayor & Corporation of Charleroi who stood hatless in the sun for half and hour about while General Hobbs addressed the parade. I spent two days this week on Courts Martial & expect to put in the whole of next week. Some of the cases are rather serious and difficult, especially in the matter of collecting witnesses and we will probably have to travel about collecting evidence in various places so we’re booked for a fine old picnic.

The weather has been quite good lately and the country is now looking its best with all the trees etc. covered with their first fresh leaves and the fields showing a nice sprinkling of flowers. The old battlefields, now, will be a wild mass of flowers and the various details will be unrecognizable. I have been thinking of taking a run down to Bullecourt but it would require 5 or 6 days and I can’t get that many clear of duties but I may manage it while I am down next week at Amiens if we go down there next week. I am not sure of having the time, even so because its very hard getting about in the ruined regions where there are no means of conveyance away from the main railway lines and I never know when i’ll be suddenly called on to sit on a court. 

The weather has been keeping very fine these last few days and the whole country is looking splendid reminding me of our own spring and consequently making me homesick. However it won’t be many more months before I get back and then I think I will grow roots and stay in one the one best place in the world. With all my love Viv.

 

 

 

 

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