Dear Dad,

I am out of my teens at last, twenty-one next birthday.

We got inoculated the day before the 30th and were laid up. Last time my tonsils were taken out. We are attached to the 6th Batt, 2nd Brigade – but get shifted to the 9th Batt, 3rd Brigade tomorrow or today in the re-shifting of the camp. Sam Hughes was round yesterday looking at the camp and changing the organization generally. Signalers are in demand, strange to say, sixteen to a Battalion, (and four to each company). They are for semaphore only and are picked up from the men of the company. We are just about up to strength in our battalion.

The boots here are good, but yet we still have not been issued them. We have no uniforms either. They are issuing plain khaki with no shoulder straps, and puttees, tan boots, and forage caps. I will send back the old suit I have now, and some things I don’t need. I hope you will send on the old grey sweater coat for sure, as it is invaluable. I seem to have come off pretty well as to equipment having grease and a can and a big knife, besides having silk flags, all of which are in demand. About the supplies, I think this, with the boots will see me through as Grimnel boots are ex…

The put up good food here and plenty of it. It is rough but filling. We have no orders about leaving for England or anywhere else, and may not go for a month. They supply a pair of glasses to every three men on service, so I hope we will not have to supply any. We have no equipment yet of any sort. Four silk flags to 13 signalers, no helios or lamps. I hope the photos I sent to Eaton’s came to you alright. I sent two rolls. One or two of them were sure misses –owing to over exposure and shaking. I wanted to take the bathing parade but I daren’t send it home so I didn’t.

Your loving Hugh