2110-2-14-4

G.H.Q.

Sept: 22: 15

My dearest little Susie

I was very glad to get your letter last night & to hear that you were well. I had a wonderful day yesterday. We started in the chilly dawn & motored all 80 miles to the 3rd Army south of Arras. The front there is quite different from Flanders. It is a beautiful country of chalk downs like Dorset, and you can study the whole German position and walk about in full sight of the trenches. We got a sprinkling of shrapnel but nothing much. Albert [blue pencil] was being heavily shelled and we watched it perfectly from an adjacent hill. The huge gilt bronze Madonna on the spire of the Cathedral was hanging upside-down, looking as if it might fall at any moment. It made you dizzy to look at it. To my delight I found the 8th Royal Scots - who are now a finer battalion & much more cheerful than when I saw them last. Young of Walkerburn was out, but I found a man Douglas from Walkerburn & one

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effect, but that is still on the knees of the gods.

I am making plans to try to see Jim Carruthers, but he is jolly difficult to find, as he is not with his proper Division.

I shall get very muddy to-day so I have put on my big boots & leggings. I have simply no news, except that I am very well. I wrote my Foreign Office stuff yesterday & had two long walks & inspected some wonderful new trenches the French are digging.

I do hope you are all well at Peebles,

Much love

Your ever devoted

John