We are billeted in a large barn and have plenty of straw but it is very cold at nights so letter writing is rather difficult. Our present occupation is reinforcing reserve trenches, barbed-wire entanglements etc. about a mile behind the firing line. There were two or three wounded by shrapnel out of another squadron the other day but it was more by luck than good shooting on Fritz’ part. We were about three hundred yard [sic] away at the time.

I wrote you a letter just after we came out of the trenches did you receive it? – I have just been consulting my diary and see that I have made no note of sending you a letter after coming out which was on the ninth I believe, as you must know, all our letters are censored so if anything is scratched out blame the censor. That last sentence makes him responsible for mistakes also.

Did you receive a small photo of some of us. I sent you one from Shorncliff [sic]. It was my intention to tell you about our little trek to the trenches but I will have to give you a few extracts from my diary. This letter to you will look terribly disconnected but that is so I can put more into it. You may or may not understand that last but I think you will. The first trenches we went in only sixty of us went and I was one of the sixty. I will just write it as I have it in my [book] [On] October 1st marched off at 2 p.m. and made for Gen --- Headquarters. (Here I met an old Collegiate boy from Kelowna who as in the same dormitory their [sic] with me. His name is Cameron) Left Hdq at 3:30 and made for
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MS-1901, File 15: Shires to Russell 24/10/1915 p.2