Lydd. June 30, '16.

Dear Lindley. You are as ever a good correspondent. I have had 4 letters from you though none other from Pentrelew & only one [?]. Letters mean a good deal. Nice just now. I [presume?] I have to thank you for Land & Water & Punch - both most acceptable.

If military life means all kinds of discomfort we are getting it now - it only remains to be under fire but that is a good big remainder. The ground here even more than at Otterpool throbs continuously with the great bombardment.

The howitzers fired here about 2 miles off on the practice grounds & which are I suppose 6 in weapons make less actuall [sic] concussion though more noise than the big guns at the front. This is a better camp than Otterpool because it is not on clay. There is shingle under about 2 in of mud but it is astonishing how much mess 2 in of mud can make when it rains every day & it is continuously churned up. There are 12 of us here looking after the greater part of the [fn ?] known as the first draft. Our hours are strenuous - we get up at from 1:30 am to 2:30 am