4.4.18

My dear brother

Many thanks for your letter of 17 July. I have a letter too from Fowkes written while still confined to the house. May all that be only a memory + a warning to him now. Things are going on very well here and everyone is in great spirits. The men are in good physique and of excellent morale. The British Divisions have shown us what can be done when the artillery support is nothing like so strong as it is here. Bridgman + I tried to run into a 5.9 yesterday but it didn't want us - only worth mentioning now when these experiences are so rare. On the Somme is occurred so frequently that for this reason one could not get anyone to listen to an account of hairsbreadth escapes. We call take off our hat to the Guards - they do

Frank L is safely home + quite a lion.