we do the work of building up trenches that have been destroyed by Fritz, dig new ones of required or any kind of construction work along the front __ its rotten work re- constructing some of those old trenches on account of having to dig through the dead bodies that are in there. We were out at St Eloi, Jack Westoner and I were working together filling sand bags to build up the parapet, and got into a regular nest of `Tommys` and Germans all mixed together it was `blood orrible`, we sure had a stinking job trying to fill the bags with carrion - bricks and mud. We thought that Flanders was pretty warm, but on the Somme it was worse than particular Hell Shells of all description coming over day and night and you never know where yourè going to get them. and the only consolation you have is knowing that Fritz is getting about 15 of ours to one of his. Murphy was hit in the back and died of wounds. Norman Murray was blown to pieces. Jensen from Quesnel had his whole front blown away and Daly, Yorky, and Jackson wounded all from Quesnel. Belly Fletcher I hear