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Somewhere in France
July 2nd
[1917]
Dear Norman
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still well
& in the best of spirits. The last letter I received from you was
written on April 4th & I have [not] received any since.
We are having lovely fine weather now & I am
expecting my leave in a week or so, that is providing that Fritz doesn't
start kicking up his heels again, because if he does we will be needed
to reprimand him.
We had our battalion sports today not far from the
line. There was a mule hurdle race for us transport section. We had to
ride without saddle or spurs & only use a whip. There was only nine
of us started for the post & one fellows mule took fright &
bolted with him & we never saw him for more than an hour after. So
that left eight of us to start. The distance was about a mile with
twelve jumps made of sand-bags of dirt. My mate went out in front on a
big grey mule & then easy I was riding in second place a long way
behind him and about four hundred yards in front of the other six when
my old mule (called by me Lilly) fell at the second to last jump. I
never got hurt & I believe it caused more fun than anything else. I
might mention I can now ride the wildest mule or horse in the section
now.
I might as well tell you a bit about my mule Lily. I
had a dear old mule called Paddy & I could do anything with him, he
would follow about whenever I let him loose, but alas when we came south
poor old Paddy was tied to the bomb limber one night when Fritz lobbed a
shell or two around our horse lines & we were ordered to get our
animals out to safety but before I could get to Paddy I heard another
shell coming & I just had time to duck my head. It went right
through Paddys side & burst in the bombs, causing an awful explosion
and lucky for me I never got a scratch. The next thing to do was bury
poor old Paddy & twenty-two other mules and horses.
A few days later we received new mules and horses from
our remount & I was given a fat little mule who someone called Lily.
She is quieter than Paddy & does not mind shell-fire. I can clean
her and do anything to her even to crawl underneath her and between her
hind legs & that is saying a lot for a mule. The only thing that is
wrong with her is that she has got chats & is always biting at them.
Well I must close now or Fritz will have me as he is now bombing &
all lights are to be out. With love to yourself & all at home.
Norman
Your loving brother
Frank |