Letter of June 16th, 1917 from Thomas Percival Elder to his sister in law Flossie Winnifred Elder of Ottawa Ontario. Transcription: Seaford June 16/17 Dear Flossie, I have just received your first letter sent to England and I surely was very glad to get it as it was the first since leaving France my mail has not yet caught up to me. I am still alive and kicking and dodging as many parades as possible till July when I shall sweat blood as the first two weeks are beyond all your imagination. We drill at 180 paces a minute. Just try it and see what it would be like and then add a hot uniform and a rifle. I shall need your sympathy to the fullest extent. I saw Murray a week ago. He is well, but does not seem to like military life any more than I do. The grub he[re] is not so bad - better than in France as regards cooking but hardly the same quantity quite enough for me however so I am not bickering in that respect anyway. Give Bert my best wishes for the success of his garden as he deserves it after his work. Will answer letter for letter. Yours lovingly, Percy P.S. Same address.