Dear Comrade

First of all.  Congratulations on the Surprysing victory of your party in the recent election.  We in the riding of Dufferin in Simcoe done our share in the return of Wallie Dawner a grand fellow.

Then secondly I happen to be the chap who sat in a shell hole with one of the Frost Brothers of the old 6th Brigade Cdn. Machine Gun of Pashendael Nov. 1918.  I happened to be one of a party going in along with a Lieut. Frost on his first trip.  After arriving at our destination which was nothing more than a shell hole, a private by the name of McClagan from Nova Scotia had been left in by the previous unit.  And well I can remember Lieut. Frost saying to McClagan you are experienced at this game, this is my first trip tonight, I am taking orders from you.  Well it started to rain about three the next morning and at daylight Fritzie went over the top of us five times with a creeping barrage.  We got orders to retire 300 yards but Frost said to McClagan do you think it wise.  McClagan said no if we get out someone is going to get hit and if we sit here he has to get a direct hit.  We were sitting in water up to our waist.  Frost passed the rum bottle around.  I lost track of him some time after moving to Vimy Ridge.  I was wounded at Canal du Nord Sept. 1918.  And after coming home to Warkworth Northumberland Cty. where I took up farming.  I noticed your names in the press.  I served 6 years in the Provost Corps during the last war and after returning to civil life I sold the farm and moved up here and have been employed by the Cooper Weeks Leather Yards Co.  Wm. Goodfellow represents my old riding and a swell chap he is.  The O.C. 6th C.M.G.C. was a Major Grantham of Hamilton.  Think we can turn Ottawa out next – an old S…ot [?]