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1 May 1917

France
1st May 17

Dear Vernie
Yours c/o Mrs M of 24/3/17 to hand a couple of days ago. I can see & understand now, how I never heard from or saw you when you were over being married. A man ought to kick you, square dinkum. There were several ways in which you could have found out definitely where I was & one or two ways in which you couldn't and you used the latter ones. When you were in Ldn Hferry Rd could have told you where I was cos I kept enquiring of them for mail. Then again if you'd looked Mrs M up she could have told you. You must have been in love badly to address my letter to the 14th T. B. Whatever were you thinking of? I was very keenly disappointed in not seeing you cos I knew you were over as a mutual friend met you in London. I was hoping you were going to pay me a surprise visit but was disappointed again. However it's all over and cannot be helped, but don't do it again _ _ _. Are you aware that you wrote to me asking me to write to your one & only, & didn't give me her address? You are getting no better very fast _ _ _.

Well old chap accept my hearty congratulations, & may you & your wife's path throu life be down the avenue of happiness leading to the fullest happiness of the beyond.

You have won a bride of whom any man should be proud. A girl who is willing to risk losing her husband shortly after marriage, & then afterwards leave all her home folks & friends to journey with her husband to a strange land thousands of miles away, is a girl in a million, & you are indeed fortunate in having won her. So again congratulations old chap.

I wrote to Mary today and will post the same time as this & as I do not know your address I'll address this also to Trentagh unless in the meantime I receive a later letter from you.

Heard from Mrs M about you being in Blighty, but I knew you were wounded some time ago as I enquired of you from two officers in your mob. Hope your wound is progressing satisfactorily - it must be tho as you have been out to Mrs M. Now do not be an unmitigated ass & rush back here. You have had more than a fair whack & as you now have a wife, you should consider her & stay in Blighty. You can easily get a staff job. Kick out some of those officers who haven't been near the front & give your wife a sporting chance of having a husband in one piece when this job's over. We are hoping to have a good spell soon now, tho things have not been bad at all.

By the way I'm a cpl & not a Sgt. - the extras was only "acting" while on the staff in Eng. Very best of wishes and good luck to yourself and wife, sincerely Bert

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