Corporal G Bult, 1st 5th Bedfordshire Regiment

I am in good health at present, we have had some very hot times. The first Sunday we landed we had a big charge and gained a lot of ground, and got a very proud name which I hope we will keep. I am very sorry Col Butler has finished with us. We have lost a lot of officers and men. We keep gaining ground every night. It is very hot in the day and cold at night. I often think there are some more young fellows in St Neots who could come and do their bit over here. We were on the water just over a fortnight. We stopped at Malta and Alexandria. I was bad the first two days, but soon got used to the water, just the same as we get used to the bullets and the shells flying about. A few of our fellows got wounded but I don’t think there were many killed. I am in the trenches 24 hrs and out for the same time. We only get a quart of water to last us all day, so we don’t get much to do our cooking with. We get no bread at all out here, it is all biscuits, but we shall have to make up for that when we get to England. I have not seen a house since I landed, it is all rocks and hills. I have not had a wash for nine or ten days, so you can guess how I feel. I hope you have got plenty of work on the go. I shall know how to rough it when I get back to England, as I hope I shall. The worst thing in the day time is the flies, you cannot rest for them. Some kind person has sent us some nets to put right over our faces which we find very useful. There are lots of aeroplanes flying about. We cannot get hold of cigarettes, and the only pleasure we get is smoking.