Letterhead: YMCA WITH THE NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCE WRITE HOME FIRST

16/6/1918 My Dear Mother Just a few lines to let you know I am keeping well & am still in England & will probably be here for another two months. The weather is just lovely here just now & I’m having a pretty good time. Am very pleased to say I received the parcel you sent from Bluff with the socks lollies helmet etc in first class condition by jove the helmet will be very handy I showed the helmet to some of the boys who have been to France & they say it is a capital idea & should be very handy so if I get to France I will make use of it as the steel

Page 2

helmets are fairly hard & don’t fit too well. I did not have time to look up any relations while on leave in London you well know what it would be like trying to find anyone here & as I’m not much of a hand at introducing myself to people I just didn’t look for any of them although I may have had a real good time with them I may be in London again yet & may take a fit & look some of them up you can just imagine what a rush it is on leave only have 5 days & try & see all a chap can so am on the go all the time & there is something to see in that small township London

Page 3

Hope you are keeping well had a newspaper from Fanny a week or so ago. It is so hard to realise that N.Z. is such a distance away & it takes such a long time for letters to travel & I’m afraid a lot of our mail goes to the bottom of the sea however we are fortunate to get any letters at all Well Mother I can’t find any news. Hope Vera & family are keeping well will conclude Wishing you all the best of health From Your Loving Son Lance

How is Charlie & family keeping. hope the island is doing him good.