France, Aug. 8th, 1917
Dear Old Lily,

I'm afraid I have only myself to blame for the fact that I haven't had a letter from you for ages and ages ~ perhaps you have even forgotten me ~ have you? You won't be cruel enough to say so even if you had ~ I know.
But we have been pretty much on the go over here lately and somehow it seems much harder to write these days. Mother is always "strafing" me because I don't write home often enough.

We are in a much more unsettled sort of state than we were last year. Then we were in one part of the line and had regular towns in and out. Now we are on the move nearly all the time. By the way ~ perhaps you didn't know it but there really is [underlined] a war on over here!

But I say, Lily dear ~ I think that you might have been kind enough to write to me again. You know that I do love to get your letters ~ and your time isn't wasted that you spend on them ~ Besides, you know ~ if you help to keep the "troops" cheerful, you are helping to win the "wa-ar." But I shouldn't strafe you, should I? You have always been so good to me and I'll be lucky if you haven't quite forgotten me! Is it too much to hope that you are keeping a wee corner of your heart[illegible] for me? It would be something very precious and I should indeed be luckly....With ever so much love, Bassell.

Actual letter saved between the pages in one of Lydia (Mrs. Drew) Thompson's books.