France 31/8/16

Dear Mother,
We are now a good many miles behind the firing line having a spell after three months in the trenches.
Since coming out of the trenches a few days ago we have travelled a good two hundred miles by rail and road for the most part through land that we passed on our way into the trenches the first time. The place is now a picture. Despite the lack of men to work the land it all seems to be in crop and everywhere old men, women, and occasionally French soldiers are busy harvesting.
The fields and roads are all unfenced here and one can march for days along the roads without seeing a fence except in the villages which lie along the roads every mile or so. Even the smallest village has a big stone church and at most of the crossroads there is a crucifix or wayside shrine of some sort. The spires of these churches jut up above the trees which line the roads and surround the villages and so make excellent marks for artillery fire.
I do not know whether I told you before but I was made a lance corporal two months ago. Not very rapid progress for nearly two years in the army but I had to start again when I joined the machine gun.
We are training hard while out here. Today we were to have taken part in some field operations but rain stopped that so we did a ten mile march before midday and are now in our barn writing, sleeping, playing cards.
Well, I hope this finds you all in good health.
Love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei

Moasca Camp, Ismailia, 14 Feby 1916

Dear Mother,
I have been having a fairly easy time for the past week one of our chaps caught the mumps and the rest of the tent, six of us, have been in isolation for seven days. We have nothing to do in the way of parades and put in the day reading and writing.
Last time I was isolated was at Lemnos when about forty of us were put in isolation and inoculated against diphtheria. There doesn't seem to have been anything discovered as a preventative against mumps so that we have been spared an inoculation this time.
Under separate cover I am sending a scarf. It is suppposed to be Egyptian crochet work and of silk. I am a poor judge of such things and do not know if it is worth much. There is not much opportunity to buy anything here.
My address is now,
Machine Gun Section
Canty. Inf. Batn.
N.Z.E.F.
and letters so addressed will reach me quicker than those addressed 2nd Coy although they all get here ultimately.
Well I trust you are all in good health best regards to all your affectionate son,
Rawei