Letterhead: N.Z. Y.M.C.A. with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Write Home first.

Sling Camp England Salisbury Plain

7 Sep 1918

Dear Uncle…..(love to Auntie) Just a few lines to let you know that I have landed safely. We had a great trip over. Our boat ran ashore at Port Royal (near Kingston, Jamaica) and we were taken ashore in life boats, we were there for three weeks before we got another boat, our boat was on the rocks for five days, when it got off it sailed into port and they were working at her for a fortnight when we left, they were samenting her up so as she could sail to New Castle to get overhalled. She got an awful knocking about. There was one very rough night when she was aground and the crew were very frightened that it was the last of her, they were standing

too nearly all night with there life belts on. After we left there we went to New York where we stayed eight days. When we pulled in the first time we were only ashore for a day before we pulled out again but we missed the …. so we had to go back to port. We stayed seven days that time. We had an awful time of it coming from Port Royal to New York. The boat we came over in wasn’t built for troops, there were no conveniences at all. But she was all right from New York to here. They done here up while she was there. They put in mess tables and hooks for hanging the hammocks. Before that we were sleeping on the floor and having our meals on the floor. We landed at Liverpool here and came down in the train. The people are very busy harvesting now. We were about ten hours in the train coming here and all we had to eat was two loaves of bread and a piece of cheese between of us. We has tea at twenty past twelve at night. I remain your loving nephew J A Reid