From: Witley Camp, Surrey
26 Dec. 1916

Dear Mother:

I received another letter from you on Dec. 21, written on Dec. 5. There is not much news to tell. I received a very short letter from John Rose on the same day I received yours. He had been in hospital for two weeks with trench fever, but was about all right again. He says Joe Greig is now a sergeant - probably he replaces the one that was killed awhile ago. There was a fellow from the 46th Battery in the hut the other day, a fellow from Vancouver, Macfarlane, who had had his leg broken by a kick from a horse and was convalescing in England.

On the 22nd, I received an Xmas card from Prin. Gordon which I will send home in another letter as I have no place to keep it here. I was going to enclose it in this but noticed the envelope I was intending to use is not quite wide enough. Yesterday, Xmas morning I received a registered letter containing the £8 draft from Bank of Commerce. First chance I get, I will deposit it in P.O. Bank and try to have it in your name too. I don't know whether I will get any leave at New Years or later or not.

I understand that on Jan. 7, the battery (whether all or not, I do not know) will go to Lark Hill on Salisbury Plain about 40 or 50 mls. from here for a couple of weeks to do some firing.

Yesterday, there were no parades except for stables. We had a special Christmas dinner and many of the huts were all decorated up. The dinner was mostly provided from the battery fund but some subsections (There is a subsection in a hut you know, four to each battery and each eats in its own hut.) collected a little money from each for extras. We had a great dinner at about half past four, just after evening stables - more than we could eat. There were three good sized geese for the 27 or 28 men - stuffed with dressing and apple sauce to go with it. Then we had corn, mashed potatoes, apple pie, coffee, plum pudding and sauce besides biscuits, nuts etc. so you see we fared pretty well.

My cold has sort of gone to my head and I cough quite a bit and am rather stuffed up, but still not very bad. The other day, the sergeants of the Brigade were quarantined in their hut for measles and will have to stay there some time. Our sergeant major and quartermaster sergeant are still around as they stay in a different hut. The next day, a subsection of our battery, that is one of our four huts, was quarantined too for measles. There are quite a few huts around here quarantined for that, any many have bad colds.

I told you in my last about receiving parcel from Guild and writing to Cassie, did I not? That censored letter you received, was all there I guess.

Love to all,
Gordon