13.12.17

My dear brother

My Christmas parcels are arriving + fortunately too while we are in the trenches for that is when they do the most good. An excellent cake came from you today and yesterday a Pentrelew parcel - woollen scarf from Leffie, a pair of badly needed insoles + some very fine figs + other things from Mother + I don't know what else from Susy - raisins, peppermints and a host of good things. It certainly pays to pack well as these were packed for parcels get an awful knocking about.

After being told to put up my third star + fortunately not having done so, a despatch comes along from Division holding up my promotion on one of the blessed technicalities which always hold up these things. However this nothing to what happens in the British service