Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand of the 27th the letter I have been waiting for. It did not take long to come and yet I have not received one since the 24th: perhaps there are some more on the road delayed by the Christmas traffic. I am sorry you did not receive a letter from me Xmas day or eve but I didn’t have one either but I hope you are not still cross. By the tone of your letter I should think that you didn’t like the Xmas card I sent you; perhaps it was too plain but it really took my eye. There were others but too gaudy and the officers helped us by paying two thirds the C.P. I hope I did not spoil your Xmas for you don’t seem to have had at all a good time. Where is “Norbury”? is it north east of London or am I wrong. I presume you enjoyed yourself as you leave it for me to guess. I wish I had been with you: for some reason or other it has reminded me of the rambles we used to go on. I hope to be able to join you on the same, this year and then (?) Oh exstacy. You say that you “slept out”: you don’t mean that you hadn’t a roof over you do you? for that is what I would have said if our resting place had been a shell hole or sunken road. But the war is over now and we want to forget it, if such a thing is possible. We still hear explosions I suppose they are mines going up etc so you see what the German is. Did you see “Uncle Sam” and did he have striped trousers. I remember you going to that lady’s place at Leicester Sq last year but I don’t remember what she was: a dressmaker?

Please get leave to tell me what the “Surprise” is; I can’t forget it and am afraid it is going to be a disappointment. Of course I didn’t know G.T. was a flirt: all the fillies you might have seen him with may have been his cousins etc: I really thought he was such a shy boy. I don’t think I blamed the girl did I? At any rate I should not have done as I know nothing of the case. I don’t think he had much chance of walking with girls or at least not English or French for the last six months but of course I stick up for my own sex. I don’t think you would go out with a different boy every night (even if you had the same cause to) because I know you different; now would you. Well Emmie I am quite myself tonight in fact a bit more, and I would like to know if this letter pleases you in the least; now don’t forget to tell me. I am glad to hear that H.Day has got his discharge. I have written both to him and his home but haven’t heard for a long time from them so I am writing na plue (excuse spelling). Do you ever see Mr Day in Kings X now? I think we are having electric light fitted up in this house: we have some old German wire and that is all so far, we only want the fittings and current: perhaps you will send one of the latter out by wireless.

We still do manoeuvres of a night even now but is generally “scrounging” wood for a fire. There are not many hedges in this country but we found a door one night and a prop holding a clothes line last night. The clothes line was used today but not the prop. Or rather the prop was used in a diff. way and had become much shorter. I think I will start slowing down now I have answered your question or request and I hope to your pleasure. I will ask you to write me a nice letter next time if it only a short one*. You don’t know what a difference it makes after hearing from you. There are a few things I want to tell you and perhaps you have heard them all from me before but I can’t put them here because I havn’t all the dictionary at my disposal but I will tell you one day in a few words (in the near future I hope) when we are placed as we were in pre-war days.

Well I must close this time as I am on guard and have been from my post three hours and once again I wish you all a happy new year from your Khaki boy in Belgium (I was just going to say France) and

With Fondest Love

From Yours Ever Will xxxxx

P.S. *Of course all your letters are nice. (Observe Star*)