Dear Nan:

Hope you'll excuse the typewriter, but I find my thoughts flow more smoothly this way, than when I'm writing!

Thanks a lot Nan, for the socks, they're swell; I'm only going to use them with service dress, because I haven't any decent looking socks, and with battle- dress it doesn't make any difference if they're pink, or blue.

We had a very good Xmas a New Years. The mens dinner was very good on Xmas, and was served by the officers and serjeants in the traditional manner. After our own dinner we went over to see some nurses (Canadian) who are nearby and quite a party developed. The average nurse is no hell for looks, but they're good fun, and you don't have to translate half the conversation for their benefit, as you do for most English girls.

On New Year's Eve, I went to a very quiet party given by an English major and wife. They dont notice New Years much in this country, except for the Scotch, who celebrate it from about the 15th of December until they start tapering off around the 15th of January. Yesterday, the Serjeants came in for a few drinks in the morning, and of course that developed into a bit of a party. Tonight is our Mess dance, which should be fairly hectic, and after that we can get back to work.

My job at the moment is handling all the company training. I'm the unpopular bloke who says on a particularly wet day, that it's a swell day for a cross-country run, etc. Its pretty good fun, because my new company commander doesn't mind a ceartain amount of originallity(?). I laid on a scheme the other day that really shook them. There were bulletts flying around from every angle, to say nothing of assorted bangs and fire-works, but after it was all over, and the men had had time to stop shaking, they all said they hadn't had so much fun for a long time. My Battle School course helped a lot in planning that one.

The owner of this typewriter has just demanded it back, so I'll switch back to pen and ink. It doesn't spell very well anyway.

Well, I'll have to stop, because I've got some more letters to write, and a guard to inspect in about 30 minutes.

So cheerio and love Geoff