My dear Mother,

Many thanks for your last, also for Cecily’s 2 letters – to-day’s informing me of G’s arrival. I am so glad she has got home safely & hope that she is none the worse. I am afraid her journey must have been very trying. Perhaps she will summon up enough energy to write me a line one of these days. There must be one or two letters of mine chasing her across the High Seas. We are out of the trenches at the moment, for a little rest which is not unwelcome to the men, as the weather has been none too good for the last few days. The Bosch is quiet & done nothing out of the ordinary for a long time, though he persisted in dropping an occasional gas shell over

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the other day – all in the same place, with the result that the wind blew it over our way & we were all weeping like children for a long time afterwards. It would have been quite easy to put a gas helmet on, but no one seemed to think of it, so we bore it bravely. I am at the moment having a beautiful row with Gamages over a bill, which I am pretty certain was paid long ago, but as I haven’t the mess accounts, I can’t make certain. Anyhow they are threatening legal proceedings. Love to all

Jack.