From: Witley Camp, Godalming
Fri., 29 Dec. 1916
To Gladys in Ottawa, Ont.

Dear Sister -

I can't say I am answering a letter of yours this time as I have received none from you since the one I answered on Dec. 10. But, as it is nearly three weeks since I wrote, I thought I had better write again else you might think I had forgotten you. Have you received all the letters I have written? Since you wrote last, you should have received letters I wrote on Nov. 7, Nov. 11, Nov. 26, Christmas card on Nov. 27, and a letter on Dec. 10. The letter I wrote on Dec. 10, I sent home thinking you would get it during your Xmas holidays. I also wrote a letter to Miss Rotha Adams on that day, answering the note she enclosed in your letter.

On your birthday, I received a very nice letter from Harley. He is working pretty hard now in some Battalion Orderly Office. He said he had received a letter from you. I also got a post card that day from Nina Tennant. I had sent her a postcard on Nov. 26, just for fun and she was answering it. Promised to write me a letter later.

Did mother get those four books I sent home alright? If so, have you read much in the two I sent you and how do you like them? You may be sure I wished I could have been home too for the Xmas holidays. How does Cecil look now - does Collegiate seem to agree with him? Did Clarence Knowlton get back to Athens in time for Christmas? You know Cousin Grace expected him home before then. I'll bet they had a good Xmas tree at the church. Were you able to be there?

In about a week, I think part of the battery will go to Lark Hill on Salisbury Plain about 60 mls from here to do some firing. I don't know whether I will be going or not. They will probably stay here for about a week or ten days. After that, we will likely soon be leaving for France, about last of January, I expect. In France, there will probably be about another month's drilling before we are actually at the Front.

On Xmas Day here we just had stable parades so had nearly the whole day to ourselves. We had a dandy Xmas dinner at about 4:30 p.m. Roast goose with dressing and apple sauce, mashed potatoes and corn, apple pie, plum pudding with sauce, followed by coffee, cakes and nuts - a pretty good dinner was it not?

The weather keeps damp, foggy and rainy with frost at nights. Many have colds. Two or three in other brigades have died of Pneumonia. Many huts are quarantined with measles, but yours truly keeps pretty well.
All kinds of love
from Gordon