Royal Flying Corps Auxiliary Hospital
26/12/16.

Dear Father and Mother and Jessie,

I can’t tell you, but I think you can perhaps imagine how welcome your gifts were and what a touch of home they brought to me. The travelling case for my toilet things and the "something new-in-housewife's" (as it was christened by one of the patients) were "both much needed additions to my "kit" The gauntlets too are simply fine. Of course, we are issued with all our flying kit but that doesn’t matter, for an extra pair of gauntlets is always a convenience. And thank you, Jessie, for the khaki silk handkerchief- you may be sure that after the cold that I have had it was needed. The gum and the candies did good service yesterday and to-day too. We never get gum in England you know, it is considered quite as much a crime to chew gum here now as it was at home when I was a kid twenty years ago, but the Canadians don’t mind what people think over here- if they want to chew, why they just "up and chew" and that's all there is to it.

One of the most pleasant surprises that I had was a parcel from dear little Gladys Creamer containing a cake and some other things. I thought it was so nice of her to remember me, and the cake certainly was good. The Aunts sent me a little parcel containing all sorts of things, little things you know, that I am constantly in need of, and all very welcome you may be sure, and doubly so on account of the loving messages which accompanied them.

I expect to go back to Hounslow on Saturday. My neuralgia still lingers on but I am feeling better and should be quite all right by the end of the week. I had a game of tennis on Xmas Day. It was very warm and bright and it was quite a novelty to play in summer weather in the middle of winter.

I was sorry not to be able to see Pat or George or the Robertson boys at Xmas , and I don’t even know where any of them are now. My last letter from Pat was written when he was in hospital at Aldershot.

Must close now, Dear People. With ever so many thanks for your Christmas parcels and the loving thoughts which prompted them, and with every good wish for the New Year.

Always lovingly yours,
Eric.