Bovington Camp

Dear Family

Some good news. I'm on a technical adjutants course at the moment, for eight weeks, and I get the job when I get back to the regiment, I'll be a captain, once again, and this time for good.

I'm very pleased about it. The technical adjutant is a job peculiar to armoured units, and consists of being advisor to the C.O. on all things to do with vehicles etc., which may not sound much, but is actually quite a job. A couple of guys will probably cut my throat when I get back, because a lot of subs were after the job.

The course looks as if it will be very interesting. For eight weeks I'll be mucking around with engines, vehicles, working in a machine shop, listening to lectures, etc, and if at the end of that time I don't know all about things that move on wheels and tracks; it won't be the fault of the school. Pretty handy stuff to know, apart from the army.

Maybe the time I spent on that outboard engine won't be wasted after all.

I only arrived yesterday, and this morning we had an entrance exam. I was pretty worried, because you're supposed to know a lot about it before you arrive. I had no time to prepare and am not an expert in their eyes, however, I'm in, and the rest is up to me. Believe me, this is once in my life when I won't be trotting around, for about eight weeks.

Apart from the above, theres not much to report, except, thanks for your letters and keep 'em up.

The lst Div. seem to be doing O.K. in Sicily, as everyone knew they would. They're getting a lot of publicity in the English papers which is a change. Probably more than they rate, since our friend Mackenzie King opened his bit mouth and put his foot in it. Publicity or no, I think you'll find the Canucks pretty good, once we get going, as the lst Div. have proved.

Well, I think I'll sign off now, and do a little work for tomorrow. We were doing mechanical drawing all afternoon and blue-prints, and at the moment, a blue- print of a tennis ball would luck tough to me.

Love to you all, Geoff.