Dec 10/17

Dear Mother

We’ve had no mail for a fortnight now and there seems to be no news of one either just yet. I believe the English mail goes out today but one can never really be certain. Today is a most awful day, there is a howling gale – nothing else will describe it – from the north west and it is bitterly cold. A feeble winter sun is giving a certain amount of light, but no warmth, and there is’nt a cloud in the sky. It’s impossible to get warm, & we are sitting huddled up in coats! I really believe the best & only thing to do is to go to bed! As I have told you before I think, it never seems to be able to do anything in moderation in this country, it either is blowing a gale or too hot or too cold, there seems to be no happy medium.

Yesterday 4 of us went out shooting and took our lunch out with us. We had quite a pleasant outing, and got 10 birds- We have only a very limited supply of cartridges and it’s hard to get any more. It rained quite hard for ½ an hour or so on our way back yesterday, cold driving rain that soaked us through in no time.

Col Hogg has arrived at Baghdad, but I don’t know when he will be coming on here. I expect he’ll put in a few days there first to look round. They are having a great show in Baghdad for Christmas, all kinds of sports & races, polo tournaments & dinners & duck shoots & general frivolities. We are having a few sports & football & hockey tournaments here, also a race meeting I think after Christmas.

I saw a “Surrey advertiser” I think it was in the Queen’s mess the other day, with an account of the part they took in the Ramadi battle in it. I also saw an appeal from Mr Kirwan for funds to send them Christmas presents, & they all ragged me & said that of course I as a Guildford resident must be in the subscription list!

There is practically no news here nowadays. All seems fairly quiet & no one knows quite what is going to happen I fancy. The rainy season is on us now which always rather interferes with things. Excuse a short letter but I have nothing to tell you & no letters to answer, & it is so cold in a tent in this wind! Thank goodness I’ve got that Shetland!

Best love to all

yr loving son      Ted