H.M.S. MALAYA.
c/o G.P.O.
Wednesday. 11th
My dear Mother- Very many thanks for your letter & also for the lovely new handkerchief & card. I had 2 new things – your handkerchief & a pair of socks.
So glad to hear everyone was home for Easter – except Rosamond – but there seems to have been a very cheery crowd. Our Easter was undisturbed this year. We have generally been at sea.
It is still most awfully cold up here – & frequently snows – but in spite of it we have already started working up for our regatta – which I suppose will come off in June sometime.
Some of us have taken to going ashore after tea now it is so light and going for a sort of cross country run. Yesterday was our first effort. Captain Done we all were after about 5 miles – so muddy & filthy – but most excellent exercise.
We had the Bishop of Kensington onboard on Monday – he is staying up here with a parson friend in some ship & he knows our man too – & as we have a church we had a regular parson’s day onboard here. Quite a dozen of them I should say-
Glad you have heard from Dick & Topher, they seem to be getting a slight move on over there. Topher really deserves a commission after all his meritorious work, but I don’t see why he should’nt really – in spite of his stammering – I don’t know that it effects him when yelling out orders.
I wrote Jim a long letter yesterday – & sent it to Sheina for an address – because I don’t exactly know how.
Cannot think who the Petches are – never heard of them I’m sure – of course I remember Kathleen awfully well.
I had a letter from Gordon Campbell the other day in reply to mine – but he couldn’t tell me anything, as he was’nt allowed to.
My very best love to you all
from your ever loving son
Paul
