Bampton
Devon
Boxing Day 1914

Kitty received letter & card & wishes me to thank you for it she will write to you soon
Bye bye Jack XXXXXX

My Dearest Kate,

In answer to your most welcome letter of the 3rd Dec which I received last Tuesday before leaving camp. I received a letter from Bee & Will also Necia & Jim all on the same day so I had all kinds of Canadian mail for Christmas I left camp Wed at noon arrived home at 11 p.m. Had to hire a bike at Liverton to come out here that night as there were no trains at that time of night I hadn't received the parcels up to the time of leaving camp but I expect to get them when I get back. Thank Bee & Will for sending them & tell them I will answer their letters in a few days. I have got you a bracelet watch which I hope you will like I am sending it on by this mail to Clay's & hope you will get it safe. Christmas has been a very quiet one at home. Harry was not able to come home & Edie is gone to her people's home at Liverton to spend Christmas. I am going to my Aunts at New Barnet today to spend the rest of my holiday. I have to be in camp Tuesday morning at seven. I hope dear you had a good time this Christmas Did you go out anywhere for the day? Do you remember coming home from Billies last year when you fell in the ditch I hope nothing like that has happened to you this year Have you played 'Brother Jim bobbed' this year We have had some good frosty weather for a couple of days but the weather has changed again today & its raining in torrents I see by the papers today that a German Taube[?] has dropped a bomb at Dover but no lives were lost & very little damage was done. The bomb was evidently meant for Dover Castle but missed its mark by about 400 yards & dropped in a garden. Some of their aircraft was seen over Sheerness also & one of our airmen chased it & fired on it but it escaped in the fog so you see we get a little excitement at times in England. If it wasn't for things like that & seeing so many soldiers about one would hardly think that this country was in the biggest war ever known in history. The motto is "Business as usual" & they certainly are sticking up to it. I was glad to hear dear that I had made a mistake about your working half time as I know it would have made an awful difference cutting the wages down too. Yes Dear I think it would be fine to run up against you over here all unexpectedly but I guess there'll be no such luck for me. I am afraid dear if I were to draw old Swills mug & he was to see it that it would mean hospital for me so I wont attempt it this time. I think if you look at that picture of the bunch taken outside our tent when we were having lunch you will find him laying on the bed in the back row I cant explain his looks to you but probably Miss Swers[?] will recognize him from that. I should like to see you taking your singing lessons I should like the job of holding the mirror for you I guess you did feel a bit soft doing that at first but I suppose you have got over that by now Now Dearest I think this is all I can say now as I have to pack up for London Town Am going to a show on Monday night. Monday afternoon I am going to have tea at Buckingham Palace (special invitation from the King) Uncle is on duty this Christmas so I shall have to go there to see him Wish you were coming along with me Well Goodbye dear for the present tons of love & kisses From your Ever Loving Jack XXXXXXXX

The vaccination has not taken on me at all this time
Jack XXXXXX