November 6th, 1941

Dear Mom,

I am dispatching your Xmas present this morning. I hope you like it but remember it is not to be opened till Xmas morning! I am afraid that I won't be able to send any presents for the rest of the family for quite some time as I have so little money to work with here in hospital. We only get 1 ₤ a month and after we have bought things that we need - such as soap, etc., there is not much left. It is so difficult to get out to the towns to buy anything too. So I am afraid the presents for the rest of the family will be a little late in arriving: if they arrive at all.

My arm is still very sore from the operation the other day. The doctor hasn't removed the bandages yet so I have no way of knowing in what condition my arm is even in. But it is very sore at the moment: especially when I put on my coat or shirt or bend it to wash my face. It has bled quite a bit, soaked through the bandage then dried and stuck so that whenever I move my arm, it sticks and pulls... feels very funny. I am dreading tomorrow for he has promised to have a look at it and take out all the packing - etc. We'll probably have quite a time. I wonder who'll enjoy it most: he or me.

Since I last wrote the doctor has changed my dressing. He changed it a day earlier than he had expected. But the wound is clean, thank God. I was terribly surprised at the size but he said he couldn't help that because it had been left go so long that the sinuses had become very deep. He had to cut them open right to the end and scrape and clean them all. It hurt like blazes this morning as I had expected, but after it was all over it felt much better...I can tell you. He packed all the gashes again with sterile dressing and bandaged it. He told me that he would do it every ten days from now on. But please, do not worry about me. I am alright. I don't know why I am saying this because I know that no matter what I tell you, you will always imagine it to be 100% worse than it is and worry accordingly.

I hope you understand about the Christmas presents. It is maddening to have nearly $70.00 in your pay book and not be able to touch a cent of it, even to send home Xmas presents to your family. I have already explained what we are allowed. And even if I did have money, I don't know what I would buy for nearly everything is rationed and those things that are not, are unobtainable.

Well Mom, I'm afraid that there is very little more news, so I must close now. In case you don't get another letter before Xmas, here's wishing you all a very, very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love to all,

Jim