Many thanks for letter and card received last night. I was pleased to hear you had got a Commission and were at home. You are a lucky beggar and no mistake. I started writing this on Christmas Day but had to leave it as we were called up to pump water out. This time it was the worst we have ever had. We've large parties out pumping water out night and day and it poured with rain the whole eight days, so the trenches are lovely. In some parts you could swim quite easily. The last two nights in we were doing 2 hours on and 2 off all night long, and working all day, and I can tell you that if the Germans had come over they would have had a cake walk as none of the chaps could keep awake and you cannot wonder at it.
This is Captain Arnell's little plan, he does not care a rap what the men do so long as he is comfortable in his dug out behind the support line. The officers do not half work it now, they get the Sergeants to do the patrol work in the trenches whilst they stay in their dug outs - they are the limit. The last time in for two nights we never saw an officer - but of course it was raining in torrents, so they set a nice example don't they? And the chaps have not half got a bad impression of them.
Christmas Day was just the same as any other day excepting not quite so many shells, but they gave us our share on Christmas Eve. They are giving us a time with their minewerfers. You can be thankful they did not send any where you were, as they are awful nerve racking things. I do not know what explosives they use but the crash when they burst is awful. Sergeant Wilkinson is over our platoon and he is a jolly fine chap. Our platoons are over on the plain in a decent dug out, away from the rest of the Company who are a mile away at the Chateau. Bunny and Edna touched lucky for a course on the guns at St Omar and they had a jolly fine time of it. I should think the day they went our Joe would leave. I just missed going through being out but I have asked Spratt to put me down for the next lot, but of course we don't know when that will be.
Well I must close, hoping all are well, as it leaves me in the pink. I will be home about the end of March if things go on as they are at present. Oh one of our aviators looped the loop on Christmas Day, three times over the German lines and they gave him a cheer. We had 4 German aeroplanes over today, dropping bombs but have not heard if they did any damage. Still no news of Gobbo and his desertion papers are out against him. Kindly remember me to all at Ghyll Bank. Love to all at home.
Your loving brother Billie.
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