12/2/18
My dear Father
I was very glad to get your letter with the home news a few days back. I've been rather busy lately and haven't done much writing outside my daily letter to Mary. I'm very pleased to see Cyril has the MC. I think for some time the Mesopotamian Force has been left rather in the cold in the matter of decorations. However it shows that the average Britisher will do his job well whether there's an official decoration or not. How pleased Mother would have been to know of this recognition of good service in the field.
I'm afraid you have many worries just now, but assuredly one doesn't meet them any better by letting them trouble one excessively. I must write soon to Aunt Lottie. Perhaps you'll have more definite information after the exploratory operation. Such operations generally serve merely to prove that no surgical measure can be undertaken.
Today I've been lecturing again at the school on the choosing of donors for blood transfusion, a method that has come to the fore again in this war. McNee was also lecturing so we went down together, the school is south of us, about an hour's run.
I hope soon now that the food rationing will be got into going order and will work smoothly. The introduction to it, of the public, has been pretty gradual.
Post is due out, so I must close.
With love to you all
Your affectionate son
Arthur