Monday, 6th January 1941

My dear Mother & Father,

Once again I am sending you a few lines to let you know that I am in the best of health.  We are now in the midst of winter here, and in comparison if it differs a great deal  from an English winter.  There is much more snow, so much more that it is a common sight to see people going to work on skis or snowshoes, and you do not have that damp clammy weather with fog.  More times than not it is sunshining and snowing simultaneously.

Christmas and New Year have now come and gone, there are fifty of us here and we had quite an enjoyable time, of course we had to make our own amusement but what helped a great deal was a Red Cross parcel which we each received from England.  I can assure you that my Cadbury's chocolate did not last long.

And now I must draw to a close, I hope you are both well, also Dorothy and Bill.  I am still anxiously awaiting to receive a letter from you, but I am expecting one any day now.  Now don't forget no worrying, have courage.

All my love,

Arthur.


Roosevelt talks of four freedoms

In Washington... President Roosevelt, in his State of the Union message, talks of four essential freedoms, of speech and worship and from fear and want. He again refers to the United States as the "arsenal of democracy."

In North Africa... Advance units of the Allied force reach the outer defenses of Tobruk after taking El Adem airfield to the south. Patrols to examine the Italian defenses begin immediately. The Tobruk garrison is 25,000 men with 220 guns and 70 tanks. General Mannella is in command. There are other Italian units still in positions farther west in Libya.

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/jan41/f06jan41.htm