My Dear Mother & Father,
Please excuse my not writing a little more frequently but it has been a little difficult. I received yours of 18th Oct last night with one from Bill dated 13th Oct. I am very pleased to hear you are all well, my own health is excellent.
I expect you already know I am no longer with Burt? He is still in the main camp but I am once again acting as interpreter in a small working camp, the number of which is on the back. I do no manual work, but my other duties fill up the day, I am able to keep warm which is the main thing, for as I write a howling blizzard is raging outside.
The boots, blanket and pyjamas are worth their weight in gold. All I need in future parcels is soap, dentifrice, razor blades etc, hankerchieves, socks and of course plenty of chocolate.
We all have very strong hopes of spending next Xmas in dear old England, we all know that we have a marvellous day in front of us, until then, come what may we can take it all.
Whilst space remains I must not forget to wish you both and Dorothy too, a Happy Xmas and in the coming year, full health and happiness. I know you will be thinking of me on Xmas-day. A
On this day;
In the Solomon Islands... The Battle of Tassafaronga. American attempts to stop the regular night supply run of the "Tokyo Express" under Admiral Tanaka again develops into a major battle. Tanaka has 8 destroyers and Admiral Wright has 5 heavy cruisers and 7 destroyers. Wright uses radar to find the Japanese force and fire the first salvo. However, the American attack is ineffective with only one hit on a Japanese destroyer which sinks later. The Japanese sink one cruiser and damage 3 very seriously. Despite this success, Admiral Tanaka is reprimanded for failing to deliver the supplies needed by the starving Japanese forces on the island.
In New Guinea... The American forces attacking Japanese positions at Buna make their first real headway.
In Burma... The advance of the British 123rd Brigade in the Arakan has now reached Bawali Bazaar. Extremely bad weather slows the advance and makes road building very difficult.
In Japan... The German raider Thor is destroyed by fire in Yokohama harbor ending a cruise which sank 10 ships totaling 56,000 tons of shipping in 10 months.
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