31701-0087-0001

Lieut A.E. Hooper
PIB
P.M.
Papua
Dec 25.

Dear Mother,
I hope you enjoyed your Xmas - I did considering. Your pudding saved us completely. Your ears may have burned if you'd heard everone praising it. The cake too was more than welcome.

Two of our number were given iron rations, a line of boys and sent on the [...] job in the world. Both went to different places.

As from today I'm a full coy [company] commander & can vouch that there's endless worry and responsibility attached to the job. Consequently owing to our peculiar position I'm on the job 24 hrs a day.

Our boys danced all night & worked all day. There are no holidays, no Sundays. Still there'll be a time when we'd deeply regret wasted hourse.

Incidentally I don't expect any further promotion at the present or continuity in my new job. All I'm sure of is that if