Aus No 407499,
Sgt Goode RM
C/o South Australia House,
Marble Arch
London W.1.
14/1/42.

Dear Everybody,

Am on my way to Ireland instead of the Shetland Isles, we went right to the top of Scotland to an embarkation port there only to be told to proceed to Ireland. Have been travelling for three days, no sleep for 3days & two nights, am just about sick of trains, did think when I left Australia that we would fly instead of travelling by train, am in England again.

Passed through quite a lot of snow on my way up to the north of Scotland, several inches deep, also saw the snow falling & threw a snowball at one of the other boys. Have just finished a weeks leave, spent it in a town called Montrose, on the East Coast of Scotland, Mr & Mrs Ritchie, had a very quite time, which I enjoyed, I’m tired of the noise & the lack of consideration for anyone, that most of the boys have when they come home in the small hours of the morning.

Bitterly cold this morning, everything covered not with snow, but about ½ an inch of ice roads & paths very slippery, wires about twice their size, all the drips frozen on them, mud frozen where someone had walked when it was freezing perfect footmarks that collapse inwards when the ice starts to thaw.

The country was very beautiful yesterday when we passed through the snow areas, I tried to take a photo but am afraid the light was too bad. Had a couple of air-raid alerts while in Montrose, the all clear blew in a few minutes each time, did not see the raider or raiders, but heard them the first time.

I expect our mail is chasing us all over England & Scotland. Hope all is well at home & everyone well.

Love, Ray