Sherriff explained to his mother why today’s letter had to be brief:

‘I have been very busy all today getting ready to leave tomorrow, there is a great deal to do – inspections of men as well as our own kit to be seen to…I am going to my billet now to get my kit together, as we march off early tomorrow.’

He supposed that his mother felt all his letters were brief, but he explained that he had been ‘pretty busy’ over the last couple of weeks, although he had enjoyed ‘a fair amount of time for walks and going into nearby towns.’ In fact they had been to a nearby town the day before to see a Regimental Boxing match, but boxing did not interest him much.

He hoped he would have time to write her another, longer letter before they moved off, and he told her not to worry if she did not receive letters for several days: it was usually the fault of the mail, and in any case, ‘if anything happened you would very quickly be told, dear’.

[Next letter: 1 March]