TRANSCRIPTION:
Dear Edith
Don’t faint! It is only your sister Vera. Do you remember her? Well she comes next to you & is the ancient age of 29 has fair hair & green eyes & a bad temper she is very like her Father. The three fair ones of the family all have the same bad character and as Mum often says Do you remember [illeg.] have often began letters to you but thats as far as they have got. Mum writes so often she tells you all the news. What do you think of Reg? Hasnt he grown He is a fine big chap.
Every thing is just the same over in little wee Wanganui. Just a few more shops here & there & a few old churches pulled down & new ones put up. I am staying down with [illeg.] at present I just come up this morning to visit our friend Mr Taylor [?]; we still all crowd to see him. He has come to the end of the family now. [illeg.] He wouldn’t mind if there were nineteen of us. You wont know Bill & Thea especially Thea.
she is quite a stylish young lady. Hair tied back very particular about what she wears. She has been down at Marton with me for four weeks. I [illeg.] was down last week, you [illeg.] would not know. she is very tall & such a hard case. She [illeg] teased the life out [of] Frank. Of course you know he was struck out & became engaged to a very sweet little girl called Hilda (illeg.]. She has blue eyes & golden [illeg.] she lives in Wellington at present. She is a friend of mine I often stay with them he could not of got a better girl. She often stays here so of course is very well liked by the family; which is half the battle. I suppose you will be bringing home an earl or Duke, or, something of the sort we wont mind if it is a prince
we had a letter from Mrs E.N Spear today she is up in Auckland for a six weeks honeymoon. She is looking very well [illeg.] left England
Well what I am after is this. Alf Littlejohn as perhaps you know went to the war with the Australians He has been wounded & is in a hospital in London. I don’t know which one but I will give you an address which will find him. He was wounded in the shoulder about the beginning of July. Will you write to him & find out what hospital he is at & trot along to see him. Jim has brothers as [illeg.] you already know was killed around the same time as Alf was wounded. Ernie is also in the firing line & George has returned wounded so they have done their share towards putting down the Germans.
I’ll close now there is no more news about
From yr [your] affect. [affectionate] sister
Vera G C


No 5086 a/
Lance C.p.l A Littlejohn
3rd Aus Infantry
C/ Australian Imperial Headquarters
130 Horseferry St
Westminster
London S.W