Happy New Year!
The first post of the year is another letter from the GEC Well-Wishers Club. The optimism of the opening line is almost painful when you know the years of struggle that were to follow.
The Diary of the 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of which the 157th HAA Battery was a part, records the weather for the whole of January 1940 as "bad, with extreme cold" and a temperature of minus 20 was recorded. 6 inches of snow and icy conditions made it difficult to move around by road and influenza amongst the troops meant it was difficult to man the guns.

The G . E . C . WELL - WISHERS CLUB
Letter No.3

President: The Lord Hirst of Witton

Vice-President: M.J.Railing
Magnet House, Kingsway,
London, WC2

1st January, 1940

881937 Gunner F.A.Faulkner

Christmas is over again. With 1940 here the natural thought of everybody is "Will it see the end of the war?" Let's hope so.

This Christmas was a long holiday - four days of it - and yet the time seemed to fly, as it always does now. It did not seem so very different. Harry Williams ran his Christmas Draw, The Lecture Hall on Christmas Eve became a large poulterers establishment, and the travellers had their usual lunch. There was a moon too, to lighten the blackout. Quite a number of Head Office men were lucky enough to get their Christmas leave at Christmas, and as a result, there was more khaki in Magnet House than usual.

Every month many letters come in from those to whom we send parcels. We like to have them, but if you are pushed for time, the return of the card enclosed with the parcel is sufficient. Receipt of the card by us is a check. If, after two parcels have been sent to any one man, no acknowledgment is received here, we shall take that to be fair evidence that the parcel is not reaching its destination and the future despatch of parcels will be withheld. So please do not fail to mail the card on each occasion - or write, if you wish.

To return to the letters. These are all interesting. Quite apart from comment on the contents of the parcel, they give us a picture of conditions in the various forces, what life is like in the Navy, Army and Air Force, news of G.E.C. people and much other interesting matter. There is plenty of humour. We learn for instance, that the present needs of a member of Engineering Department are:-

(a) A pint of Mild & Bitter.

(b) A corkscrew (continuously rated)

(c) A Turkish Bath.

It has also been revealed that a well-known member of Export Dept. is making great efforts to grow a moustache (something we find it difficult to imagine him wearing) but that "so far it is only visible when viewed sideways in astrong light". He would seem to be meeting competition, for two other G.E.C. people in the same unit are making similar efforts, and of one the writer reports that "he is looking more like Old Bill every day". It sounds very good fun. Let's hope we hear more. By the way, a Circular goes every month round the departments giving the latest news about the G.E.C. Well-Wishers and extracts from letters received are quoted. Will the commentator on the moustache competition please give us further news? The whole of Magnet House is anxious for it.

The Junior Social was held last Friday, and although we greatly missed the help and companionship of a number of members now on Active Service, it was as usual a great success. Incidentally, it was the first Social function that has been held in the Lecture Hall since the outbreak of war.

There is enclosed a letter from Mr. Railing which we know you will read with interest.#

All best wishes for the New Year.

For the G.E.C. Well-Wishers Club.

G.H.Barrett

(# Letter not attached. A list of employees on Active Service is atached though: 33 O/Rs (including F.A.Faulkner and A.J.Endacott) 3 Officers - Army, 12 O/Rs 2 Officers - Navy and 3 O/Rs 1 Officer R.A.F.