Letters from B: 2009

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

January 21, 1944

2030 21 January 1944

Dearest,

I just sealed up an air mail letter for you + when I put it in the T ?? A “programme” I realized I had not written you one since Monday. I was thinking that I told you about the show in the last long letter, but it seems it was in a V-letter. However I don’t think I could have enlarged on it much more unless I set out to describe the show scene by scene and that wouldn’t be at all interesting. I did not have a chance to go shopping for stuffed animals or anything else. By the time we got the Major under way there was just time to ride in, grab some tea, + go to the theatre, although, we did find that the show began half an hour later than was printed on the tickets. But we didn’t find that out until we had waited in line to get in the place + bought the programme. Until then we couldn’t’ understand why people were lined up in the street when they all had reserved seats. C’est la guerre. Today I got your V-letter of the 5th and a copy of Time (12/27). Evidently somebody bought me a subscription, but it’s the first I knew of it. Who was it? You? Please elucidate. I think somebody very, very much. Life in Ireland continues the uneven tenor of it’s way, so there isn’t any other news. But I’ve spent the whole evening “with you” in the pitifully inadequate way, which is the only way I can do it. Still it’s far, far better than no way at all. It helps a lot.

Love B

January 20, 1944

2215 20 January 1944

Dearest,

Hooray. It’s one day less that I have to wait to see you. The faster they go the better, now, because I love you and I haven’t got you with me. Tonight we had another movie- every Sunday and Thursday now- this time it was “Sundown”. I read the story in one of the magazines (one of those ?? I used to upset the house over, trying to find all pieces) and it left quite a vivid impression on my mind. I think it was a particularly good story. The movie got quite a lot of publicity when it came out a year or two ago- with pictures of Gene Tierney looking sultry against a ?? background + so forth- so I was thoroughly disappointed in it. I don’t think it makes much of an effort to follow the original story, and when the acting got hot + heavy I couldn’t even follow the movie story. And Miss Tierney certainly doesn’t add much to it- the only outstanding features of here performance is her bust, which always seemed to be highlighted so it was the most noticeable object (or is it plural?) in sight. Fortunately, she doesn’t appear very much. Before that we had the “Battle of Britain” of the “Why We Fight” series, which was good, even if we did see if by order at Ft. Sam. Having see some of England made it more interesting. I love you.

B.

January 20, 1944

January 19, 1944

1030 19 January 1944

Beloved,

The most soothing pastime I have is to sit down and “talk” to you. I haven’t realized how comforting it is for so very long, but I’d certainly get desperate nowadays if I didn’t have you behind me, so to speak. Every now and then, al day long I get an urge to write to you, but when I start thinking about just what there is to say, I usually find that all I want to do is to tell you how much I love you and how much I want to be back with you an so on, and a certain amount of that is enough. If I wrote you as much as I think about it, you would surely start feeling sorry for me, and there is no call for that. There’s nothing really wrong with things here- it just gets tiresome and I get a little lonesome- or maybe lonely for you. I have several very good friends here, and they say there is nothing so rare as a good friend. But the best of friends is not half so rare as a wife like you. So- no matter how well things are going, if you aren’t around, I’ll get lonely. You can be sorry for me on that account if you want to. And you see, if I had more to tell you that was worth reading, I’d write more but not much happens that calls for repeating, so I usually put off writing until there is something to say. This however was put off from last night because first we had a “clinical conference” and then we got some blackout casualties + I, an OD, was occupied over that until nearly midnight, by which time I was very, very sleepy. I love you as I never did before.

B

January 18, 1944

1030 18 Jan 1944

Dearest,
Yesterday was quite a day. We went to see “This is the Army” as planned, and we were very glad we did. It’s really a swell show. I don’t know just what I expected it to be, but it turned out to be better. Of course most if the music is pretty old now, but it is good just the same, and there are a couple of good numbers ? in it that I don’t remember ever hearing before. A lot of the vaudeville ? stuff may not be quite top class by New York standards, but since “it’s all in the family” everybody thoroughly enjoyed it. The whole thing is extremely well put on. If it ever gets back to Phila. I hope you have a chance to see it + take the trouble to do so. The audience was a most thoroughly mixed crowd of all the ?? both British and Americans, about evenly divided, I should say, and quite a lot of civilians. They all seemed to get a big kick out of it no matter who they were. Fortunately we had tea, with sandwiches, etc beforehand at the Officer Club, because when we went back to the club for dinner afterward we had to wait until 9:30 to get in the dining room + then all they had was “pressed beef” (cold), bread + butter, orange marmalade, pickled cabbage, + some stuff they called coffee. Got back at midnight. Now I’m OD + home back writing this between trips to the admitting Admitting Office. Oh, how I wish I could be back with you. It hurts, terribly, some times.

Love, B

January 19, 1944

1900 19 January 1944

Dearest,
It seems like spring around here. The weather has been quite warm for a week or more, with a little more rain than we had the preceding month. There has been none of that penetrating cold that is so common in England when the thermometer is getting down toward freezing, and very often it has been warm enough to go around without a field jacket (but with a wool undershirt). Also the days are getting appreciably longer. It was broad daylight at 6 PM today, whereas a month ago blaockout time was about 5:30. But it’s still dark after breakfast. This afternoon was bright and clear and tonight it’s a bit snappy. Yesterday I got two V-letter from you, Dec 30 + Jan 2, and today your long letter of Jan 3 and alos your mothers’. Lately, we’ve started getting some V-mail in white envelopes (like yours I think) + no postmark, instead of the usual brown envelopes postmarked in England. I don’t know what that means. I had forgotten I asked you for a thermometer. Now that I’m in a hospital I guess I could steal one without any difficulty- they are expendable. I now have a 10X12 X-ray film box which makes a perfect lap-desk, and also provides an ideal place to keep V-mail blanks which are somewhat too big for any kind of a writing-kit (ours don’t fold, you know). This afternoon I did our 4 appendix, which was a tough one. So now we’ve ? had one to do. It sort of peeped me up a bit.
Love B

January 16, 1944

2230 16 Jan 1944

Dearest,
If this was home, which it most certainly isn’t, we’d be having a nice warm, wet spring rain. It has been pattering on the tin roof for a couple of hours and I sort of like it. It’s unusually wet for here, where they go in more for quick showers ?? and prolonged drizzles. The only trouble is that one has to go out in it now + then. This evening we had a very nice movie- “My Sister Eileen”- It sort of wears me out to see it, but it has a much more wholesome effect on the morale than “This above All”. It’s the craziest collection of ?? you ever saw, if you haven’t seen it- I suppose it went out of circulation in the States months ago. Yesterday, I got your long letter of Dec. 30 + V-letter of Dec. 28. The letter took 4 days longer then the one you sent to 813 the next day. I just wrote you an air-mail letter. Last night we had a little party at the club, which did some good- nothing wild, just fun- so I didn’t write yesterday- there was no mail out today, anyway. They give our mailman Sunday off. But I will never do like some people who write from tow to six V-letters a sitting + date them from consecutive days so their wives will think they write every day. Any wife who insists on a letter every day is a dope + deserves to be deceived. I’ll write you two letter a day when I want to+ I’ll skip a week if I want to+ you can do the same. I love you just as much either way. I have bought no linen in Ireland, other reports notwithstanding, + probably will not buy any. They say its costs more here than in the US (100% luxury tax) + there are no more coupons for us anyway. Stay as ?? as you are, because I’m coming home one of these days.
Love B

January 14, 1944

Friday evening
14 January 1944

Dearest Marty,
This is the night I wrote you the typed V-letter. This is much nicer, if you can read it. As a matter of fact, it is easier to read your handwritten V-letter than that? your typed ones, though if you typed it in capitals, like a telegram, it might be the other way around.
Today has been fairly clear and not warm- not very cold either. But the ground is still soupy- no worse than our backyard in the early spring, though, when the ground is not frozen. One can get around alright on the crushed-rock walks or by walking where the grass is thick. I think thousands of copies of the enclosed cartoon, from the Stars + Stripes, must have been sent home. I found it in quite a few of the EM’s letter that I censored. But I think Ireland’s reputation for wetness must have been acquired in some other part of the country. We have a good many showers from time to time, but rarely a really wet day. If the sun was a bit “stronger”, I think the climate here would be right nice. But I am getting a bit tired of never seeing the sun light enough in the day to do anything but cast long shadows. That strange-looking object in the right of the picture is a sheep- a very typical Irish one. They don’t look like Texas sheep. Their expression is entirely different. And the house on the left is also perfectly typical. There is always ONE in sight, peeping over the hill. They seldom seem to stand out where you can see them from a distance. Someday I hope I can get some postcard pictures to send you. I’ve censored some rather nice ones.
Monday afternoon the Team is going to see “This is the Army” in Belfast. Its tour over here has been quite a success. Both civilians and Army personnel form queues blocks long and fall over themselves to get tickets. As I may have told you I once had a ticket to see it in Birmingham, but didn’t have a chance to use it. I sold it to the Jedge ?.
Victor Moore is on the radio-he’s wonderful. Charlie McCarthy is on too-on the Forces +AFN programs together.
Lusty had been having quite time with his hives. Like many Jews? when he gets sick he gets awful sick. Buy they stopped feeding him Phenobarbital today and he’s improving rapidly. Apparently he got some news that his father was sick + that upset him + he took a second capsule to calm his nerves that night. Then he got the hives maybe partly neurogenic, + they kept on giving him barbiturates for his nervousness + that just kept them going. Now I guess he’ll be ok in a day or two. Peculiar disease.
I think I forgot to tell you about the general inspection: As usual the general didn’t come. This was one of the places he skipped. So we waited, all polished up, and all on edge for a day + a half + then relaxed. That was Maj. Gen. Lee, commanding general, SOS. ETOUSA. They say he’s a tough customer. I guess he has been gone back to England now.
On second thought I don’t think the movie last night, “This above All”, is so wonderful. It was quite engrossing at the time, being very well done, but I don’t see what it proves except that there’ll always be an England, and a Joan Fontaine is a delightful actress. The scenery is most typically English- it sort of tickled us to be able to appreciate it as such.
I hope you are getting enough money to keep things going comfortably. I haven’t been worrying about it much because there is very little I can do about it. I hope I’ll be able to send you a small contributions now and then, + if you say so maybe I could make it a little more, but in any case it won’t be enough to make any big difference. If I ever get promoted, of course, you’ll get about fifty dollars more, but don’t make any plans on it. I hope it happens soon but I have no confidence in it. Promotions are as scarce as ice-cream cones over here, + I’m quite prepared to remain a lieutenant forever.
The-Division chaplain was here today + brought his Jewish chaplain with him- the first one most of us ever saw. He seemed like a nice fellow, name of Decker, + speaks English with a German accent.
There doesn’t seem much to tell you tonight. I haven’t done anything very interesting since the last letter. Most of our activities are “professional” nowadays.
I had been thinking about that “second honeymoon” idea, too. I think it would be wonderful, though I can’t make up my mind just where to go. That will probably be decided when the time comes by the season + other circumstances. Anyway, we’ll do it! I’m always dreaming about what I’ll do when I get back to the U.S. I know exactly how I want to meet you, but it will most likely workout some other way, so I’ll just wait + see. It doesn’t matter, really, anyway. However we get together it will be the happiest day of my life. If I didn’t have that to look forward to, I don’t know what would become of me. Nothing good.
Love,
B.

January 12, 1944

2200 12 January,1944(V-mail)

Dearest,
Here I am writing in complete peace + quiet again. But this time the only people in bed are the two at the far ends of the room. The major is in Belfast ? having a very jolly evening. Capt. O?, the dentist, has gone to London to a meeting. Lusty is in the Officer Ward with the hives- where he got them nobody knows and for that reason I am OD today instead of tomorrow. All the rest are at the club drinking Irish coca-cola, and dancing with the nurses. I know, because I just came from there, I had two weak drinks and no dancing. In fact I was just wondering how to detach myself politely from Higgie? when Buss decided to dance with her. Higgie must be about 35, maybe more, kind of a Sad sack type, always mistreated in a good-natured way, and very Nyoo O’leus. ?? She talks like Grantland Rice + they all kid her about her ?? street accent. They say she calls me on the telephone + the Irish operator calls around asking for “Lt. Hoirn”. Except I can’t remember that she ever called me. It’s good story, anyway, + always makes her sadder than ever. She’s OK, though.
They like to ran the pants off me today, what with chasing back + forth between the ward and the admitting office, trying to write up my own patients and admit those coming in without admitting too many. The hospital is too full now.
I got a letter from Fred Merchant today which touched upon the festive holiday season back as 651, amongst other things. They must have had a rollicking good time from Organization Day (Dec. 20) until New Years Day. Earlier this evening I answered it. He sent me my laundry + dry cleaning that I left behind there. Now I think I shall retire. It’s so warm I didn’t even need a field-jacket today. Have you noticed how much I think about you?
Love B

January 10, 1944

1100 10 Jan 1944 (V-mail)

Dearest Marty,

I am much better this morning, thank you. I’m sorry I sent you that long, sad story last night, even if it did do me a lot of good. We really had a very fine time yesterday this morning it is exceptionally cold and the atmosphere is clear though the sky is pretty cloudy. It’s freezing, for a change, and the mountains are more covered with snow than I have yet seen them. No snow down here. The natives say February + March are the real winter months in Ireland. Yesterday, ?? of shrubbery along the walks on the hotel grounds, we saw a lot of shrubs, 4-6 feet high, with four perpendicular rows of leaves along each branch. Perfectly straight rows- and a little clump of small lilac-colored flowers on the end of each branch. I never saw it before, but as I have said there is a lot of sub-tropical stuff cultivated around here. The ? is still sprinkled with bright yellow flowers, too. I was thinking about Home the other day, as usual and it occurred to me that if I went home now the country would probably look pretty bleak + forbidding. Ireland is so green, even with the leaves off the trees- there is plenty of shrubbery with leaves, + nice ? grass. But even so I’d much rater be with you. The grass is always greener where you are. Maybe I’ll get a letter from you today.

Much love,
B

January 9, 1944

Dearest,
I miss you with excruciating pain sometimes. We had a lovely afternoon and evening- too lovely. And after those things, I always end up frightfully depressed because I have nobody to enjoy it with. I mean the way you and I can enjoy things together. As long as I am doing things that you wouldn’t particularly enjoy, I get along alright, and have a very fine time. Today the Team celebrated the end of our first month in Ireland by going to the Slieve Donard soon after dinner (midday). It was a rainy day + the scenery wasn’t any good so we installed ? ourselves around a table in a bay window overlooking the bay. Lusy brought out a pint of Bourbon which he had brought over from the States and was saving for a special occasion. It provided two drinks a piece and kept us occupied in a very cozy, quiet way until tea time. Then we had tea, with little sandwiches and cakes, and went for a stroll around the grounds (which we had never seen in daylight before). I took my first walk on a beach for you know how long. I got quite a kick out of it. The tide was way out and the beach was a couple hundred yards wide, with real sand + bright pebbles, and shells, and also ? of fist-size rounded stones. The scenery must be gorgeous on a bright sunny day, but so far we’ve only been there in the rain or at night. (continued)

January 8, 1944

2345 8 Jan 1944 (V-mail)

Dearest,
I guess I’ll never get to bed on time. We had quite a day today- got our first “battle casualties”- two boys who had an accident on a training problem. We were working on them off + on all afternoon and I didn’t get to supper until 7:30 which set the evening back two hours to begin with. Then I spent most of the rest of the evening writing a long letter to Nick. I suppose he’s down in the Pacific somewhere + won’t get it for a couple of months. Last night I wrote you one until after midnight. The radio news over here has been making quite a hullabaloo the last few days about jet-propelled aircraft which release me of the things I had wished I could tell you. We used to see one of them ever now + then and knew all about it months ago. I can assure you that they whistle + roar + shoot around the sky in a wonderful manner. I am mailing you today’s Stars + Stripes, which has a couple of interesting things in it – thought you might like to see a copy anyway. No mail from you for a couple of days now. But I am getting lots of Alumni weeklies – also today the September Current News, via FSHT. The December Readers Digest came several days ago, and I get them Post is fits + starts- through November now. Today was cold, for Ireland, + the wind whistled across here fit to blow you off your feet, but tonight it has calmed down to a gentle ? + the moon is very brilliant. Things are going along very smoothly here now + having both dinner + supper late and specially served, I got enough to eat for a change. But now I’m sleepy + have to go to bed all by myself. ‘Taint right. But it won’t last forever.

Love B

January 6, 1944

Dearest,
This is entirely too late for me to be up, but here I am, writing in perfect peace + quiet while everybody else is either asleep or in Belfast carousing. You seem closer when nobody else is around. I’ve been intending for a week or more to write you a nice long letter thanking you in detail for all the various Christmas presents, but whenever I get around to writing I think maybe it is better manners to write to somebody else. So don’t think I don’t appreciate them (the presents) because I haven’t mentioned them yet. Tonight I spent the whole evening writing to Papa and being OD. I hope I’m through for the night now. Today the Team got mail in three separate deliveries, which was exciting because I got your V-letter of Dec. 11, 13, +16 and your long letter of the 12th. A most gratifying day. I knew there was some influenza in England, but I thought there was more in the US. Maybe we ought to stop worrying about eachother. We’ve had arather few upper respiratory infections in the hospital here. Me-I’m fine. That is, as fine as I can be without you. When I come home you won’t be able to get out of my sight for a long, long time. I’m really going to stick to you- tight.

Love B

January 6, 1944

6 January 1944 (V-mail)

Dearest,
Maybe you can tell whether I love you happily or unhappily by the number of letters I write. It seems as though I write often when things are going well- except when they go so well I don’t have time, which is seldom. Today everybody has been busy getting ready for the generals inspection, knowing full well that he won’t notice the things that are all fixed up for him and will pick out some damn thing that nobody ever thought of. Good inspectors have a sixth sense for doing that. This evening we had a Sonja ?? movie called “Katrina” ?? which some say appeared in the States as “Iceland”. I wouldn’t know but it was thoroughly enjoyable. Then I polished four pairs of shoes and a pair of bedroom slippers. Now I have sat down to rest some more. I didn’t have to get up last night, but got very sleepy this afternoon from staying up so late. I would have liked to have taken a nap, having nothing particular to do, but the quarters were so torn up with the housecleaning that it couldn’t be done. So I did a little housecleaning too. I guess I’ll go to be now. These clean, heavy linen sheets will be ?? rightfully cold!

Love B

January 4, 1944

2305 4 January 1944(V-mail)

Dearest,
How’s your morale? Mine’s OK. But it would be better if I was where you are, and you were there too. I just wrote to Min Goff + the other day I wrote to Min McCalson ? , Aunt Irene, + Midge Howe. I still have to write to Papa, Dr. Mac, Mr. Boyd, Nick Hatfield, + by that time probably to somebody else. (Isn’t that funny- or is it? Looking back at what I just wrote, I see that I answered all the ladies first). This afternoon Barner went to work on an appendix + spent half the afternoon rooting it out. It was about the toughest one I ever saw. Aside from that nothing of any particular note has occurred. We had some more wind the last couple of days. At first it was out of the west, off the Gulf Stream, and nice and warm. But it swung around to the north, before it died out, so it’s cold again. We also had a quite a lot of rain for a day or so. Today was beautiful- I think the sun is getting a little brighter and warmer- imagination is a wonderful thing. We are due for a general inspection in a few days, but nobody in this outfit is at all disturbed about it. They don’t seem to give a damn. So do I. All I am really deeply interested in is in getting back to you and staying there.

Love B

January 3, 1944

Dearest,
I was going to write you a nice long letter this afternoon and maybe write to some other people too, but a Ferry ?? Command pilot was in here all afternoon + the conversation was much too interesting to ignore. Now I’m so sleepy I can just about keep my eyes open. Yesterday, being Sunday, we too the afternoon off and walked a couple of miles down the road and up hill to an old castle. The day was terrifically windy, but partly sunny and not at all cold. This was another one of John de Courey’s ?? castles, like Carrickfergur?? , built around 1200. It is largely in ruins now, but is still quite a place. It is right smack on tope of the hill, on solid rock, with a round tower fairly well preserved + a collection of walls + courtyards around it. We could climb ? the spiral staircase up to the top of the tower + walk most of the way around the top, using due care to keep from slipping or being blown out a window. The whole place is very picturesque + commands a beautiful view of the bay and surrounding country. In the evening nine of us went to the hotel for dinner, + I had y first fresh fish in 3 ½ mos ( ??). It was wonderful. By the time we got back + through sitting around the club it was very late. But I sure wish it was you I am going around with. Good night.

Love B.

January 3, 1944

Darling,
The trouble with these V-letters is that, after I finish one, I wish I had written some more. I miss you so much now-days. Instead of going to bed I sat around + read the “Stars + Stripes” + listened to the nine o’clock news. I see you had a big fire downtown, and we heard a recording of Gen. Montgomery’s farewell address to the 8th Army. He has a very impressive ? way of speaking- rather high-pitched, very clear cut and incisive, + you can tell he is used to saying just what he means + having people accept it as such. No foolishness.
No letter today, but the wallet came, along with the tobacco + candy. I was much pleased to see it. The other day I got eighteen nice crisp new one pound notes to put in it. They fit very nicely. I hope they stay in it for a while, but life in Ireland is kind of hard on them, when you have to spend money to have any relaxation at all. I think I got all my Christmas presents, but this was the first 1st-class package I have received in quite a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if I forget to thank you for things sometimes, because I have a habit of writing letters in my head + forgetting to put them on paper, or forgetting that I have already told you about something + writing it all over again (don’t I?). What wouldn’t I give to be with you again + just stay right close to you forever + ever? But it’s a big help (it really is) just to have you to write to. Every day I love you more.

B

January 1, 1944

1545 1 January 1944

Dearest,
I just wrote you on letter (V) + that turned out so well that I think I’ll write another. I’ve been feeling remarkably cheerful all day, though I can’t see that there is much around here to be especially happy about. It must be the unusual scarcity of dissension today and the fact that I’ve been getting so much mail from you- a couple of letters (or more) every day. Yesterday I got your air-mail of Dec 8 + a letter from Mr. Boyd. Today it was your airmail of Nov 28 + V-letter of Dec 12, and a Christmas card from the H??ves, which was really a letter from Midge. That was very nice of her. I like to hear about you from other people, too. Your comments on Randolph are delightful as usual, but if you + Papa kept him out of the conversation, I think you must both have been drinking. Tah! Tah! ?? Sorry to hear about Bob’s Christmas dinner. He’s very welcome to the phonograph if he comes back for it and he thinks it’s fit to listen to. Supposing you write me an occational letter (V-mail only) to Det. A-7th Field Hospital, APO #813. Then I’ll get some news that’s less than 3 weeks old + still get mail after we get pulled out of here (anytime between now + March). I think I’ll write to some other people now.
Love B

December 30, 1943

Dearest,
Well, well, + well. Guess what I got today! Seven V-letters + one air-mail from you! The former were dated Dec. 2,3,4 5,+8 ( 3 pgs) – the latter Dec. 1. I also got 3 Posts (2 of the same issue) + 4 Princeton Alumni Weeklies. You see, yesterday the – Division APO sent a man up here to see why we hadn’t collected the mail which had been piling up there for the last two weeks. But nobody had told us any of our mail was sent to that APO. So today when you mail clerk brought over the mail as usual (incl. your air-mail letter) the Major sent him after the 2 weeks accumulation + he go the first 4 V-letters. Then he had no more than gotten back than they called up + said they had some more. So he went + got a third batch, with your 3 page job. It just kept us excited all day. But poor Miss B., who hadn’t received a single letter from home since she came to Ireland (her folks don’t believe in V-mail) got just one letter (from home) out of it. I think mine was only the second real letter since I got here- maybe the first. The last one I got was of Nov. 22 + I don’t think that came before we left England. Barner + Lustig?? have been having all the luck. There’s no special news otherwise, so I’ll write you an air-mail now.
Love B

January 1, 1944

1515 1 January 1944

Happy New Year, Darling.
1943 ended without any special excitement around here. Nothing like the Christmas t?? and far more enjoyable. The colonel left a few days ago and he’s now, presumably, gone to London for a couple of meetings, which makes everybody very happy. This place never runs smoothly, but without the col. it at least runs. The beds are pretty well filled up now, so we are not plagued with a flood of unnecessary admissions, and there were no emergency operations or anything like that. I only got 2 hrs sleep (more from insomnia than work) night before last, but I made that up yesterday afternoon. Last night we had a very congenial party at the club- not too stail ?? and not too wild. I was dragged into trying to dance on the rough concrete floor, + was ?? at midnight by three ladies, one nice, one O.K. + one repulsive. A wall-eyes Creole, or something, form Louisianan kept “molesting” me from time to time, to everyone’s amusement. Now I guess she’s so mad shell never speak to me again (I hope). I’m very particular about women, you know, so much so that to date I’ve only found one that fills the bill. None of them stand a chance against you.

Love B

December 28, 1943

Dearest,
I haven’t been in a letter writing mood for the last couple of days, I’m afraid. The col. came back to straighten things out some more + proceeded to put his foot in more things than ever. The hospital is really running now- on about 3 cylinders + the mixture is wrong- with probably 100 or so patients. Yesterday they admitted 58. Most of them only wanted to get their dentures mended or a physio-therapy treatment or some little thing, as out patients, but the col. said they were all to be admitted, looked over, told there was nothing wrong with them + sent back to duty if possible. The dumb jackass (who is sitting right beside me preening his ridiculous mustache) wants to show up the inefficiency of all the other hospitals in N. I. at anybody’s cost. So he has us all running around doing complete histories + physicals on people with broken glasses + misfitting false teeth. Once they are admitted they have to stay in at least two days. That is saving manpower. Ya-a-a! I got your V-mail of Nov. 30 today + Toots’ of Dec 7, which was most encouraging. The mail here has certainly been skeerewy. It seems to take a week to ten days for a letter to get here from England (+ all mail comes that way), +there was no mail Xmas or Sunday or Boxing Day. All I get is an occasional V-letter from you, all V.V.O. This over seas business never really got me down until the last week or so, but I’m recovering now- getting somewhat immunized to the unpleasantness. But I can love you from any distance or under any circumstances, which saves me from becoming too desperate because sooner or later I’ll be back.

Love B

December 26, 1943

Happy New Year. Hope you had a nice Christmas. We had quite a time here. The col., as you know, had been buzzing around here for a week or so insisting on opening the hospital, which he accomplished several days ago, but there were no patients. So he had the – Division surgeons over for Xmas eve dinner (noon) + told him to go on + send us some patients. And he did. We go six or eight patients on Christmas eve, of all times. Where upon the col. packed up + went back to Hq for Xmas dinner. You can imagine how happy everybody was, + no one was more disgusted than Gen Surg Team #24. So after the evening party for all personnel + some of the local civilian, consisting of a movie (Laurel + Hardy), beer, doughnuts, + cookies, the Team retired to the Officer Club + proceeded to hang one on. I think we were pretty well depressed over spending Christmas here, + most of the other people had gone off to midnight mass so we turned it into a very pleasant evening – by contrast. It couldn’t have been done without alcohol. Yesterday we had a pretty good dinner with turkey + everything, but nobody had much of a holiday because the patients continued to roll in + they all had to be worked up. We finished the day with a grand finale by doing an appendix at 10 PM. They talked to Maj. Stibbs into accepting the honor of doing the first operation so he + Capt. Sheppard did it while the rest of us stood around + watched. The whole thing went off with hardly a hitch to everyone’s delight + I think it was a considerable extent because Miss Barnett turned out to be a first class surgical nurse- also because the major is such a perfect gentleman. If this outfit could get rid of some of its administrative misfits + maybe get some more dependable nurses in place of several scatterbrained ? it would be a good organization. I’m on a septic surgery + I have one patient, with a hemorrhoid, which we will fix up tomorrow.
I opened your presents Xmas eve + found a most amazing collection of nice things. I wish I had known about the hot water pad the night we got back from Carrickfergus. My feet stayed cold almost all night. I don’t know what those chocolate things are- they seem to be neither fudge nor brownies- but they are good. I thank you all very very much for those + all the other things. Maybe I can have you too next Christmas + Toots + Willy to make it a real Christmas. Give everybody my love but remember it’s mostly for you yourself.

B.

December 24, 1943

Dearest,
So it’s Christmas Eve. So they say. It really looks so in the mess hall. The decorations turned out to be quite OK. They got 3 or 4 very respectable trees + decorated them with paper paper streamers + stars in various colors + wisps of absorbent cotton + strung festoons of paper across the ceiling. It really looks OK. It’s quite wonderful what these nurses can do along those lines when they want to. The col. says he expects some patients in today, but nobody in going to get excited until we actually see them here. The col. has been telling us everyday that they would appear - & they haven’t yet. The old jackass. They began the OD roster yesterday + Barner ? drew the first surgical OD. I am alternate tonight + OD tomorrow night- which probably means only that I can’t go out. The 3 of us who were free last night returned to the pub + had a little more ale. We were soon joined by the col. + the maj, + the former entertained us with inanities most of the evening. Col. Lyter is a fine CO, whatever I used to think. Rumor hath it that there is some kind of a party tonight- there’s a beautiful cake on display in the mess hall- but nobody seems to know anything. So I’ll try to celebrate without you. But it won’t be much fun.

Love B

December 23, 1943

Dearest,
This is a very nippy morning for Ireland, with a heavy frost- the first we’ve seen since we left England, like the one they had the morning we arrived at 517 way back in September. Yes, we’ve been in the ETO almost 3 months now. Last night the 1st Auxil (Gen Surg. Team #24), or, Min Barnett + the three musketeers decided to see about the pub in the adjoining village. We didn’t expect much, but as soon as we walked in, the proprietor, a very nice + very Irish lady, took us around back of the bar + through a couple of doors to the parlor or “saloon” or whatever they may call it- because we were a lady + officers. It was a delightful spot, no one else there, with a fireplace + a few comfortable chairs + a collection of bric-a-brac, pictures of family weddings + such. The lady was disappointed when we didn’t order whiskey, because she can make money on that, + she said the beer was too “fresh” + she didn’t think we could drink it, but reluctantly agreed to get out a few bottles of ale she had. It turned out she had 16 small bottles, which did us just right. So we agreed unanimously that we had found the perfect spot to go to to get away from it all. No transportation problem, inexpensive, + exclusive.
It hardly seems possible that Christmas is the day after tomorrow. They are going to do something or other about it here, I guess, because they are collecting 5 shillings from each officer for “decorations”, but whatever they do it will be a very odd Christmas. I have two nice packages from you to open and a few smaller ones out of your big ones. But you aren’t here yourself-or I’m not where you are- which takes about 99% of the pleasure out of it. If you were here I wouldn’t give a damn about the rest of it. And I’d sure like to be around Toots + Willy. I guess they get the biggest kick out of it. It being to all intents + purposes Willy’s first Christmas, he should really be worth seeing, + I know Toots will enjoy herself. Ireland is really closer to home than England, + in some ways it’s more home-like, but I feel more remote than ever here. However, I expect we’ll all have a good time as such things go when the time comes. But am I going to have a good time when I get back with you!! I’m not really sorry I’m over here, but what I want most of all is to get back again as soon as possible. You are too big a part of my life to do without.
Love, B

December 21, 1943

Dearest,
It isn’t that often that I write to you twice in one day, this is for tomorrow’s mail. The wind dies out at the first crack of dawn after breakfast this morning, but came back with the last glimmer of twilight after supper. Now it’s howling again. Twenty minutes ago it was pouring rain. Now the stars are all shining brightly. Just before the end of November (the 29th I think) I bought you + Toots some stuff to make some clothes out of. You probably won’t like your piece, but it was the best I could find. The piece I got for Toots was a remnant + was all I could get of that kind. So if you want to switch them around somehow, it’s quite alright with me. I’ve been toting the stuff all over England + Northern Ireland looking for suitable wrappings + only found them last night when they were “unwrapping” the hospital. So I’ll get them mailed tomorrow or soon after. I told you some time ago I thought I would maybe send you a little money this month, but I’m sorry to say I cannot do it. The 1st Auxil Officer’s Club assessed (technically “borrowed”) us four pounds each just before I left, + we had to pay for our September rations, as well as October’s out of our November pay and the trip to Ireland and some of our activities here made noticeable, thought not very serious ? on our cash supplies. So I’ve now got ₤ 4.9.5 left. That won’t cramp my style any, but it won’t leave much over. I never intended to mention the subject in the first place, + so raise your hopes falsely, until you started talking bout sending me money. ? Barner is just about flat broke, but he played too much poker in England. I don’t ever do such things.
It’s right cozy sitting here in a circle around the ?? 1 stove: Lt. Cal Herming, Capt, Bussabarge, Capt. Barnes, Lt. ?? + me, + Maj. Stibb is snoozing on the nearest bed. The hut is cold ten feet away from the stove, but with my feet 3 or 4 feet from it + my new bathrobe on it’s quite comfortable. Since I got over here to Ireland I’ve gone back to wearing my winter woolies all the time. I tried leaving them off one morning + like to froze to death.
The hospital didn’t open today, but will open tomorrow, I think, for medical patients only. The surgical service will start working a few days later, when the OR is fixed up (or will it be a few weeks?). The surgical nurses were busy all day making drapes + stuff, but nobody else found much to do today.
This is going to be the last page. Over here the war seems kind of far away. At our first stations in the ETO we used to see large flocks of bombers, big ones, going + coming in the mornings, sometimes + hear them going over in the evening, + for a few weeks we had an alert practically every night, usually with anti- aircraft activities which was sometimes quite spectacular. We heard a good many bombs, but never had fall within ten miles of us (maybe more). And we felt as if we were pretty much in the war,. But this could be Texas just as well as Ireland, except for the climate, + the blackout, + the living half in America + half in the UK, + the food situation, + the screwy money, + a few other things. In other words we are surrounded by plenty of military activity, but no real enemy activity- just like Texas. Ireland’s a very pretty country with small, rolling hills covered with small fields separated by hedgerows + stone fences and occasional mountains, single or in groups, here + there. There are lots of one-story stone houses, usually white-washed, but few thatch roofs here. The people are mostly inclined to be reserved but friendly. But I wish I were home with you. That would be really nice.
Love, B

December 3, 1943

Dear Marty, 1st Auxiliary Country Club
Your loving husband has been busy as a one-armed paper hanger for the last 8 days especially the last 4 or 5. But I guess I can let up in a day or two. We’re getting so fancy around here we hardly know ourselves. I suppose anyone freshly arrived from home (if he hadn’t come from someplace like Dodd Field) wouldn’t be particularly impressed, but we didn’t expect to live in genteel surroundings again for anywhere from a year up. Eating off real plates on a table-cloth in a real dining room and dressing for dinner (blouses) seems just too wonderful. And having a clothes cabinet and a bureau and a chair for each bed is equally amazing. I can’t remember, so far, to use the chair to sit on- I usually sit on the bed or my foot locker from force of habit. All but the majors live in two big wards (officers, I mean), + most of us would choose the ward over a private room or semi- private cubide anyway. We all seem to be gregarious now. We are in a smallish town you never heard of (probably) near a big town you do know. I’ll tell you all about the place when I have time to write a letter + am not so sleepy. The PEXmor box came today.

Love B

November 28, 1943

Hi,
I said I would write you a long letter this week-end and I didn’t go it and I guess I won’t until the situation has changed a bit. I have to have lots of time to do one of those + I haven’t had lots of time for several days+ probably won’t for several more. Things will be different after the first of December, though I am no longer permitted to say how. I found some more of those handkerchiefs for Aunt Lou. The best grade for ladies are 4/6 + for men 8/0, but they say our coupons will be no good after this month + no more will be issued. I still have a flock of them left, which I hope to find time to use tomorrow. There are a couple of first class stores in a nearby town. We’ve had a regular Old Home Week around here over the Thanksgiving week-end. I think nearly a dozen of the departed members must have come back for anywhere from an hour to several days. I hope they don’t start selling you folks this “heat- proof” butter. We have just finished several cans+ decided it taste like axle grease + paraffin + not at all like butter. I personally prefer no butter. But now we’ve got the real thing from Minnesota, again. Now I’ll finish my ?.

Love B

November 24, 1943

Hi, + Hooray!
Yesterday I did all my Christmas shopping + just now I put about 15 handkerchiefs in the mail (air-mail). Maybe they will arrive before Easter. They all came from Givan’s Irish Linen Story, New Bond St. , except Doug’s which I got at Walpole’s previously. The ladies’ cost 3/9 or ¾, men’s 7/0 or 5/0, + Toots’ 1/3 . 1s= 204
Total bill at Givan’s 3/5/10. Now you know all. I got the cards at Selfridge’s. While I was in Town I killed a little time walking around + saw Grosvenor Sq for the first time. That neighborhood is a Little Washington. Seemed to me practically every house was occupied by some American agency- from the Embassy on down. We are in quite turmoil around here this week, with Thanksgiving tomorrow, a big inspection the next day, + a change of stations impending. We had quite a to-do last night because we had only half enough turkeys to go around, so this morning I went to see the QM about it + was assured that everybody in the ETO is in the same boat, regardless of what the newspapers say. Some are giving our food to the enl. men + the supplementary pork loin to the officers + nurses. So now everybody is ashamed to squash anymore. But we have cranberry sauce + pumpkin pie + the nurses are going to decorate the mess hall so it should be a satisfactory Thanksgiving. Yesterday we contracted ? from three barracks down to two, so now the old homestead isn’t so empty. In case you have heard from elsewhere, Al Neubert ? died of meningitis very suddenly a month ago. Nobody else caught it. It was most surprising from all points of view. Best wishes to everybody.

Much love from B

November 22, 1943

Hi,
Two letters have arrived: #30 of Nov 13, Saturday and #29 of Nov 11 today- backwards you see. There were son Saxon kings here until about 600 AD + I didn’t know they knew anything about Welsh ones before Caesar came over in 55 BC. Your family must be a prize ? antique. What in the world do you want to be a Grey Lady for? Don’t you have enough to do? But if you think it would be something entertaining don’t let me stop you. I have overslept tow mornings in a row now so I’m feeling wonderful- also the weather has been quite warm the last few days, which is nice. Saturday I went for a long walk around the country in the feeble sunshine. Yesterday I wrote you a long letter about the walk and a GI V-mail about nothing. Today Sgt. Hollaway + I counted the pots + pans as we rather expect to move to a new post shortly. That will mess up the mail again- new APO. The nurses go to a bomber base not too far away on parties + dates + whatnot, so now + then the boys entertain them by dusting off our chimneys with their ?. One flew back + forth over here a little while ago not 10 feet about the ?, I’m sure.
Last night we had a movie for the first time in a couple of weeks with ????. It stunk but was very funny in spots. Tell Willy happy birthday for me.

Love B

November 21, 1943

Some where in England
Dearest Wife and Dareling Babies,
I hope this fines you all well as it leaves me. I am not doing anything this afternoon so I am thinking of you as usual so I will now drop you a few lines honey??. Dareling I don’t like England to much it is full of Historic Places but I miss you all an I wish I was home again because England is cold an wet if you all was over here to it wouldn’t be so bad. I a m always lonely for my dareling sweet wife an babies. Yesterday was pretty nice day for England because the sun was out (Ha! Ha!) so I went for a walk an saw some of he country. Don’t you werrie about me honey ?? they feed us reel good an I don’t have to work much. Maybe this War will soon be over an I can go home and live with my dear sweet wife and our dareling babies. Your loving husband.

W.P. Hearn Jr.

November 21, 1943

November 19. 1943

Good Morning.
It’s 12:05 AM + I suppose I ought to be asleep. But you are just finishing dinner, so I guess it isn’t so late (It’s really Nov 20th, here). I overslept this morning + didn’t get last night’s letter in the mail- it goes out at 8 AM- but this one will get in tomorrow because we have our weekly inspection to get ready for. This afternoon I was very much pleased to receive your V-letter of the tenth. If the back yard is washing into the cellar I guess the holes in the wall had better be cemented up. I presume Bob can supervise that. We had some rather spring-like weather today for a change, but it gets cold at night just the same. We had a thunderstorm here a month or so ago, sandwiched between the air-raids which were prevalent not so far from here at the time. We thought it was kind of funny- thunder of one kind or another. So there’s a page full of chatter in lieu of news, which there isn’t any. I just wrote to Papa.

Love B

November 18, 1943

Hi,
#27 ?, Nov. 8 arrived today, dispelling the drought and my depression. I don’t know you say it takes your V-letters two weeks to get there. 8 days is the usual time, though some take 9 or 10 + I believe one took 12. I sent you an air-mail this morning- a rather mournful one, I’m afraid, though there wasn’t any good reason for it’s being so. It may be summer in ? + summer– and winter – in SA, but it’s just plain winter here, which seems a bit odd because the roses were still blooming a month or so ago. There was ice in the shade at noon today. I haven’t heard if anybody got travel money + I doubt if you do. We heard today that in the ETO any transportation officer (as Maj. Bartholomew is in the 1st Aux )who lets a car freeze is automatically court-martialled. Good thing that wasn’t the rule at Fort Sam last winter. What’s the “WFO”? I’d sure like to listen in on one of your War ? meetings. I have a felling it would be very entertaining. Nothing worth mentioning has happened around here, except that I stole four light bulbs for the mess hall, which shows that I’m learning the business. Remember me to Toots + Willy.

Love B

November 18, 1943

November 15, 1943

Dearest,
Today the traveling officers’ clothing store came + set itself up in one of our buildings. It’s just about as good as the permanent one in London, so I really did some shopping. I got another field jacket + another set of ODs + some nice light-weight wool underwear. And I got the bathrobe + promptly took a bath which I enjoyed much more than usual, as the temperature in the bathroom must be about 40 degrees or 50 degrees on a cold day- it’s alright as long as one stays in the shower, but it’s a bit chilly before + after. They also have some felt slippers for 75 cents which I couldn’t resist. They don’t look too durable, but they sure are comfortable. And tomorrow I am getting some real flannel pajamas, + then I ought to be all set. So I spent the afternoon sewing on name-tapes + shoulder-patches + shortening pant-legs. I’m getting right nimble with a needle + thread. I haven’t heard from you for a couple of days now, but that’s nothing to get excited about, I guess, except that I was getting two letters almost every day for awhile. So please keep on writing, because your letters mean an awful lot.

Love B

November 13, 1943

Hi,
Yours of Nov. 4 received gratefully today. I hope you enjoy army forms- filling out forms in triplicate, etc. The Current News also came today + confirmed your news about Anne Goff. I take it her job is more or less permanent? We’ve had some beautiful weather now + then for anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days at a time. The full moon has been gorgeous. But I expect there will be very little sunshine from Dec. to Feb., incl. And the sun is awful low in the sky at noon nowadays, also pretty feeble. It’s a long, long, long way from Texas. However, we aren’t cold anymore, so we don’t care much if it rains from now to Easter. I just discovered today that they still coin farthings here. It is about the size of our cent + has a little bird on it that looks as if it was designed by Walt Disney. That makes 10 coins in use in this silly country, 3 of them rara but perfectly legal- (farthing), ha’penny, penny, threepenny bit, (silver threepence), sixpence shilling, florin, half-crown, + ??. And since their smallest “bank-note” is for 10s, you usually have a pocket full of metal- especially copper. Maybe I’ll write you a letter tomorrow- Kat ? is explaining the Jewish religion.

Love B

November 12, 1943

Hello!
Today I got two air-mail letters from you, Oct 24, + Nov 21. The ancient history lessons have apparently stopped for awhile. I sent you an air-mail this morning. I should imagine “BPO” might mean “Bare PO”. Was the letter censored? The British call theirs the “General PO”. I, also, notified the Reader’s Digest of my change of address. I got the Oct. issue about two weeks ago via FSHT. That’s not slow. I had forgotten all about the Post, but Merchant + I will be very glad to see it when it comes. Fred has been having a frightful time finishing the installments of some Wild West story. The Post crate is here, if you are so lucky as to find one. Yesterday I got a haircut + took a bath. Today I scrubbed my leggings + cleaned up all my shoes, + topped it off a few minutes ago by scrubbing a pair of shoestrings- they look pretty good, too. Now I guess I’ll have to go out + celebrate for something. I had thought about going to St. Albans today, but changed my mind + decided to do my shopping in London next week. I think my Xmas presents will go in envelopes via air-mail. How does Willy get along with “Turkey-in-the-Straw”? Or does he prefer marches like his sister? Take care of yourself.

Love B

November 10, 1943

Dearest,
Your V-mail continues to arrive more or less regularly, and your air-mail is still coming in reverse. As I told you, #13 came Monday, then #11 (Oct 13) arrived yesterday + #10 (Oct 10), today after just one month. Also today brought V#23 (Nov 2). The rest of #20 still hasn’t shown up. I’m certainly sorry to hear you are suffering from a bug, + I hope it isn’t any worse than you say it is. You need not worry about me and the blackout. It’s quite harmless in the country + we prefer to stay out of London at night, anyway. Besides, there isn’t much of anything to do there except to go to shows- which doesn’t attract me much. Thanks for the crossword puzzles. I’ve been more or less occupied the last few days in learning my way around the kitchen + about how they do things. The QM has been giving us wonderful food there the last few days, so I’m getting quite a reputation as a mess officer without any effort at all. Also, the first morning I was on, Sgt. Hollaway tried serving hotcakes for the first time, which also went over big. Now if I can find out how to make powdered eggs edible, I’ll be a real hero (there is a way, they say). Tonight the nurses are having a party for some Air Corps Officers + everybody but Durno ? + I are there, it seems. I can hear the orchestra thumping in the club, it’s so quite here. A little while ago I heard some bad news for A.H.

Love B

November 8, 1943

Dear Marty,
Two letters from you today-#13 (Oct 18) + (Oct 31-V). I get a little mixed up sometimes, as you had already told me you gave Pa a picture of my moronic ? + today I hear that you just got them. But your letters are awful nice just the same especially #13. I think you must have been happy when you wrote it. It was rather amusing that you should tell me about beautifying the downstairs room just now, because I spent all afternoon supervising the beautifying of our mess building for inspection by the C.O. of this sector. He is reputed to be a very fussy inspector + he came + went over some of the post, but when the colonel invited him to come + do our part, he said that was a sign we must be all set for him, so he would come back unexpectedly someday. But I learned more about the kitchen this afternoon than I would have in two weeks otherwise. I just took over the job at noon today. I don’t think it will be too onerous considering how I have nothing else to do.
After two pages of your five-page letter failed to turn up, I thought might do better to stick to one –page ones, but I don’t seem to be doing so well.
It’s warm + wet again now.
Tonight the radio is presenting an all-evening program is honor or Russia. They’ve played all sorts of Russian music, including the “Internationale”, which I never heard before yesterday, + presented specially written ballads, + speeches by Wendel Willie + people. Right now they have stopped for 20 min of news + stuff, but the Russian program is to continue at 9:20. Isn’t that funny- you haven’t even begun to get dinner! And it’s been dark here for three hours.
Sounds as if I could expect quite a Xmas, + I’m sort of glad you didn’t get the things off as soon as some people did. We’ve been getting Xmas presents here for weeks, + it usually seems better to open them as some are edibles that might get stale. I hope I get around to doing a little Xmas shopping soon. With all the goings- on around, I always get stuck here for one reason or another. I could write more but I’m going to save it. If you are always as happy as you were when you wrote that letter, I’ll be happy too (more or less).

Love B

November 7, 1943

Hi,
I spent the afternoon writing you an airmail letter which I mailed. This is a beautiful moonlight night- really brilliant, with a little low-lying mist. But oh is it cold! Not really, but we had a movie called “Pittsburgh” which was terrible, with the same ancient newsreel we had the last week. But our so called “theater” isn’t heated, + by the time it was over at 10:30. I was sitting there with frozen feet + bouncing up + down on the bench to try to keep from shivering. They took out the stoves because the stove-pipes were right in the middle of the room where they interfered with the projection. So, after that, I trotted back here, stood by the red-hot stove for a minute + then put my feet to bed real quick. Now they feel much better, but they need company. There goes “The King” finishing the day’s radio program, so as the lady announcer says: Good night and God bless you.

Love B

November 6,1943

Dearest,
I suppose you mean somebody wants to send me some money for Xmas. Which is kind of funny, because I was thinking of sending you some next month, maybe. The way things have been going, I’m getting much more than I need. So I planned to wait until I had a real fat roll (they seldom use anything but one-pound notes here + $100 is 25 of them) and then peel some off for you, unless I find something really worth buying with it which doesn’t seem very likely. As I have said, things that are cheap are just the ordinary necessities of life. But if anybody wants to send me a present, I wouldn’t think of insulting them. A postal money order is probably the simplest method, but a draught on any London bank (especially Barclay’s Bank) would be quite OK. Barclay’s has a branch in every town around here. There is a US Post Office in London + APO517 isn’t far away. I think they cash plenty of M.O.’s This afternoon it suddenly got very cold (must be around freezing) with a howling north wind + now it’s crystal-clear + most invigorating after all the chilly fog and rain we’ve had. Feels like a snappy fall day at home. But it’s nice + cozy in here with our three stoves. Tomorrow being Sunday, I expect I’ll try to write an air-mail letter. I love you very much.

Cheerio B

November 6, 1943

Hello Beautiful.
I got the jack-pot today, most of it. Meaning that all at once I got your Air-mail of Oct 20 (#15) + 5 V-letters of Oct 27th, 28th, +29th (#20 C+D and either A or E, I can’t quite make it out, probably A- the one about the children). Your V-letters aren’t all numbered, but as near as I can figure, I am now missing Nov 3, 6, 10,12,13, + either 16 or 17 as well as 20 B + E or A. I suppose the missing ones are air mail + the rest of #20 (Oct 29) will be along in a day or two. Some of the guys are still getting air-mails that were sent in the middle of September. Your #3 would have been about Sept 22, + # 6 about Oct 1st. Incidentally, if you didn’t know it, we over here aren’t allowed to number them. None of your letters have been censored – at least V-mails aren’t stamped by a censor as they should be if they were read. How are mine doing- any detections? I take it I’m not sending you enough air-mail letters, I’ll see what I can do. The trouble is that so much of the chatter that I would ordinarily write is strictly forbidden, + after I put the cream ? of the news in V-letters, there doesn’t seem to be much left. Maybe I’d better start writing essays on various phases ? of English life, or something- but I really don’t know much about it. Can you read these V-letters alright? Sometimes I can’t make out the scribble you cram in the corner of yours but I don’t think I miss anything important

November 6, 1943

Dear Toots,
Did you ever see a goat? You know a goat has two horns and chin-whiskers and a little short tail that wags fast. We have one here in England. His name is “Yank” and he has yellow horns and two red stripes on each side of him, which makes him a corporal. Maybe Doug can tell you what a corporal is. Anyway Corporal Yank just loves to play- sort of like Topsy- but he doesn’t bark. When he wants to play he looks at you and says “Maa-a-a!” Very sassy-like. Then, when you chase him he scampers along the water mains (which are above-ground) almost like a squirrel. Then if you run away from him he comes after you and pretends he’s going to butt you, only he never does. He’s really a very nice goat. Maybe he’ll be a sergeant someday.

Love from Daddy

November 5, 1943

Hi,
I’m still falling down on the correspondence, I guess. Maybe the fact that I haven’t heard from you for nearly a week has something to do with it (Excuse #2). Also I’ve been helping censor the enlisted men’s mail lately + when I get through with that I’m sort of sick of the sight of the stuff. They’re sending V-mail Xmas cards now- ten to a man- so with all that + letters too, I had to sign 150 V-mails this evening, which tends to give cramps in the fingers. Someday I’ll have to rite you a letter in typical Alabama GI style. Some of them are worth publishing. (I hope the guy that censors this doesn’t come from Alabama). Life around here has been quite uneventful lately. I told you, I believe, that I was in London Monday. Tuesday I was in Surrey + saw some pretty country. They talk about Surrey pines + they are really there. They are rather picturesque pines that look rather like the Norway or Red pines in Maine, but without such long needles. I can’t tell you why I was there. Sorry. Last night we had a wild + woolly movie called “Counter Espionage”, mostly in London in blackouts + blitzes.

November 1, 1943

Hi,
Yours of the 23rd rec’d + continue enjoyed. I’m afraid my correspondence has slipped a bit lately. With all this moving and whatnot I don’t seem to be inspired to sit down + write much. Too bad you didn’t get to California to see Dot first. After all the talking you’ve done about it, it ought to be a historic meeting. Did I ask you to send me razors? Or is one of us goofy? I have three razors + 200+ some blades. And we are allowed two blades a week at the PX of which I use only on ore one+ a half- i.e. I am buying more than I’m using. So I certainly don’t need any. In fact, there is hardly anything we need that we can’t get here. You might send some more tapes, as I can see the present supply running out someday if I get really busy, with my needle + thread. See if they will print my serial number on them (I doubt it) as it has to be on all laundry + dry cleaning here. I am toying with the idea of putting tapes on my socks, which will require dozens. Barracks laundering isn’t too satisfactory – there is no drene or such. Recently I have been engaged in sewing SOS (ASF) patches ☹ on all my coats + jackets. I wonder how soon I’ll have to take them off again.
Today’s letter had no number on it so I don’t know how many air-mail letters are on the way. 12+13 still haven’t come, + I suspect there may be a couple more. I haven’t had one for a couple of weeks, I think.

October 28, 1943

Yip-yup!
Your V-letter of the 19th (#14) came today. But 12 + 13 are still on the way. It is just beginning to be real autumn here now. The leaves seems to fall kind of suddenly when they finally begin, then as I said there are still quite a few green tree left. Autumn here means fog + it has been with us all day today. Today I have been administrative OD which means I am head waiter at meal time + see that the tables in the mess hall are filled up more or less in order, and I am supposed to see that blackout is being properly observed tonight. Not much of a job or particularly bothersome (except that I have to start breakfast at 6:30 AM tomorrow). I wish you all enjoyment in trying to decide on the best spot for burning leaves- or do you float the authority like Mrs. Bowers + use the street? I live next to Tom Gill + Fred Merdiant in the barracks now which is very nice. There aren’t two better guys in the outfit. Tom was at the Graduate Hosp. for 3 ½ yrs, so he is almost a Philadelphian. What there is left of IC seems to have departed for the evening so I am enjoying the armchair in the Club this evening. It is very quiet + subdued tonight being inhabited by a few nurses playing “draughts” + a few officers sitting unobtrusively in a corner. There is a Philips radio here which is about the clearest sounding radio I have ever met. It is only a little larger than the Bosch + had no push buttons, but has short wave which gets NY very nicely. It also gets several long wave stations on the continent and many less clearly. Regards to all the folks.

Love B

October 27, 1943

Hi!
The autumn fogs are setting in now. It was pretty thick this morning, but burned off + we had a beautiful afternoon. Now, tonight you can’t see six feet ahead with a flashlight. They tell me that in a real pea-souper in London at night, with a flashlight, sometimes you can’t see the ground. I hope I can keep out of any such. In London, of course, it is what they call “smog” in St. Louis, due to soft coal smoke plus moisture. I haven’t got any mail since Sunday. But yesterday we received a carload or so of Xmas packages + others. Most of them were mailed a month or more ago, so I won’t be looking for yours for quite a while. I seem to have some duties as Asst. Mess Officer this time, (I don’t make the sandwiches). They have been leaving in droves there last three days, over half the outfit. So now we are getting quite cozy. I also figure out mess bills (ie the number of rations to be charged to each officer). That has also been keeping me fairly busy, though it only takes a couple of hours a month ordinarily. This time it is complicated by our recent travels. And tonight we ate off plates for the first time since we got off the boat. It’s a grand improvement over mess kits. We’ve had the dishes (enameled plates + cups) all along, but there had been no drying rack for them. Now ‘Arg ? had finally got it built + we can be civilized (moderately) again.

October 27, 1943

October 24, 1943

Hi,
Today I got your letter of Oct 7, remailed Oct 11. Thank you very much for the puzzles. I’ve been trying to do English ones now + then, but most of them are the kind that take hours to finish + I get tired of fooling with them before that. And with this I am mailing you a long letter about our trip to Windsor + Eton. My cold is practically gone, so much so that tramping around all day with wet feet didn’t affect it at all. They have allotments in this country all over the place- that is what they call Victory gardens- even on embankments along the railroads + in moats around old castles + such odd places. And they are the most luxuriant gardens you ever saw. Each vegetable looks like a prize-winner. They produce lovely tomatoes- only about the size of a crabapple, but nice + red and with excellent flavor. We also get a lot of apples, a little larger + not so good. Outside of many towns you see a couple of large fields divided up into little allotments, each with its own tool shack- looks like an American hobo jungle until you look twice. Incidentally, I haven’t seen a Brussel sprout since I got here- why I don’t know, maybe because I have only eaten in army messes + the better restaurants. Or maybe the British got tired of them last year. I have just been appointed assistant men officers again, which probably means nothing more than it did the last time, unless Frank Hamilton gets sick or something. Tell Toots I’d like to go to the tea-party with her some day.
Love B

October 22, 1923

Dear Marty,
Some mail finally arrived yesterday + I thought I would get about a dozen letters from you, but there was just one (#7, Oct 3). Have you sent any V-letters since Oct. 6? Some guys seem to get airmail letters in 8 days sometimes, but I don’t. However, letters from you are very, very nice at any times at all. I seem to have cured my cold in two days with sulfadiazine, after I had it six weeks (but bad for only one week). Don’t you go taking the stuff though, with out “medical supervision”. Hasn’t Willy learned to talk yet? Or is he still concentrating exclusively on the physical aspects of life? Save one of your sirloin steaks for me please. We have a very nice roast pork night often. I just can’t wait to see what’s in my Xmas package. Sometime you could send me a leather, zipper tobacco pouch without any extra pockets or fancy business, preferably the slightly long + narrow style. DeTusch was an intern at Jeff a couple of years ago. I had expected to write you a full size letter this evening, but the company came much earlier than usual+ hung around longer then usual + they made a nuisance of themselves + disrupted my plans. But tomorrow I rather expect to sightseeing some more + then I’ll have more to write about. No I’ll take my darn leggings off + go to bed.

Love B

October 20, 1943

Hi,
Are you still there? Still no mail. The mail service here is obviously run by the army. Yesterday they sent us papers, magazines, + advertisements. Today it was packages. Practically no letter either day. Tonight our Officers Club is having its second dance (We have our own club here) with old victrola records, sandwiches, + beer. Most of us Lts. Leave the socializing to the majors, but some went over to get their sandwiches on the theory that they want to get something for their dues. The beer is on sale every night, but being English isn’t very good- flat + bitter. So I stay home. My cold is almost gone now, which is wonderful, + I guess I can get out + around now. We are allowed to have some heat in the barracks now, though it still isn’t as cold as it was when we arrived. This country sure lives on soft coal. I smell of it- kind of tarry- from end to end. That is, I guess it still does- it did when we first came. I got kind of tired of it until I got used to it. The posters beg people to use some anthracite. I guess it must be expensive. Raymond M. P. (Retc) Donaghy got a cablegram telling about his new son today- transmission time:15 days. Don’t telegraph-write!

Love B

October 19, 1943

Dearest Marty,
Here it is Tuesday night + I haven’t heard from you since Friday. I thought your letter would be arriving more regularly than that. I’m still trying to get rid of my cold + living a pleasantly quiet life doing it. I haven’t been off the post for a week. The weather in England certainly goes in for all varieties + sudden changes. The other day the sun came out in the middle of a downpour + stayed out the rest of the day. This country is certainly pretty when it is “fine”. Then in the midst of a beautiful cold starry night it suddenly clouded over + rained. It is usually misty, hazy, or foggy, even when the sun is out, but sometimes it is gorgeously clear. Often, it stays overcast + foggy for days at a time. And one night we had a real storm with drenching rain + a gale of wind that blew the rain through the crevices in the building, like at the Beach, but it didn’t last long. For some reason I keep forgetting to tell you that I think it was very nice of you to go to Aunt Mary’s funeral. Today the first batch of newspapers + magazines arrived in the mail- newspaper dated Sept 7 to 17 and lot of medical advertisements that nobody wanted. Got Toots a nice fake face for Halloween. I sure wish I could help. Be good to yourself, too.

Love B

October 17,1943

Dearest Marty,
I have nothing much in the way of news to pass on because I haven’t done anything or been involved in anything for the last few days. I’ve just been fooling around here waiting for my cold to go away. It is going but it’s awfully slow about it. Some of the teams left today for DS at various hospitals around the country, + more will possibly go soon. Being on the Finance officers’ team (Neubert) I suppose I will be among the last to go. Our anesthetist is Morris Rosenberg (not Maurice Rosenbaum) + the nurse is Min Paulson, whom I don’t know. As long as I’m a Lt. you need not worry about my being seduced by any nurses. They prefer not to associate with anybody below the rank of Maj. (unless they can get hold of a 2nd Lt. in the Air Corps). Team assignments seems to be subject to frequent changes, however. Living in England isn’t nearly as exciting as you might think. It gives a bit of a thrill to realize that the air raid siren really mean business but we feel quite safe where we are. You soon get used to the black out + otherwise it just about like home with the rationing + militarization a bit exaggerated. But that’s not why I’d like to be home. It takes half the night to get my feet warm here.

Love B

October 12th, 1943

Dear Marty,
Got two letters from you today- Sept. 24 + 27. The story of Toots + the mistol ? is one of the best. I told it to some people here + brought the house down. I had meant to tell you before that the fellow who thought he knew Batsy in Cincinnati had his girls mixed up. It was really Clare West he was talking about. Anyway you shouldn’t proclaim your lack of comprehension so loudly. She lives across from the Tracy, you know.
Do you go around like Mrs. Bowers telling people, “You know I’m a widow + I don’t have time to do this + that”? Certainly sounds as if you had your hands full. I’d sort of like to see you washing the car. I wash my own “dishes” after every meal now. We’ve finally got a laundry to do our wash now which is quite a relief. Already, cleaner that I think will do a little more than “spread the spot around a bit + press it”. Launderer + cleaner seem to be just a little harder pressed here than they are at home.
Went to London today and got myself a trench coat with a removable lining ($30). It’s the only really satisfactory coat for this climate + if I’d known I was coming to England, I’d have brought the one I left at home. However, this one is some coat. That’s about all I did except walk along most of Oxford St. (London’s Market St.)

See you next time
Love B

October 10, 1943

Dear Marty,
This is just a request- for mailing purposes. When you get around to it and the postal regulations allow it. I would appreciate your sending the following:
1. The pillow
2. Some Bin 56 tobacco (Middleton’s). I suggest that you leave out the jars to save weight and breakage. It’s strong and expensive, but mixed with cheaper brands sold in the PX’s here. I think it might make a pretty good mixture. Just pack it in a bag or something- I don’t think it will dry out much at sea or in England.
That’s all at present and there isn’t any hurry about it. I have a sort of pillow as long as we are at the post and the PX allows us as much tobacco (incl. cigars) as most people ought to smoke. I just don’t like the brands of pipe tobacco + I have a couple of months supply that I brought with me.

Love B

October 9, 1943

Hi,
Hooray some more. Your first V-letter (Sept 30) came today. They usually seem to take 7 to 10 days to get here. That APO number on the 206? cards seems very odd, but that’s what they did. Some old army stuff. I guess I should have sent the cablegram, maybe. I presume you took in the prices.
We are getting along nicely here. The food is good + plentiful +the climate has turned out to be considerably better than it was the first couple of days. Our quarters are not luxurious, but are much better than tents. We have a radio that talk English, American, French, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, German, Dutch, Polish, + Welsh with equal facility + puts out plenty of nice music. I lay around all afternoon + listened to the London Philharmonic.
I hope Bob likes Roanoke Is. When I get some more of your letters I guess I’ll find out more what it’s all about. Right now I’m thoroughly mystified. Everybody is getting his mail all mixed up. Barry, who gets numbered letters like yours, got nos 3 and 11 yesterday. But don’t worry about it. I t will all turn up eventually.
Isn’t a gas heater nice? I’ll bet you don’t appreciate it. Home, sweet home.

Love B

October 8, 1943

Page One

Dear Marty,
Hurray! I got my first mail today- the letter you wrote Sept. 19th- 19 days enroute. There has been something a bit screwy about it because a bunch of letters written about that time arrived today- the first mail a lot of us here received. Some other people began getting V-mail and air mail almost as soon as we arrived. We think maybe some mail was either held up at the staging area, or came by boat. Apparently the thing works something like this: V-mail comes pretty regularly + always by air, but it has to be processed + all of that goes from here is censored, all of which takes two or three days. Evidently it isn’t flown over every day because sometimes the boys get several letters at once, but they must send a batch of films every 2 or 3 days at least. Air mail on the other hand may go right onto the plane, without any further censorship or any delay + so get here faster. Or if there is no plane space available, it may go by boat. Furthermore, they say, if there is lots of plane space ordinary mail may come by air. All this may be entirely wrong, but it sounds reasonable. And I can see that mail to Hawaii would probably be quite different. Will tell you more on another page.

Love B

October 8, 1943 (Page Two)

Page Two

Hi,
I’m glad to hear Bob finally got home. If you must have a man in the house I can’t think of a better one. I guess you’ll have a house-full this winter, with 7 dogs + 11 cats, etc. You can tell Bob I have a ribbon too now- it looks very lovely, but it seems very doubtful if I’ll ever have any more. I’d sure like to hear about the Marcus Island rail from him. No doubt you read in the paper about the air raid at London last night-it made headlines here. I wasn’t there but some of the boys were + they said it was quite a show. Unfortunately I can only tell you what I read in the paper, and I’m afraid to quote much of that. But they did say hat the city’s new AA defenses are both effective and spectacular.
Yesterday Janson and I went to Cambridge + had a very interesting time. We were conducted around by an 80 year old retired colonel who seems to be an amateur antiquarian and who was both informative and entertaining- a most delightful character. I’ll tell you all about it in a longer letter. For the present, I think I’ll go to bed. Best wishes to everybody.

Love B

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