September 29, 1943

Dear Marty,

If you got the two V-letters I sent (one from the boat + one from here) you are aware that we are now in England. You are probably more aware of it than I am. The first couple of days I would come to every now and then with a shock + realize that this is England and not some place near home. Then I hadn’t been off the Post, where almost everybody is American, living usual American army way. The principle difference is that cars stick to the left + US are marked on the back, “Caution- left hand drive- no signals”. However, now that I have strolled around outside the fence a bit + seen a few natives, I am dimly conscious that we are surrounded by England.
Yesterday’s Times reported that the weather over the Straits of Dove was cold and misty, + that the day before it was cold + clear. I’m not allowed to tell you about he weather here, but I doubt if it varies greatly in different parts of England. Anyhow that cold is of a most penetrating quality. We are not allowed any heat in the barracks until later in the year, so we all sat around and shivered. Now I know what long wool underwear is for. I wear it all the time and am comfortable, except that my feet get cold if I sit still for a while. Which, I think, also explains why Englishmen like to go for walks.
Yesterday morning Herb Janson took me across the road to look at an old church. The middle westerners seem to be quite overcome by its age, though I don’t think it is much older, if as old, as Barrett’s or Drawyers, or Old Swede’s. However it is very English with yew trees + such. There is a long holly hedge along the road- I never saw or heard of one of those before. While we were poking around there, the vicar turned up, and was very nice indeed. There is a British convalescent hospital nearby on an old estate, so he took us around there. There is an enormous “manner house” with three wings arranged in an S-shape. One wing is Elizabethan in architecture and age (like the U of P dormitories) + the other two are fairly new and are built to match. Because of the war everything (but the lawn immediately around the house and the rose garden) has been allowed to seed, but it has quite an array of gardens with all sorts of flowers, including the roses are still blooming. Although it’s a hospital there was not a soul in sight. Some of the guys have been sending EFM cablegrams home (ie fixed messes sent my number: “Love + kisses”, “Can you send me some money?”, “Merry Christmas”, etc) but apparently they take about three days to get there so I thought I’d send you a V-letter + save my 2/6 (half-dollar) for something more worthwhile.
Yesterday afternoon, Janson and Rosenbaum, + I strolled over to the local tea shop + had tea + cakes+ in a nice warm cozy little room. It was very pleasant, and the proprietress seemed pleased to tell us all about English rationing + trains to London. We had all the tea + jelly roll we wanted for 56 cents (or 2/9) for the three of us.
In the evening I was over at one of the local pubs (with a whole raft of guys) + found out a little more about life in England. Williams + Durno learned to play darts, but most of us couldn’t make much sense. The whole game depends on the scoring and that seems complicated. We drank a little “bitter” (beer) + found it neither very good nor very strong. But I suppose, as the proprietor told us, if you drink three pints, “you’ll feel a tickling in your toes”.
The country around here certainly doesn’t look very warlike in the daytime. There is a factory across a couple of fields with camouflage paint on it, but that really improves it’s appearance- makes it blend more or less into the landscape. There are airplanes in the sky, but usually no more that in San Antonio. The morning we arrived a couple of large flocks of heavy bombers flew over + we read in the paper that the British had been working on Emden ( I think) + the Americans on some places in France. But that’s all we’ve seen of the war around here. (Maybe censor will cut that out, but it looks harmless to me). Of course the blackout is quite something, but flashlights are allowable if not too bright, so there is no serious problem. Still some guys certainly can’t see in the dark.
Well Janson came in a few minutes ago + said we are going to London, so I’ll have to stop + get dressed (three quarters of the guys have already gone). Tell Toots they have nice pussy cats in England- also horses + beautiful cows. Hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Love B