Chotie Darling

Reconnaissance Badge - Thursday 29th October 1942

Address as before

Thursday

My Darling Chotie,

                                        Many thanks for letter received yesterday.  I'm just about kicking myself at the moment, having done a very stupid thing last night. 

                I wrote you a letter before going to the library and put it in one of the books I was taking back - and left it in there!  The point is that I didn't realise it until the library had shut, and the wretched place doesn't open again till tomorrow night (it's open every other day), so I can't get it till then. 

                However, thinking as much of my Chotie as I do, I have started another at the earliest. 

                I had a letter and a very welcome half-sovereign from Brinner telling me of your meeting - of which I was very pleased to hear - and also of course, telling me he was on leave.  We seem to strike it very unlucky as regards getting our leave together.  It would be much more fun for him if he could get his leave with us - it must be pretty dull for him by himself.

                 As usual there’s no news worth mentioning.  Anything which may have been of interest I have to leave out.  It's rather a blow to the indifferent letter-writer like myself.  However as always I’m making the best of a bad job (?).

                If ever you get in touch with that Rat du Rose, shake him up, will you?  He hasn't yet raised the requisite energy to write me - and after the effort I made on his behalf!  The whole affair sickens me.

                We have had nothing but rain, rain, rain for days on end. The only thing that has kept me among the living is the glorious sunset which has become a nightly feature.  Really lovely.

                Have read little lately owing to the Army's demands on my spare time.  Just Stephen McKenna’s “While of Sound Mind” and Osbert Sitwell's first prose work "Triple Fugue".  The former I can recommend, but the latter I found only good in parts, I recommend it for those parts.  (It consists of four or five short (?) stories. 

                Saw the ‘Ghost of Frankenstein*' last week.  Rather poor I thought.  Hope to see 'Reap the Wild Winds' tonight, which I just missed while on the course.  May also see 'The Young Mr Pitt’, if I get the time.  ‘Song of the Islands' is on next week I believe.  The boys will be queuing up to see Grable** in a grass-skirt... 

                Well, I must close here, Darling and see if I can get the 2.30 post.

                                                            all my love, precious

                                                                                    Dicker

PS. Je t’adore encore au tout mon Coeur

PPS. Badge*** enclosed (keep it clean!)

*'Ghost of Frankenstein', 'Reap the Wild Winds', 'The Young Mr Pitt’ and ‘Song of the Islands' were all films on circulation in 1942.

**Betty Grable, the star of “Song of the Islands” (a musical set in a Pacific island paradise), was an American actress and musical star said to have the most beautiful legs in Hollywood.

***The Reconnaissance Corps badge featured an upwards-pointing spear flanked by two lightning bolts.

© Chotie Darling

 

31st October 1942 – the brave seizure of an Enigma machine and keys from a sinking German submarine in the Eastern Mediterranean enables code-breakers at Bletchley Park to decipher the German Naval code ‘Shark M4’ by mid-December. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

2nd November 1942 – the Allies’ break-out at El Alamein in Operation Supercharge. Forces attacking in Operation Supercharge included the 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, who Dick was to fight with in NW Europe.

 

4^th November 1942 – German Army forced to retreat at El Alamein. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

Church Army tea - Sunday 25th October?

                                                                                            Sunday

My darling Chotie,

                                                    Please excuse my writing in pencil but I came in a hurry and forgot my pen.  I’m writing this in a Methodist Church Army Show, a hellish place to find oneself on a Sunday evening…However in a hour or so the Ritz will be open…

            I’ve been on the range all yesterday and today – marking in the butts (too technical for you?) means you signal the shots from the target end.  Very boring.  We manage to alleviate part of the boredom by betting on our own target.  After two days I’m where I started !  Not over profitable.  I’m on again Monday and Tuesday.

            Met a farmer on Friday.  Charming.  Quite the style with orange waistcoat etc, and a moustache like Marshall Budenny*.  Very interesting.  We talked for over two hours, mostly on farming topics.  Needless to say he was born and bred here, (man and boy for nigh on forty year etc…).  Altogether a very nice bloke, by which I mean he stood me a couple of pints…

            Needless to say I haven’t yet heard from that rat du Rose.  If you see him, tell him from me, he’s a SNAKE! 

            Fancy you liking Maggie Mitchell’s tale of ‘Ye Olde South’***!   Very surprising.  It’s on here.  Queues about a mile long for each performance.  There’s certainly a sucker born every minute…

            I went into a Church Army place this afternoon and found to my horror that they were issuing free teas.  Now when you get your tea gratis they expect you to stay to a temperance service afterwards.  There was a crowd of effeminate-looking service men seated round a table with various civilian was Led-in-the-blood-of-the-Lambers****, so I beat a hasty Dunkirk out of the place…

           Well, my Precious – will close here and see if I can’t find a drop of something warm somewhere.

                                                                                    All my love,

                                                                                                Dicker

P.S. Will write again tomorrow or Tuesday.

*Marshall Budenny – a Soviet military commander with a moustache wider than his face. 

**du Rose – one of Dick’s close companions in the Dorset Regiment. (See Enter du Rose.)

*** ‘Gone with the Wind’, from the book by Margaret Mitchell giving an idyllic portrayal of the USA’s deep South during the Civil War era, despite the reliance on slavery. It went on general release in 1941 and has been hailed as one of the greatest American films of all time.

****Possibly a mischievous reference to the Salvation Army?  

© Chotie Darling

 

25th October 1942 – the last German offensive in the Caucasus begins (between the Caspian and Black Seas, now in Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan).  (From WW2-net Timelines.)

 

28th October 1942 – the first six hundred inmates arrive at the concentration camp of Auschwitz Monowitz or Auschwitz III, established to source forced labour for the Buna synthetic rubber factory operated by I.G.Farben. The labourers included 1,200 British Prisoners of War working in appalling conditions. However, conditions were infinitely worse for the Jewish prisoners. Of 3,800 inmates present in December 1942 only 1,500 were alive by February 1943.

(From 'Hell's Cartel - IG Farben and the Making of Hitler's War Machine' by Diarmuid Jeffreys, Metropolitan Books 2008, History Learning Site and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.)

Autumn propaganda - Monday 12th October 1942

Address as before

 Monday

My Darlingest,

                                                            I have just arrived back from a four day scheme, so I'm writing you at the first opportunity.  Don't be surprised if you don't get a letter for some days, for I spend a fairish time away on these stunts, during which I can't write, as all letters have to be posted in the Regiment box.  It's rather a nuisance but I'm afraid it can't be helped.

            I’m in bed at the moment, just about dead - have only had about 6 - 8 hrs sleep in four days.

            Did quite a few miles - and saw several new places.  The countryside looks really wonderful - especially the farms here.  It's quite surprising to find so many period farmhouses - the timbered, rambling Tudor and Elizabethan and the severe, formal Georgian, Eric's pet grudge, (can't we ever make him appreciate this style?) - follow one another in rapid succession. 

            The haystacks here appear a real work of art. They are always round with a conical top and are usually finished off at the top with a spriggly, plaited bit, each a different design, apparently the “signature” of the farmer who built them.

            Everything is rapidly becoming that beautiful tone of golden - especially the horse chestnut trees, always among the first.  (Just ignore me, Darling,- I'm trying to get over some autumn propaganda...)

            Met a very decent subaltern* a few nights ago - in a pub of course.  He was in the 70th Buffs (East Kents') originally, and joined up the same day as I did.

            He said, “Don't ever take a commission - stay in the ranks!”  He's had one night off in the last month. 

            He used to live at Chislehurst next to the house (mansion...) where Napoleon III** spent his last days.  He also lived at Orpington*** (a mile or so from Chislehurst) the same time as we did. He was studying art, pre-war, at the Royal Academy.

            The Squadron-Commander was also there with his wife (?),- tall, dark very Hedy Lamarish - overcheck suit with brown velvet lapels, Paisley silk scarf wound round her hair, which was done ‘up’, and light brown pigskin bag.  That's all I can remember - not bad for me, eh!

            Managed to read Warwick Deeping’s “No hero-this,” whilst on the scheme.  Quite good.  Try it.

            Well, Chotie Dear, no news so will close here.

                                                             all my love, Precious

                                                                             Dicker

P.S.  I wrote Eric, (did I tell you?).  You might tell him I'm impatiently waiting for a reply.  I told him in the letter, but I don't suppose he took any notice of that.

 

*Possibly Ronnie Jury who became a close friend of Dick's in Belgium and went on to teach at the Slade School of Fine Art.

**Napoleon Bonaparte’s heir who was elected President of France in 1848 and quickly seized power as dictator and Emperor. He was the last monarch of France. Captured at the Battle of Sedan during the Franco-Prussian War he was exiled to England and died at Camden Place, Chislehurst in South-East London.

*** Orpington in Kent - where Dick was born.

 © Chotie Darling

 

43^rd Recce - on 14^th October Lieutenant Colonel McIntyre gave a lecture on ‘The First Battle of Burma’.(From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

 

18^th October 1942 –Hitler’s 'Commando Order' instructs German troops to shoot all captured Allied commandos. (See War in Dorset - October 1942 and WW2-net Timelines.)

19th October 1942 – with Rommel on sick leave in Germany, Allied forces in Egypt prepare to attack from the northern sector of the El Alamein line with an elaborate but unsuccessful feint on the south and the bombing and strafing of Luftwaffe airfields. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

21st October 1942 – Eisenhower’s deputy, Lt-General Mark Clark, is landed secretly in Algiers to meet with French Vichy leaders in North Africa, trying to persuade them not to oppose the imminent American landings. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

22^nd October 1942 – the call-up age for British men was reduced to 18 by Royal Proclamation requiring all men to register at their local Employment Exchange at 17 years 6 months. . (From WW2-net Timelines and World War 2 Talk ).

23^rd October – beginning of the second battle of El Alamein, with Montgomery’s Allied Forces attacking the German lines in the north.  General Stumme, Rommel’s cover, became lost on the battlefield and died of a heart attack.  Rommel returned on 25^th October to find that, although the line had held, half his panzers had been destroyed and the tanker bringing vital fuel and ammunition supplies had been sunk. (From WW2-net Timelines and ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

44th Recce played a critical role clearing minefields before the offensive and 51st Recce  were involved in the assault. (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007)

The RAF bombed the Italian cities of Genoa and Turin on the night of 23rd October.

The Winter Routine - Friday 2nd October 1942

On 4^th October 1942 Operation Basalt, a commando raid by the Small Scale Raiding Force on Sark in the Channel Islands captured One German soldier. Unfortunately others were killed with their hands tied – a breach of wartime convention that led to Hitler’s ‘Commando order’ for the killing of all Allied commandos taken prisoner. (See Combined Operations WW2 website.) 

HMS Turtle was established in Hamworthy on 7^th October 1942 as a naval shore base (now A Royal Marine base).

Churchill’s speech in Edinburgh on 12^th October 1942 ‘Keep right on to the end of the road’ made direct reference to the exploits of the commandos:

“The British Commando raids at different points along the enormous coast, although so far only the forerunner of what is to come, inspire the author of so many crimes and miseries with a lively anxiety.  There comes out of the sea from time to time a hand of steel which plucks the German sentries from their posts with growing efficiency.”

(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg,  Dorset Publishing Company.)

 

In October 1942 43^rdReconnaissance Regiment were still in Dover. Visitors included Lieutenant Colonels Luce - Adviser to the Recce Corps, Pavey – Officer in Charge of Reconnaissance Corps Records and Whitbread - Officer in Charge of the R.T.C. (Regimental Training Corps?).

The major training during the month consisted of firing.  All available personnel received musketry training in the Rifle and Bren Gun and a modified range course was set up.

(From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

As previous,

Friday 2^nd

My Darling Chotie,

                                                     Many thanks for very instructive
letter received today.  Glad to hear news of Eric – he appears to have struck it lucky – I said appears; though I expect he has something to moan about, as usual.  I definitely will write him when I get time.  I never seem to have a moment to spare these days.

            From after the 5^th inst. however, we should start the Winter Routine which means no work before breakfast and none after tea. There is also a later réveillé, which is a relief after the old 6am stunt.

            Well, Darling, I hope you are very fit and enjoying the glory of autumn (or Gluric as old McLuckie used to say). Though it’s hardly autumn yet – not here at any rate.

            I’ve just been talking to the padre – rather shocked him I think.  (I’m writing this in the Quiet Room which is also used by the Padre as a library. Some library…)

            I haven’t been out since last week-end, so I’ve nothing to write about.

            I wrote to Diller* last night, though not in time to reach her for her birthday (the 1^st) as I’d been out on a scheme.  She’ll soon be an Old Maid at this rate…23 I believe. However, who am I to criticize?  

            Weather’s been lovely today – plenty of sun and wind, and the old brown leaves tumbling down…

            Wish I was still in civvies.  Still, as you so aptly observe in your letter, it will soon be over.  About five years I reckon…You’ll be an old maid then! 

            I’ve just managed to get an ounce of baccy, first for several days, which cheered me up not a little. 

            Glad to hear Margaret*’s now sailing before the wind again.  Give her my best wishes, won’t you.  And all the family of course.

            I haven’t heard anything of Brinner*** lately, but no news is good news as the old saw has it.  I suppose he’ll be on leave soon, though it can’t be much fun for him, by himself, especially if there’s still no radio.

            Well, Lulu, I must close here for want of material.

            Be good, and look after yourself, won’t you. You’re very, very precious to me, you know.

                                                All my love,

                                                            Chotie Darling

                                                                                    Dicker

                                                                                    Xxxxxx

*Dick’s sister

**Chotie's second eldest sister - she had three sisters and one brother.

***Dick’s brother

 © Chotie Darling

 

On 5^th and 6^th October 1942 Humber Motors’ representatives visited 43^rd Recce and lectures were given to all Driver Mechanics (this would have included Dick) and Drivers I.C. Lieutenant Colonel Merriman also gave a lecture on ‘The Use of Anti-Tank and Anti-Personnel Mines by enemy ground defences’ on 6^th October.

(From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

 

6^th October 1942 – Roosevelt announces establishment of a United Nations commission to investigate war crimes.

 

Although German attacks on Stalingrad were renewed in October the Soviet front reported on the 8th that ‘the defeatist mood is almost eliminated' - a total of 3,000 Soviet soldiers were executed for cowardice and desertion during the Battle for Stalingrad.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

11th October 1942 – The Battle of Cape Esperance continues the war in the Solomon Islands between supply ships for Guadalcanal.  The Japanese suffered heavy losses but succeeded in bombing the airfield, destroying half the US planes on the Island. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)