Safely in Salop - Sunday 7th February 1943

5731671 Tpr Williams R

Mortar Tp HQ Sqn 43^rd Recce Regt

Home Forces

 

Sunday

My Darling,

                        Finding myself on a 24 hr guard I thought I’d drop you a line or two.

            Have just received your letter for which many thanks. Glad to hear you’ve been successful in getting your course and have arrived safely in Salop, which is a change after all.

            From choice I’d move every month if it were practical, but as you know I have got into the unenviable habit of staying several months in one place. However, here’s to a change of surroundings.

Don’t forget to let me know about your new camp especially as regards your CSM!  Maybe he prefers blondes….

            I’m utilising nearly all my spare time (?) in going to Evening Classes – generally four or five nights per week.  I’ve got to the stage of not knowing which class I’m in until I get there….Quite exciting.  I told you I got a French text-book with your Token, didn’t I? I usually put in an hour or so at dinner-time etc, also in bed at night. If ever you want to learn anything, do it in bed just before you go to sleep.  The subconscious is more in evidence then and consequently things make a deeper impression.  Am I boring you again?  Hope not.

            At this Tech. Institute they hold a recital of discs every Thursday. Last week I heard Joan Cross, Gigli, Solomon and Kentner.  Marvelous programme.

            I’m still trying the old ‘Warsaw’ at every opportunity. I can now play (?) the first six bars….You should hear this friend of mine play it. Just like Kentner himself.

            If you get your leave in approx. nine or ten weeks we should be able to manage something.  I should get mine the 23^rd inst.  At least I hope to. It’s not going to be much fun I’m afraid. I’ll send you some shekels though, so you can have a beer on me. 

            The main thing with your show is where you’ll go when you finish this course, as you’ll probably stay there some time.

            This is the main guard I’m on and there’s bags of spit and polish.  It took me 24 hrs to get ready for it.  Heluva waste of time altogether.  However these people must be humoured, I suppose.

            Brinner’s still on leave (until Tuesday 9^th) and still hasn’t got his transfer.  I may try to claim him here.

            Well, my Darling I must close here to go on Stag (guard).

                                    God bless you, Chotie.

                                                            Take care

                                                            Dicker

* Joan Cross was an English soprano, Beniamino Gigli an Italian tenor singer and Louis Kentner, the Hungarian pianist who played The Warsaw piano concerto (written by British composer Richard Addinsell) for the film ‘Dangerous Moonlight’.

© Chotie Darling

The envelope for this letter was has tape is on the left side saying:

OPENED BY EXAMINER

9358

P.C.90

 

 

43^rd Recce commenced Troop and Squadron Training on Monday 8^th February and this continued until the 12^th when there was also an All Ranks Dance.  On Saturday 13^th  February the Commanding Officer carried out a Regimental Kit Check and an ‘A’ and ‘B’ Squadron exercise was held from 13^th to 16^th February with ‘A’ Squadron trying a new organization of carriers and Assault Troops. On the 16^th there was also Section training.(From the War Diary of the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

 

8^th February 1942 - British Special Forces in Burma, known as the Chindits and led by Brigadier Orde Wingate, commence their first penetration behind Japanese lines (Operation Longcloth), advancing from Imphal.

10th February 1943 – the remainder of ‘Sparrow Force’, Australian commandos fighting a guerrilla war against the Japanese on Portuguese Timor, are forced to evacuate the island.