Address as before
Monday
Darling Chotie,
I’m now sitting by my window attired in only a greatcoat writing this by the moonlight, as I’ve had another insomnia attack.
Many thanks for your letter which I got this morning. Always cheers me up to hear from you Chotie Dear. (At present I’m thinking things quite alien to the nature of a future Officer (perhaps!) and Gentleman). Must be the moon or sumpin’.
Arrived back from Battle Camp in Snowdonia on Saturday and spent remainder of weekend in bed recuperating! Did I need some kip! Santa Maria – I could have slept for a fortnight…
Apart from one day – which was really wonderful – it rained incessantly the whole time we were there, including the attack on Snowdon’s lofty peak – during the ascent of which you nearly lost your future husband - … The trouble was I got lost of course and ended up in the helluva mist about to crawl over a 1000ft precipice. Tork about larf …
(Please excuse paper – must get that in somewhere).
Get my leave in three weeks’ time – chance of changing it – nil…
(Chunky’s just asked me “Am I nuts?” He’s in a sort of stupor which lasts from when he goes to bed ‘til about 10 am the following morning!)
How’s life with the ATS? Diller gets posted somewhere soon I suppose. She’ll probably make Brighton. She always liked jam on it…
Read ‘The postman always rings twice’* (James Cain) and a couple of Naomi Jacobs’ amongst other things. Don’t get much time these days.
Won 30-/- on way to Wales at pontoon and lost it coming back. Spent very little there happily.
Came third in OCTU Sports mile. Time of 4m 58s. Not too bad for an old man.
(The moon is shining through the old oak tree outside our window – looks lovely… ‘Spect Montgomery or Alexander thought the same thirty years back!).
My man woke me on Sunday morn. at 10 with steaming hot coffee….what an Army. After the Dorsets!
How’s Eric and Eve – still in their Eden I suppose. (That’s pretty horrible…)
This greatcoat doesn’t provide an awful lot of warmth over my nakedness. Wish you were here instead of Chunky. Bet you could find ways and means to warm me up… (Don’t tell me…).
Spent an hour in the library with the Britannica this evening. Very enlightening. They’ve got everything ‘cept Vogue and Harper’s … even got some works on sailing! No kid…
Better leave this now as I’m getting a bit chilly and there’s no Chotie….
It’s now Tuesday afternoon which is virtually free so I’ll go on again here.
I’ve been down to the pool for a swim which was excellent as it’s a lovely afternoon. Unhappily we have to work again this evening which is rather a blow. On top of this I’m on fire piquet this evening at 10 o’clock which rather ruins any effort to read or write. Do you remember this time three long years ago? Seems ages since I joined this man’s army – much too long in fact.** Hope you never have to do three years …. Darling, I’d even marry you to spare you that….
Most of us swim in a state of nudity here much to the delight(?) of the Sandhurst ATS.
I’ll send this wretched epistle to your home address as I suppose you’ll be on leave by now. Have a good time, Darling, but don’t stay in bed after noon, will you?
Can’t think of any more to scrawl so will close here,
lots of love Precious
Dicker
P.S. Best wishes to Rosemary.***
P2S. Go easy on Security, Darling. ‘Bty’ movement, etc. x
*’The postman always rings twice’ was James M.Cain’s first novel, published in 1934. A violent and sensual crime story it was banned in Canada and Boston but inspired a number of films.
Naomi Jacobs was a romantic novelist very popular at the time. She was a suffragette and her books tackle a number of progressive issues.
**Dick joined up in June 1940 - see Joining Up.
***Rosemary was Chotie’s cousin who appeared to be staying with her family in Parkstone.
© Chotie Darling
29th June 1943 – the RAF bombing of Cologne leaves 4,377 dead.
30th June 1943 – General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, launches Operation Cartwheel against Rabaul, Japan’s major forward base in the South Pacific. Instead of capturing Rabaul (on the north tip of New Britain, an island in New Guinea’s Bismarck Archipelago) the combined American, Australian and New Zealand forces established a ring of airfields and naval bases around it, initially landing on New Guinea near Lae and the two islands of Kiriwina and Woodlark. Cut off from supplies and under continual air attack Rabaul is useless by the end of the year.
On the same day 10,000 US troops were landed on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, north-west of Guadalcanal. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)
July 1943 – meat rationing in Britain was extended to include sausages.
2nd July 1943 – on New Georgia, an island in the centre of the Solomon Islands, fierce fighting begins in the Battle of Munda as the Americans attempt to take the Japanese base and airfield for Operation Cartwheel.
3rd July 1943 – the RAF carry out another heavy night raid on Cologne killing hundreds of civilians. The June/July bombings of Cologne killed 4,337 people and destroyed much of the ancient city including the famous cathedral. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)
5th July 1943 – the Germans launch Operation Citadel, a major offensive on a 200 mile front in a pincer movement around the Russian city of Kursk, south of Moscow. It was an obvious move since the Russian front line now bulged out around the city. The Soviets secretly prepared a strong defence so the attackers were heavily outnumbered - the Russians assembled nearly 2 million men and the Germans 780,000. After major losses on both sides (one of the largest tank battles in history was fought at Prokhorovka, south of Kursk) the Russian counter-offensive brought a decisive Soviet victory by the end of July. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)
9th July 1943 – Operation Husky commences with the deployment of airborne troops landing in Sicily as the Allies begin fighting on a surprise second front in Europe. By nightfall on 10th July 2,600 Allied ships had landed 80,000 men - Montgomery's British 8th Army on the SE corner of the island and Patton's US 7th Army on the south coast near Gela. Dick’s unit of one year earlier, 1st Airlanding Brigade, were to play a critical role in the assault, spearheading the British forces. However, strong winds blew many of the aircraft off course and of the 1,730 men who set out, 326 were drowned and total losses in taking Syracuse were 605 - a third of the whole brigade. They also suffered from the terrible incidents of 'friendly fire' associated with the invasion. 50th Division, who Dick was to fight with in NW Europe, successfully landed on the South East coast of Italy with the British 8th Army. Invasion of the island continued with landings and advances by British, US and Canadian troops. The British took the town of Syracuse on 12th July and the next day British paratroopers and the Durham Light Infantry secured the critical Primasole Bridge, south of Catania.
16th July 1943 – Roosevelt and Churchill issue a statement calling for Italian surrender and the overthrow of Mussolini.
19th July 1943 – Hitler summons Mussolini to a conference on 19th July to stiffen his resolve in resisting the Allies but news that the US Airforce had bombed Rome arrives during the meeting. Hitler begins preparations for the German forces to invade Italy.
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