Same address
Wednesday (nearly Thursday)
My Darling Chotie,
It’s a long time since I’ve written to you at this time of night, but I find myself with two others operating a wireless for three days and nights and this being the first I thought it would give me a golden opportunity to send you a young novel – so here goes.
The remainder of the troop are out on a three days exercise and we are maintaining contact with them the whole time. The system, as it stands sounds quite fun but unfortunately we are not allowed to sleep as those on the exercise aren’t able to.
This little discrepancy is, however, compensated by the fact that I get a weekend on Saturday, so things aren’t really too bad. Diller will be home I believe so she’ll have a glorious chance to moan to her hearts content, an opportunity I know she won’t be slow to seize.
Came back from 48hr scheme yesterday, just about all in. This wireless* is murder, it’s not only the mental tiredness you get, but also chronic headaches owing to the headphones which have to be worn continually. I’ll spend the week-end in bed – lonely and cold ….
We’ve managed to scrounge some cocoa and milk, also a shave, so we have hopes of something hot soon.
Weather here is typical autumn – lots of mist and rain and last night a beautiful sunset, one of the best I’ve ever seen. The trees – hundreds of them here are just beginning to turn – though it’s early yet. It will be lovely by the time I leave – always presuming I don’t leave prematurely …
We have a pretty sound wireless officer, one of the pleasant slavedriver type who works all hours from morn ’til night and expects the whole troop to do the same…Luckily he likes his pint and consequently we always find ourselves some hundred yards from the Duke of Wellington for lunch and he always stands the troop a pint apiece. God knows how much it must cost him.
I was talking to the publican who says that the present Duke (who lives in the neighbouring estate – Stratfield Saye) is quite a pleasant bloke – Captain in the Commandos in Sicily and always goes to the pub when on leave to play darts with the farmers. Apparently he’s about 30**.
Did I tell you that Dad went up to Purley*** to see all the relations? It’s the first time he’s seen his father for about five years! Awful isn’t it? Apparently things have changed quite a bit. Gramp now looks his years – he’s about 78, which he never has done before and has slowed up considerably. Cyril (Dad’s brother) took him on a trip which included all the most dubious of London’s night clubs.
They all expect me to go up (after Brian going, of course) but I still prefer to go home, or if possible come down to see you. (I still owe you about a dozen spankings…****)
However, he did see them, they were all very pleased, and that’s that – for another five years anyhow.
Incidentally is there anything I can get you for your Birthday? I haven’t had a chance to get out for ages, and you can’t do anything on schemes. Let me know – and if there’s no chance of my getting it, I’ll send you some shekels*****.
The ATS are a better crowd than I thought, despite their being mostly Generals’ daughters. The one I had (not literally….) yesterday did all the cooking for us – and did it very well – probably because they were scared of letting us do it, as they have to eat it as well. I managed to get her a room in a farmhouse and she managed to get me half-a-dozen eggs so we had quite a happy time. She comes from Kent of course – Pett’s Wood – about a mile from Orpington†. We had several common friends. I should say friends in common – there’s a subtle difference….
I still haven’t had an FFI†† – you really must organise another meeting…See what you can do. I always get atrociously rude this time of night – at the moment I’m thinking awful things. I couldn’t even tell you…
That’s enough of this – I’d better do some wireless for an hour or two.
Well, I’ve done some morse – over an hour in fact and have just been relieved. Still feel the same. Good thing I’m not in the Bristol area.
Read Deeping’s ‘Two Black Sheep’ on the scheme and also “Fanny by Gaslight” again (Michael Sadleir) which I’ve always thought an awful lot of. It’s the finest picture of Victorian England of the last ten years and heaven knows there have been enough books on that subject! I’m sure Fanny would get the same hold on you as she has on me.
Won ten bob on a little side bet last night. Bill said it was Tchaikovsky’s ‘Casse Noisette’††† and I said it was ‘Eugen Onegin’ and Eugen Onegin it was. Just as easy as that. Wish money was always so procurable as that 10 bob.
It’s now nearly 2 oclock and we’ve got the water on the boil for some luscious cocoa! Jeez!
My two colleagues have just started to take an interest in things – now that there’s a chance of a hot drink! One is that madman I told you about from Corfe Castle – incidentally his name’s Peter Collins (happy memories?) who still intends to live on Round Island after the war††††. A genuine hermit’s life with just his wife. Notice I say just! This is where I should say “what more could a man want”… (after his pipe of course…Never mind Darling – you come second …)
The other one’s an Oxford law student, pretty nearly broke. Tennis champ of north of England. Quite a good type.
I’ve just had my COCOA(!) and, it’s good. I’ve got a lovely warm feeling in my tummy which I definitely didn’t have before.
Well, Chotie Darling I must close here as I have to go on the set again. I’ll let you know how things went on the weekend and enumerate some of Diller’s moans.
All my love, precious.
Always thinking of you.
Dicker
P.S. You should read Napolean’s letters to Marie Louise and Josephine. They’re good….
*Wireless – “not enough emphasis can be put on the importance of communication in battle situations”…Wireless operators needed high quality training “to pick up weak signals against a background of atmospherics and interference” known as ‘slush’. (From ‘Phantom at War’ by Andy & Sue Parlour, Cerberus 2003)
**The Duke of Wellington’s estate at Stratfield Saye near Basingstoke in Hampshire. The 6th Duke of Wellington, Captain of No 2 Commando, was killed in action at Salerno on 16th September 1943.
***Purley, near Croydon, South London.
****Possibly referring to Chotie’s involvement with her officer at the Bristol camp earlier that year??
*****slang for cash. Chotie’s 20th birthday was on 6th September 1943.
†Dick was born in Orpington in Kent and spent his childhood there.
††the 'Free from Infection' inspection for venereal disease (presumably being used by Dick as a euphemism here).
†††Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ and not his opera ‘Eugene Onegin’.
††††an island in Poole Harbour.
Peter Collins was the name of one of Chotie’s early admirers:
“Peter Collins, the boss’s son, home from Blundell’s, a posh school in Devon, also took a fancy to me and given the chance, we would canoodle in the store room. His mother was very kind to me and I was invited to stay at their lovely house in Talbot Woods for a weekend. Peter had won a scholarship to Blundell’s for his brilliant piano playing and taught me about classical music - a love that has stayed with me all my life.” (From ‘Chotie’s Story’. See also F.W.Collins.)
© Chotie Darling
3rd September 1943 – the Italian government, under Marshal Badoglio, signs a secret armistice with the Allies at Cassibile in Sicily. In Operation Baytown, British and Canadian forces crossed the Messina Straits unopposed, landing at Reggio de Calabrio (the tip of Italy’s toe) in an unsuccessful attempt to draw German forces away from the main landing areas further north.
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