As usual
Sunday June 18th
Chotie Darling,
Well, Sunday’s come around again, though it makes no difference at all as every day is exactly the same here. I’ve put the 18th above but it’s only a guess.
I hope to be able to write you more fully here, as I expect to have the rest of the morning free, though we never know when we’ll be called.
Had quite a good night – four or five hours solid sleep – the first since I’ve been here. It takes time to get acclimatised to sleeping in the midst of the terrific artillery racket that goes on nightly. As Dostoevsky says ‘Man is a pliable animal – he gets used to anything in time’*.
Weather isn’t up to much at the moment – cloudy, though quite warm.
I manage to get quite a bit of conversation with the local peasantry. They speak a very pure tongue – slowly and with much careful thought. The equivalent of the West Country in England. So far I have had no difficulty in understanding them, or they me.
My friend Jimmy Waddell is just walking over here. He’s been out all night and looks a little tired. Appears he’s been sniped at once or twice but got back OK. It’s an endless source of amazement to us to see the people going about their lawful business with a total disregard to what’s going on around them. I even saw an old farmer milking his only cow while a local battle was being waged for his farm!
My relieving people have just arrived so will continue this later.
Just had a go at an ME 109** with the old Bren. No luck. First I’ve seen for days.
Must close here as I have to move. Give my best wishes to your people won’t you? And tell them I’m having the time of my little life.
All my love, Chotie Darling
Dicker
*From the Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky’s novel ‘The House of the Dead’.
** a Messerschmitt Bf 109, a German fighter plane.
© Chotie Darling
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