Welcome to the ‘Stable’ - Saturday 26th August 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Haven’t really had time to write you for some days now, but have a few hours to call my own today, so here goes.

            Weather has broken up a bit over here and after a wretched day yesterday we’re now having alternate sun and showers.

            A few days ago I had to find a harbour area (place to lay up for the night) and on entering an orchard on top of a hill I was welcomed by a bloke, clad only in white shorts and smoking a fabulously long pipe.  He immediately offered me water, soap, towels, etc and a glass of Bordeaux which all went down very well.  He had been bombed out of his house in the local town and, salvaging what furniture he could, moved into a long barn, something like a stables, in this orchard.  I later met his brother who spoke fluent English (having lived in Kent for some years).

            He asked me in for the evening and we had an excellent time.  The ‘stable’ was built of grey stone and all the windows had bright green shutters.  The walls of course were bare inside, giving the place a South American hacienda appearance.  These were hung with some beautiful Indian rugs and two walls were covered by massive bookcases, both full of works of every conceivable author.  Altogether I had a very pleasant time there.

            As regards your Birthday Darling, I’m afraid I can’t do much about it out here.  I haven’t even a cheque-book.  All I can do is to write my bank to credit any account you can get hold of, so if you would let me know details of anyone’s with an account who could oblige you, I’ll get cracking.

            Hope you’re still having a enjoyable time where you now are.  It should be lovely in the autumn….So it will here.  There’s little or no devastation where we are at present, which makes things so much more pleasant.

            Must close here, Darling, as something else has cropped up.

                        All my love, Chotie Darling

                                                Dicker

 © Chotie Darling

 

26^th August 1944 – Dick’s old regiment, the 43^rd Recce pave the way for 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry to be the first British unit to cross the Seine.  The 43^rd were still near Mount Pinçon at Cauville on 14^th August but by the 19^th were south of the Noireau River.  On 22^nd August they started to lead XXX Division’s advance to the Seine, pushing through the Falaise gap.  By August 24^th they were at Pacy-sur-Eure and reached the Seine at Vernon the next day. 129 Brigade’s DUKWs* were assembled to make the crossing and bridge-building commenced.  43^rd Recce were the first across the bridge.

*DUKWs (known as ‘Ducks’) were amphibious trucks that could be used to make a crossing or quickly assemble a bridge.  They were also used in the Normandy landings.

The state of confusion on the German side meant that the strong natural barrier of the Seine was only weakly defended…21^st Army Group could cross this obstacle with relative ease between 25^th and 27^th August 1944. (From ‘The Advance from the Seine to Antwerp’.)

26^th August 1944 – With the advance of the Soviet Army, Bulgaria withdraws from the Axis Alliance and declares neutrality (beginning peace talks with the UK and USA).