Sunday (sic) Sept 12th
Chotie Darling,
Have a few hours to spare (I hope) so here goes for a few more lines.
We’ve had it really very cushy for the past few days so I’ve been able to write a number of letters (which I dearly owe) and catch up on my maintenance and sleep.
We were in the grounds of a very old and famous château for some days and as the people were kindness itself we had an excellent time of it. The woman was a Baroness and her sister, who had a summer house for the holidays, was a Countess. They were both French speaking so of course I made the most of it.
The Countess had hidden five British pilots who pranged there in October of last year and wished to write to them. She therefore tackled me on the subject and I made a fair copy of her letter in English and despatched it through the normal channels. From then of course I had my feet right under*. Had several dinners there and I was shown round the Château.
I’ve written to Jan & Madeleine**, but expect to wait some time for a reply as they will have to send it to my home address for re-direction.
It’s a lovely sunny morning – everyone’s in the pink.
Have heard no recent news of Brinner but mother tells me Diller is expected home for 9 days as from the 9th inst.
As regards something for your 21st*** we’ll go out and buy something when I get home – which won’t be long now.
I’ve just had a long conversation with three monks of the local monastery, almost medieval in its quality – an hour well spent.
Must close here, darling for lunch. Will write again as soon as I can
Love
Dicker
P.S. Don’t do anything too strenuous in Scotland, will you?
R
*’under the table’ – Dick uses this to mean he was a welcome guest.
** Jan and Madeleine Gervaert (link to last letter) from the town in Belgium Dick’s troop liberated, where he had to guard the two bridges.
***Chotie was 21 on the 6th September 1944.
© Chotie Darling
Chotie takes up the story:
“Prior to all this I was sent on a P.T. course at Dalkieth, Scotland, where I spent my 21st Birthday. Dicker sent me a lovely powder compact which I still treasure.
While I was there, Dicker was fighting the war in Europe in the Reconnaissance Corps. He had to lie amongst the German dead to gain information and was awarded the Oak Leaf for being mentioned in dispatches:
‘BY THE KING’S ORDER, THE NAME OF LIEUTENANT R. K. WILLIAMS RECONNAISSANCE CORPS, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS, WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LONDON GAZETTE ON 10TH MAY 1945, AS MENTIONED IN A DESPATCH FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE. I AM CHARGED TO RECORD HIS MAJESTY’S HIGH APPRECIATION.
SIGNED P. J. GRIGGS, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR’
I have an exact copy of this, so proudly kept. He was a very brave soldier.”
(From ‘Chotie’s Story’, unpublished.)
Commanders-in-Chief in the field submitted periodical lists of officers and soldiers who were 'mentioned in despatches'. Award of a 'Mention' ranked below Military Cross or Military Medal and could be for gallantry in action or for a wide range of services on and off the battlefield and was known as ‘a little bit of gold’. (National Army Museum)
Eric Brewer also wrote home again on 12th September:
"Dear Mum Dad and all
Just a few lines to let you know I am still keeping fine and doing nothing as per usual. I see that at last we are actually fighting on German soil. I don’t expect Gerry likes that and he must be getting a shake on...
…….I saw a half track going along and on the front was painted Grays*. Out here the drivers generally paint on their vehicles where they come from, so if anyone comes from there they will be able to find out (because of the town's name) if the know them..." (Extract from Eric Brewer’s letters by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)
*Grays was Eric’s home town, near Tilbury docks on Thameside, Essex. He’d met Glover and Coyston from Grays, both attached to the 50th Division.
On 12th September the 'badly battered' 50th Division is withdrawn from the Geel bridgehead to relieve the Guards at 'Joe's bridge' over the Maas-Scheldt canal near Pelt. Their replacements, the 15th (Scottish) Division, were able to enter Geel unopposed on 13th September, the Germans having fled.
12th September – Liberation of Le Havre, the major port on the Normandy coast by Canadian forces.
US troops cross the German frontier with Belgium at Roetgen, east of Liège.
Bombing raids result in a firestorm in Stuttgart causing 957 deaths.
The Germans evacuate eastern Mediterranean islands including Rhodes.
At the Octagon Conference in Quebec Churchill and Roosevelt agree to advance again Germany on two western fronts instead of pursuing a concerted drive by the British. They discuss the Morgenthau plan and proposals for the post-war division of Germany. Churchill’s offer of a British fleet for the Pacific is accepted and Lend-lease agreements are to continue.
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