The Baroness and the Countess - Tuesday 12th September 1944

Sunday (sic) Sept 12^th

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 9^th inst.

            As regards something for your 21^st*** 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 it’s 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 6^th 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.)