Settled Down

Letter from Chotie written Saturday 24th March 1945

W/242328  Pte. Williams B.E.

‘B’ Troop. O.F.C. A.T.S.,

462 Hy. (M.) A.A. Bty. R.A.,

Fort Godwin,

c/o  G.P.O. Easington,

Nr. Hull, Yorks.

 

Saturday 24th March 1945.

My darling,

                                    Well, tonight I am on duty so before my turn of ‘watch’ I can write to you.

            Today, I have been really busy.  Spent the afternoon clearing sumps and things, all dressed up in denims, getting awfully mucky.  I’ll never recover.

           

We have a lot of new girls with us and some are quite smashing.  One was a nurse at St. Mary’s, London, and tonight has been relating many of her adventures there.  We all then, got stuck in telling jokes -pretty low, you know.  Bad lot, aren’t we?  Hearing some girls talk, makes me think, my dearest, that perhaps you did not marry quite the wickedest person, after all.

           

The news is good again today, darling, - it can’t be long now.  When you come back and when we can be together always, well, won’t it be wonderful?

           

Have just finished reading Doris Leslie’s ‘Folly’s End*’, which I did enjoy.  They have got a library all teed up here, which is jolly useful.  Not very many books though.

            I am feeling more settled here and feel as though I have been back for ages.  It’s not really even a week.

           

After a spot of Recce about my allowance, darling, I have discovered that it is paid into a bank or something.  If you know anything about it let me know.  Maybe it could be paid direct to National Provincial, where I put that other money.  Then I shall not go and spend it all.

           

One day next week, if we get a spot of ‘off duty’, a whole crowd of us are hoping to get cracking on a ‘binge’.  Celebrating my third week of being married or something.  Really, darling, I don’t feel awfully keen, though.  I must be getting ‘settled down’.

            Something terrible happened tonight.  I put that bottle of Coty cleansing milk in my haversack, to bring up to my manning hut, and the wretched thing smashed, the milk running over everything.  I am ‘seeing red’.  Bang goes that wonderful complexion I dreamed of having.  All the girls just laughed – the rats.

           

At the moment I am on ‘watch’ but still able to write.  Have to remain here until 10 to 3 AM.  Pretty deadly.  I wonder what I would do, if I really had to be a soldier - I’d be hopeless.

           

Sunday tomorrow, no mail - how lousy.  Role on Monday.

            I am always thinking of you, my precious and praying that you are alright.  Take care and God bless,

            I love you more than anything,

                        Your favourite wife (I hope!)

                                    Chotie .

 

*Doris Leslie was a British novelist and historical biographer. ‘Folly’s End’, published in 1944, is set on the Dorset-Devon border during the Civil War.

© Chotie Darling