On 3rd February 1943 Chotie began training to be a ‘spotter’ on the Anti-Aircraft gun sites at Park Hall Camp, Oswestry in Shropshire. Before her posting she had 48 hours leave and was able to see her family in Poole.
Dick was stuck in Dover, which was still suffering air raids as the anti-aircraft guns attacked planes coming in over the Channel. He now sported his Good Conduct tape for “two years undetected crime”. He wrote to Chotie again on 24th January : “I suppose you’ve discovered that writing letters is just about the last thing you feel like in the services”.
(I’m glad he did write letters – this blog wouldn’t exist without them!)
before taking part in the Kent Exercise Hammer II, returning on the 29th. At the beginning he’d filled out a Recommendation form for Candidates for officer Training Units and this was endorsed by Lieutenant Colonel Crawford on 30th January. By then Dick was taking this seriously with evening classes in French and German and participation in the Post-War Reconstruction Committee.
At the beginning of February 43rd Recce was Section Training with a cross-country run and a day on ‘Battle procedure – Withdrawal’. Writing on 4th February Dick knew Chotie might be training on the artillery sites in North Wales, where his family originally came from.
Chotie did not warm to Park Hall Camp where “life was grim”. “We did full military training with a Sergeant major on the parade ground. God, it was just like prison – food so awful and the tea implanted with bromide to stop us getting passionate.”
Dick’s letter of 7th February had been ‘opened by an examiner', maybe at Dover because of Dick’s officer prospects or perhaps at Oswestry to check the correspondence of new recruits. I doubt there was anything that would get either of them into trouble (Dick was attending evening classes, reading French, listening to classical music and trying to play the Warsaw concerto – although he did refer to ‘spit and polish’ as “Heluva waste of time altogether”
43rd Recce commenced Troop or Squadron training on 8th February. From 10th to 14th February Dick was undergoing officer section tests with the War Office Selection Board at Brockham Park in Betchworth, Surrey and on 14th February his recommendation was approved. Not knowing this there is no mention of the Board in his letter of 16th February - just family gossip and more about his friend Alex Johnston (who was to be one of 214 men killed when the ship transporting 43rd Recce to Normandy hit a mine off Sword beach in June 1944). However, when Dick wrote again on 25th February he did have news:
As usual
Thursday
My Darling,
Many thanks for your letter received yesterday. Glad to hear you’re still alive & kicking, even though rather over-worked….
Well, Precious, I have got an item of news this time, as, since last writing to you, I’ve been on and passed a War Office Selection Board for Commission. It will mean a long and arduous task ahead but with proverbial luck and good management I see no reason why I shouldn’t be successful in this respect.
I am now waiting to go on a pre-OCTU course, which may last any time before eventually getting to an OCTU. After that it’s about six months of merry hell before getting the old commiss!
What a game it is,,,I had three marvellous days on the Board, as all the time you’re there you’re treated as an Officer – even waited on at table by ATS….
Marvellous old Georgian House and Estate* has been loaned to the W.O. for this purpose and the owner had the decency to leave all his furniture there. The pictures alone were insured for £120,000!
You spend three & ½ days there doing just about anything the human body can do – and more, - intelligence tests, exams, interviews with Brigadiers, Colonels and psychiatrists etc.
First question the last mentioned asked me, was “How many women have you slept with?”….
Shook me – rotten.
Most of the paintings I knew – several of Manet, Monet, Cézanne etc. so I had an interesting chat with the Brigadier and visiting woman M.P. Apparently the owner used to buy still life & his wife, the nudes. Some of the nudes shook us …..All excused like strip-tease, under “ART”.
I’ll let you know any further developments should they arise.
I wrote to and had a long reply from Benetti** the fellow at Hove. Sent me a letter full of arias, and invitations to stay with him. The bloke’s a genius on arias. Hope to look him up on my next leave, which brings me to a sore point.
I’ve had the wretched thing cancelled indefinitely! Heaven knows when I’ll get it. However one can’t talk of commissions and leave in the same breath I suppose.
Saw ‘In which we serve’*** this week. Wasn’t very impressed I’m afraid, though Captain’s wife’s speech was rather brilliant.
Must close here Darling
All my love
Dicker
*Brockham Park, Betchworth, Surrey.
**See letter of 3rd September 1942
***Patriotic British war film – ‘the story of a ship’ – directed by Nöel Coward and David Lean and starring Nöel Coward. Celia Johnson played the Captain’s wife.
© Chotie Darling
The major event of February 1943 was the end of the battle of Stalingrad on 2nd February. By 13th February the Germans’ withdrawal extended to Kharkov, the former capital of the Ukraine far to the east (which had been taken by Operation Barbarossa in October 1941). Rostov-on-Don, the ‘Gateway to the Caucasus’ near the Sea of Azov, was re-captured by the Russians on 14th February.
As news of the defeats in Russia leaked out Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister attempted to rouse the morale of the German people with calls for ‘Total War – Short War’ but during his speech he mentioned the eradication of the Jews. By the end of the month the German wives of Jewish men had begun to gather in Berlin to protest against the deportation of their husbands to concentration camps.
In France the introduction of the ‘Service du Travail Obligatoire’, forcing French men to labour in Germany, was bolstering recruitment to the resistance forces.
Rommel inflicted heavy losses on the Allies in Tunisia during the Battle of the Kasserine Pass, the first major clash between German and American forces.
By the end of February the US was in control of the Pacific Solomon Islands having taken the central Russell Islands. British Special Forces in Burma, the Chindits, were now fighting behind enemy lines but the Australian commandos who had continued resistance to the Japanese were finally forced to withdraw on 10th February.
Meanwhile Eric Postles and the 61st Reconnaissance Regiment were back in England to take part in Exercise Spartan.
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