Chotie Darling

75 years ago - into the Ardennes

Hitler conceived the idea of a surprise attack on the Western Allies through the Ardennes back in September 1944.  The advance through the mountains between Belgium and Luxembourg would reprise the success of the German offensive into France and the Low Countries of 1940.  This time the intention was to swing north to Brussels and the Belgian port of Antwerp, cutting off the British, Canadian and American armies north of the Ardennes.

Preparations continued in total secret through the autumn of 1944.  Troops and tanks assembling in the thickly forested Eiffel region on the German side of the Ardennes managed to avoid detection by air reconnaissance or Allied intelligence.

By December Operation ‘Wacht am Rhein’ (‘Watch on the Rhine’) had Fifth and Sixth Panzer Armies prepared to lead the attack with Seventh Army ready to follow, holding the southern flank, and Fifteenth Army to come in from the north.  The Allies’ front line in the Ardennes was thinly held by the US 1^st Army with two inexperienced infantry divisions (V Corps’ 99^th and the 106^th) to the north and US 3^rd Army divisions to the south (the 4^th and 28^th), damaged and exhausted by the ferocious fighting in the Hürtgen Forest, south-east of Aachen in November.  The Panzer armies were to smash through these lines, heading west to cross the critical barrier of the River Meuse, aided by paratroopers capturing road junctions and commando sabotage operations.

 

 

At the beginning of December Dick had just returned to ‘the Island’ in the Netherlands, after his trip to Izegem.  While in Belgium he’d visited Audenarde / Oudenaarde - “the town I liberated on 6^th September” – and the Gervaert family he’d met there.  He spent a night in Malines where he saw the German flying-bombs for the first time.  On 1st December he wrote to Chotie, who “didn’t think much of the area” near Hull where she was now stationed with her anti-aircraft battery.  Brin, Dick’s brother, had left Belgium for infantry training on the Isle of Man and managed to visit the family home at Pagham in Sussex.

The Germans started to flood ‘the Island’ – Eric Brewer wrote in his diary for 1^st December that the water had risen two foot and many ‘Gerrys’ were trapped.  Operation Noah, the evacuation plan, was put into effect and B Squadron moved back to Mill, south of Nijmegen on 3^rd December.  The Regiment without 50^th Division was now ‘orphaned’ and held bits of the line for the 49^th (with 1^st Canadian Army) and 53^rd (Welsh) Infantry Division of XXX Corps.

Eric Brewer records that they moved to Ell (south-east of Eindhoven) on 5^th December.  Dick wrote to Chotie thrilled to have listened to the whole of Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ opera from Germany (presumably on one of the radios ‘liberated’ from Eindhoven during Operation Market Garden), completing the letter after another move to “the inevitable farmhouse”.  He could now describe the rhythm of life on ‘the Island’: “Our usual practice was to do a week or so ‘in the line’ and have a week back at the farm in reserve” where the three ‘B’ Squadron “Armoured Car Officers (Geoff Winzer, Eric ‘Schoolmaster’ Macey and I) used to share a room.”

Eric Brewer’s last diary entry, on 10^th December, records relieving the 53^rd Division on a forward outpost ‘overlooking the Maas’.  Eric Postles writes that they were on a canal near Venlo (on the Dutch/German border east of Eindhoven) and “all through the day and night the Germans fired rifle grenades”.  This may have been where Eric Brewer was injured, with phosphorous burns to his hands and arms.  Although his ambulance crashed with a lorry en route to the hospital he escaped further injury and after a cheerful Christmas in the 105 British General Hospital appears to have made a full recovery, although he never returned to the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment.

 

Soon after this the Regiment was sent to Iseghem / Izegem to disband.  The men “handed in all our fighting vehicles, ammunition and petrol to various dumps.  All wireless sets were removed from their vehicles and the Quartermaster had all stores in a barn for checking” (Colonel Brownrigg).  Although the Regiment still had an H.Q. and cook-house, the men were billeted with the people of the town and at liberty to do what they pleased.  Tony Rampling and his driver stayed in a bakery and met a girl called Georgette: “the first love of my life”.  Eric Postles was with a family of shoemakers, the Deschermakers, and he gave them one of the Phillips radio sets purloined in Holland.  Dick, having arranged the billets, “naturally picked himself a first-class place” with a “very fine collection of records”.  He wrote to Chotie that they were “having a real holiday while we may – and the old beer certainly flows here.”   Chotie also had news – her sister Margaret now had a baby boy, Roger Lewis.

 

The German attack on the Ardennes began at 5.30 am on the 16^th December when 1,900 artillery guns suddenly opened fire.  That first day the Panzer Armies successfully breached the American lines on a 70 mile front.  It was a complete surprise – panic and confusion also arose from the landing of paratroopers behind the lines (although mainly far from their targets due to strong winds and poor visibility) and Skorzeny's commandos speaking American- English, wearing American uniforms and driving captured American vehicles.

On 17^th December Eisenhower sent in the US 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, who were “recuperating from their extended combat role in the waterlogged foxholes of Holland” (Beevor in ‘Ardennes 1944’), where they’d worked with 61^st Recce.  Planes were grounded by the weather so the Airborne travelled from Reims (north-east France) in open trucks, many without winter clothing. The recuperation of 61^st Reconnaissance continued and Dick was involved in an unfortunate traffic accident in Izegem, knocking a lady off her bike who suffered three broken ribs.

 

 

Battle was raging in the on the Belgian/German border in the Ardennes around the Schnee Eiffel and the town of St Vith.  To the north a German battle group from 6^th Panzer Army rapidly penetrated westward and reached Malmédy.  There, at the Baugnez crossroads SS Panzergrenadiers shot and killed 84 American prisoners.  (A few escaped and, reporting the outrage - the massacre was widely publicised among US troops, leading to the revenge killing of many SS Prisoners of War.)  This spearhead was successfully stalled by US Engineers destroying all the bridges on the route west. Further south the Germans surrounded and recaptured the ancient town of Clervaux.  5^th Panzer Army were advancing towards the critical town of Bastogne although the 28^th Armored Division managed to defend Wiltz (east of Bastogne) until the morning of 20^th December.

 

Montgomery, in charge of 21^st Army Group (1^st Canadian and 2^nd British Armies) at the north end of the western front, sent his staff officers to find out what was going on at US 1^st Army HQ in Spa.  Finding it in disarray he sent Phantom and SAS (Special Air Service) reconnaissance teams to the Ardennes so he would know what was going on.  At 5.30 pm on 19^th December he ordered XXX Corps to secure the Meuse crossings.  11^th Armoured Division’s 29^th Armoured Brigade, waiting for new Comet tanks, was ordered to take back their old Shermans and head south.  “The 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment in Bruges ‘bombed up, tanked up, loaded up and drove into the night’"(Beevor in ‘Ardennes 1944').  They were to work with 29^th Armoured defending the Meuse from Namur to Givet, a front of over 50 kilometres.

According to Sandy Handley it took 61^st Recce 24 Hours to reach Namur – the convoy was forced to stop and start, particularly in Brussels where Tony Rampling remembers “we couldn’t get through for all the girls surrounding us”.

 

On 20^th December Eisenhower officially handed Montgomery command of all Allied forces north of the German advance including the US 1^st and 9^th Armies.  Lt-General Bradley, the American chief of US 12^th Army Group was based south of the Ardennes, in Luxembourg, with poor communication from his forces facing the impact of the German advance in the north.  Monty’s command extended to a line between Givet, on the Meuse, and Prüm in Germany.

By 21^st December Lt-General Brian Horrocks’ XXX Corps had completed their concentration along the line of the River Meuse.  Eisenhower’s aide, Bedell-Smith, was greatly relieved: “We knew Horrocks and knew he had good men.”  Don Aiken was involved in action as soon as they arrived at the Meuse – directed to contact US Engineers blowing the bridge over a small river his armoured car was shot at by a German tank.

The Germans captured St Vith, south of Malmédy, on 21^st December and the 101^st Airborne, having got through to Bastogne, were now surrounded.  Although progress had been slower than planned, and the 6^th Panzer Army spearhead was cut off by US 1^st Army re-taking Stavelot (south-west of Malmédy), elements of 5^th Panzer Army were steadily advancing west, delayed only by traffic jams and lack of fuel.  The Allied air-force was still grounded by poor visibility.  By 22^nd December 2^nd Panzer Division was only 25 kilometres from the Meuse bridge at Dinant.

 

On 23^rd December the skies cleared and the Allies began a co-ordinated campaign of bombing attacks against the German forces.  Supplies were dropped for the besieged defenders of Bastogne.  Air reconnaissance was now possible.  29^th Armoured Brigade had one armoured regiment and a company of infantry at each of the three Meuse bridges (Givet, Dinant and Namur) with a reconnaissance screen of 61st Recce Regiment in between.  A car full of Germans disguised as Americans tried to cross the bridge at Dinant but was blown-up.  Belgian refugees, fleeing westward, were blocked at the bridges so resorted to boats to cross the Meuse.

The heavily forested landscape gave cover to the Germans and made the Recce patrols “pretty nerve-racking…we thought at any moment the enemy would jump out and attack us” (Sandy Handley).  Once Sandy’s armoured car ran out of petrol shortly after attacking some Germans and re-fuelled from the jerry can just in time.

29^th Armoured was also working with the local Belgian resistance led by Baron Jacques de Villefagne, who lived in the château at Sorrinnes, east of Dinant.  Just to the south of Sorinnes lie the village of Foy-Notre-Dame and the small ancient town of Celles.  2^nd Panzer Division reached these on the night of 23^rd / 24^th December and on Christmas Eve made several attempts to penetrate towards the Meuse at Dinant, now less than 10 kilometres away.

 

61^st Recce was along and behind the German front in temperatures well below freezing with deep snow in the forests.  On Christmas Eve while Corporal Roy Howard was near Dinant, so close to the Germans he could hear them singing carols, Corporal Mulcahy (who earned the Military Medal in the Ardennes) went forward 10 miles east of Beauraing (10 km. east of Givet) to reach US Engineers with instructions for them to destroy a bridge and Dick’s troop shot three Germans (one had nearly killed Dick first).

Also on 24^th December the SS murdered 34 civilians in the village of Bande, near March-en-Famenne.  (The massacre was not discovered until 12^th January when troops for the 6^th Airborne Division liberated the village).

 

For Christmas 61^st Recce were issued with bottles of beer, which was frozen solid, and fat pork and potatoes, which they managed to boil over an earth fire doused with petrol (Sandy Handley).  Eric Postles remembers that for the first time they had self-heating cans of chocolate drink and soup.  He also describes how, they “moved forward to support attacks against the German spearhead.  The deep snow made foot patrols difficult and the Germans again fired airburst shells, which looked more sinister against the whiteness of the snow.  American troops were fleeing madly from the German advance and unfortunately early in the action an American lorry, being driven much too fast, hit our squadron leader’s jeep, which was parked off the road on a bend.  Major Harding was badly injured but he survived the war.  Our armoured cars were constantly patrolling between British forces and the US army, who bore the brunt of the action to squeeze the enemy back.”

29^th Armoured, with US VII Corps’ 2^nd Armored Division, successfully attacked the tip of the German salient at Foy-Notre-Dame and Celles on Christmas day.  Realising their offensive had failed von Rundstedt recommended withdrawal to Hitler, who instead insisted on more attacks against Bastogne.  However, General Patton had sent three divisions from his 3^rd US Army to relieve Bastogne from the south and, fighting their way through, they were now very close to the beleaguered town.  By nightfall on 26^th December 4^th Armored Division had broken through the siege and secured a narrow corridor for supplies.

 

29^th Armoured Brigade was ‘mopping up’ around Celles on Boxing Day and Dick’s troop shot another five Germans.  The remnants of 2^nd Panzer Division who escaped concentrated around Rochefort (15 kilometres east of the Meuse), which was held by the Panzer Lehr.

The next day the British 6^th Airborne Division replaced 29^th Armoured Brigade on the Givet-Namur sector.  They were assisted by Belgian paratroopers from the 5^th Special Air Service who now worked closely with 61^st Recce.  “These daredevils had jeeps with a machine gun mounted – not much protection or armour there” (Sandy Handley).

 

The weather had now closed in again so air reconnaissance was impossible but “the Allies needed to know how the Panzer Lehr and 2^nd Panzer were redeploying after their withdrawal from Rochefort.  The British 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment, as well as Belgian and French SAS forces, some 350 strong, was sent into the large area of forest and bog south of Rochefort and Marche-en-Famenne to find out” (Beevor, ‘Ardennes 1944’). “They encountered the enemy on the approach to St Hubert and on the line from Rochefort to Libin" (WW2 Talk Forum).

According to a Belgian SAS Intelligence Report 61^st Recce advanced towards St. Hubert (30 km. west of Bastogne) along a line of small villages: Halma, Chanly, Tellin and Bure.  These were at the southern edge of the 5^th Panzer Army salient, just north of the American lines.  They patrolled behind the German lines to bring back information on the location of enemy forces – Sergeant Hollingsworth (who was also awarded the Military Medal) was at Villers-sur-Lesse, west of Rochefort, on 27^th December and Lieutenant Laing located a German garrison HQ at Val-de-Poix, just west of St Hubert, on 28^th December.

British 6^th Airborne Division, while still defending the Meuse, established a defensive line east of the river.  The ground was too frozen to dig so they used explosives to blast holes – a technique made doubly dangerous by Teller mines the Germans had buried under the snow.  They were also tasked with carrying out offensive actions on a general access from Givet to St Hubert.  61^st Recce was involved in actions at Wavreille, Bure, Han, Mirwaut, Awenne, Champlon and Smuid (all around St Hubert or towards Rochefort).  Sergeant Hollingsworth saved an SAS patrol, tackling a tank and machine gun near Han-sur-Lesse and Dick’s room-mate Eric Macey and Corporal Mulcahy drew fire on their armoured cars to locate the enemy near Tellin.  Also on 29^th December Lt. Urban-Smith and Sergeant Moorehouse crossed the river at Lomme (south-west of St Hubert) on foot and in daylight, moving behind German forward outposts to bring back information on enemy defences. 

On 30th December the planned British attack towards Houffalize was halted by the strong German resistance.  Two men from 61^st Recce were killed in another traffic accident attributed to an American lorry fleeing from the Germans.  The Americans had, however, held firm on the shoulders of the German salient around Elsenborn Ridge to the north and along the River Sauer to the south and the resistance of the troops defending Bastogne is legendary.

 

Dick at last had a free day on the 30^th and wrote to Chotie:

Sat 30 Dec

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m very sorry, Precious, for not having written you before, but it just hasn’t been possible.  I’ve now got the first free day for nearly a fortnight, so everything depends on today.  The mail has been very poor lately – I received your letter and calendar, for which many thanks, Darling.

            I’ve been at it for a fortnight, as I say, so Xmas was just another day.  I had an indifferent breakfast and a worse meal about 10 pm when I got back from patrol.

            Weather here has been quite good – very cold but plenty of sun.  The countryside here is really lovely quite like North Wales, and a wonderful change after the Nijmegen Bridgehead! (I had nine weeks there!)

            I hope you are keeping fit, Darling and warm!  It’s bitterly cold in armoured cars as the engine is in the rear and you get no protection from the wind.

            We shot another three Boche on Xmas Eve (one nearly shot me first) and another five on Boxing Day, which puts my troop in the lead again.  What a gruesome business!

            Hope Margaret is progressing well – I shouldn’t wonder the baby was late this weather!

            On Xmas Day the Squadron Leader* had a terrific crash in his jeep whilst out visiting the various troops.  They carted him off with severe concussion and he’s expected to be in hospital for at least a month.  So much the worse as he’s a very able Commander.

            Diller has been home on leave I believe, but I’ve heard no news of Brinner lately.  He’s supposed to be getting some leave I believe.

            I’ll enclose this letter** with the three little books*** I bought in Malines – if you would just keep them safe, Darling.  As I say it’s not much good sending them home as mother’s sure to throw them away in the Spring.

            I must close here, Chotie Darling –

                                                All my love Precious          

                                                            Dicker.

*Major Frank Harding had been the B Squadron leader from 12^th June 1944. He received the Military Cross for B Squadron’s role in the operation at Amayé-sur-Seulles and Condé-sur-Noreau in Normandy, the advance across France into Belgium and the holding of 15 miles of the Belgian Escaut Canal including Oudenaarde from the 4th  to 7th September.  ‘He never spared himself and his cheerfulness in any difficulty or danger has been a great inspiration to his Squadron’ (from his Military Cross citation).

**Perhaps because it was enclosed with the books, this letter seems somewhat freer with military information than Dick’s usual correspondence.

***my mother kept these three little leather bound books Dick bought (in Antwerp) but they eventually fell apart from love and use. One contained four Shakespeare tragedies (Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet) and the others were philosophical essays I think.

© Chotie Darling

 

Writing again the next day he revealed he was in a little village (the photos say Honnay, which is between Beauraing and Wellin), sharing a room in a café with Eric Macey – Geoff Winzer, his other room-mate had been “rather badly wounded” on the 30^th and was now “miles back... in dock for at least six to eight weeks”.  “The people are very good to us here” – after a huge lunch they had photos taken with them in the snow outside, before preparing for their delayed Christmas dinner.

 

 

Lieutenants Eric Macey and Richard Williams of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment in Honnay during the Battle of the Ardennes with girls (left to right) Esther, Lucienne and Victorine. 31st December 1944.

 

Fighting continued not far away – the Germans had launched a heavy but ultimately unsuccessful attack on Bastogne on the 30^th December.  Just before midnight on the 31^st Hitler began another surprise offensive, Operation Nordwind; this time towards Strasbourg and the Alsace-Lorraine against the now over-stretched US 7^th Army, south of the Ardennes....

75 years ago - a move to Hull

At the beginning of November 1944 61^st Reconnaissance regiment were taking their first break since 6^th June (‘D’ Day). 

Dick’s ‘B’ squadron were in harbour at Winssen, 15 kilometres north-west of Nijmegan on the River Waal.  Dick had 48 hours leave from 2^nd November and drove a party the 120 miles to Antwerp along “pretty grim roads” in a three tonne truck.  It took about 5 hours but seemed well worth the effort.

          “The shops are fun and already very ‘Xmassy’ – though everything’s too dear for the local population.  Service men with plenty of money are lashing out as usual….Cafés full of cream cakes, ice-cream and the inevitable acorn coffee…I made a complete pig of myself.”  Dick avoided the ENSA shows and went for the cabarets and night-clubs “(full of Yanks, Canucks*, Poles, ATS, Canuck WAAGs, etc.)” including a few Belgian strip-tease acts. (*’Canuck’ was a nickname for Canadians)

          “Prices are murder! But drinks in the Officers’ Hotel are very cheap.”  He seems to have been rather drunk when he wrote to Chotie on 3rd November.

 

Both Dick and Eric Brewer returned to Winssen from Antwerp on 4^th November but two days later Eric was on the ‘the Island’ front-line again at Zetten on O.P. (Outpost? Operational Patrol?).  Dick wrote to Chotie from the comfort of Winssen on Tuesday 7th  and Wednesday 8th – he was enjoying reading George Bernard Shaw, listening to German radio and talking with the local Burgomaster (magistrate).  The Armoured car Officers held a “miserable” dance on the 7^th with Dick running the bar.  The only beer available was “chemical synthetic stuff…you can drink something like 20 pints without mental troubles…The brewers call it ‘hop-less’ – the boys ‘hopeless’.”

Chotie was now based at the 6^th Heavy (Mixed) Anti-Aircraft Practice Camp at Cleve near Bude in Cornwall.  RAF Cleave used some of the very first drones as targets, launched off the cliff using steam catapults. 

Anti-aircraft ATS training at RAF Cleave, Cornwall

It seems Chotie may have been learning how to tackle the V1 or V2 rocket-bombs, which were becoming a nightmare in eastern England.  One ‘buzz-bomb’ had fallen just near Eric Brewer’s house; on 7^th November he wrote home “I received the Gazette and saw where the BB fell. Blimey, it was close to the house.   Lucky it fell when it did – if it had been in the air a fraction of a second longer it would have hit the house.”

On 9^th November 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, with 61^st Recce, joined 2 Canadian Corps.  They had liberated Dieppe, Boulogne, Calais and Ostend and at last succeeded in clearing the Scheldt Estuary of Germans so Antwerp could be used as an Allied port.  (Until 11^th November the front-line had to rely on the ‘Red Ball Express’; a relay of US Army supply trucks from the Normandy beaches.)  Sandy Handley, who had taken a shine to one of the barge girls at Ewijk (the village next to Winssen) was not so pleased when the Canadians “muscled in”.

 

The rest of ‘B’ Squadron moved up to Zetten on 10^th November so Dick was back on the front-line.  He moved into the same house he was in about a month ago (presumably when 61^st Recce were based at Herveld, just south-east of Zetten, from 8^th to 13^th October with the 101st Airborne).  Here he was with a Protestant Minister who spoke six languages - “a man of considerable intellect and general broadness of horizon” - who gave his house as a home for unmarried mothers.   Dick wrote to Chotie again on the 12th “from an armchair in front of a lovely fire…There’s a ton of books in this house – also a Blüthner grand (piano), so I manage to amuse myself during my ‘free’ time.”

Although the men often wrote re-assuring letters to their loved ones at home Eric Brewer (still at Zetten on O.P.) takes it to a new extreme, writing on the same day to say he was visiting ENSA shows and local cinemas and “the lads who are doing the cooking have started to bring our breakfast round to us while in bed.”  On 13^th November the 61^st Reconnaissance war diary records “The water level at Nijmegan bridge has risen greatly in the last few days.  It is believed that the enemy is now in a position to flood ‘the Island’ by blowing the dykes on either the River Waal or the Neder Rijn” (Lower Rhine).  Eric Brewer was on forward O.P. by the river on the 15th “saw two chaps crawling so we changed our position.  Blooming cold tonight.  Plenty of Spandau fire, etc.”

 

‘B’ Squadron was relieved by ‘A’ Squadron the next day and moved back to Winssen.  Dick was busy with personal and vehicular maintenance, including about four hours of washing because “the laundry system here is lousy – there’s no marking ink available and you never get the same stuff back again.”  He wrote to Chotie thanking her for some photos and excusing himself from buying perfume since “all that sort of thing is in Belgium …  there’s the snag of changing guilders into Belgian francs – no mean task as the Field cashier is never seen within 20 miles of the ‘front’ and I’m certainly never 20 miles from it!...

        Thawing out for the first time for days” he enjoyed an evening by the stove with Ronnie Jury, drinking Burgundy and listening to classical music from Munich in Germany. 

 

By the next night all the Regiment were back on ‘the Island’ taking over the sector east of Elst from an entire Brigade (the 151^st).  They had to plan for evacuation in case the Germans breached the dykes – Exercise Noah.  (Anthony Rampling remembers this is just what they did.)  Eric Brewer was near Arnhem again in “about the coldest and wettest position I have ever been in. There is 2ft of water in the slit trenches and we have to stand in it…”  On Sunday 19^th the Regiment was visited by the commander of the Canadian Corps and the temporary commander of 50^th Division, Major General Lynne.  They watched a V2 being launched from just north of Arnhem, behind the German front line.

          The Allies, having crossed the German frontier to the south, now began to mine ‘the Island’.  “Spasmodic shelling and mortaring of the Regiment’s forward positions continued” and Eric Brewer’s position was also subject to machine gun fire.  One of the mine-laying ‘sappers’ dropped a mine and “got his foot blown off.  The shrapnel just missed us.”  By November 20th five of the men in Eric’s troop were also ill.

        That was the day Colonel Brownrigg received the news that 50^th Division was to return to the UK as a training Division and the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment was to be disbanded.  Dick sent Chotie this elegiac letter:

 

Chotie Darling,

                                    Received your letter, and the gloves yesterday, along with some tobacco from home.  So it was really a bumper mail.  Thank you very much for the gloves, Precious, they’re certainly the answer out here.

            It’s now almost five o’clock in the afternoon, raining steadily and quite dark.  As the electricity hasn’t yet been switched on for the evening, I’m writing this by candlelight.  I’ve had a very enjoyable afternoon – I went for a walk!  This may sound a little odd,  but quite genuinely, I haven’t been walking anywhere since I left England.

            I went out about two o’clock in typical November weather – a pale wintry sun, a fair wind, and very muddy underfoot.  I went as far as the nearest dyke, as the lane running on top of it was much drier.

            There’s no grandeur in the countryside in this country, but there’s beauty in the old white-washed farmsteads, lying in the rich meadows alongside the dykes.  Many of these fields were already flooded, and the last autumnal leaves were falling in the water and being banked up against the other side by the wind.  The river, when we got here, was about a hundred yards wide, and now already reaches the dykes on either side – some seven or eight hundred yards apart.  If the dykes should fail in their purpose the whole countryside would be flooded for miles, and presumably everyone would be drowned – but they’re pretty stout banks.

            By half past three, the sun had vanished and there was a gentle rain coming down – so I walked back into the face of it.  Luckily it was a mild, soft rain – which was quite pleasant – as I’d taken the precaution of carrying a rain-coat.  I got back to a warm fire and Spam* & chips for tea so altogether I spent a very happy afternoon.  Needless to say I went alone as neither of my brother subalterns share my aesthetic views….

            To get back to earth, I find myself instructing on the NCO’s Cadre course from Wednesday to Sunday – which also seems pretty odd, when everyone in England takes us to be in the thick of it all the time!

            I suppose you to be back at Bristol now.  Have you found the Christopher Hotel** yet?  Eric and I had many a drink there back in ’41.  It was there that the memorable occasion occurred when I cheerfully ordered two beers, and then, after they had turned up, found we’d only got enough money between us to pay for the one!  I still remember the look on Eric’s face as he watched me drink it….

            How’s Margaret bearing up these days?  You didn’t mention her in your last letter.

            Haven’t heard from Bryn for some time so I’ve no idea what he’s doing – or even where he is.

            Can’t think of anything more for now, Darling, so I’ll close here.

                                                                        Much love, Precious

                                                                                    Your devoted

                                                                                                Dicker.

 

*A canned pre-cooked meat with pork shoulder and ham.

** Mentioned in letter of 1st April 1944.

 © Chotie Darling

Dick had been with 61^st Reconnaissance for a year, his first as an officer; shifting from coastal defence to preparation for ‘D Day’, fighting in Normandy for two months before crossing France to the Battle of Belgium and Operation Market Garden.  He’d now been stuck on the Netherlands front-line for another two months.

On 21^st November Eric Brewer was moving into a burnt house to make it a strong point when he was shelled by the Germans and shrapnel hit his tin hat.  The burnt-out house was “just like a luxury, as bad as it is.  Gerry still active and also plenty of mortars.”  On 22^nd he wrote home that he’d “been told some good news today but I am very sorry I can’t tell you what it is.” Presumably Eric thought he’d be returning to England.  However, that same day Colonel Brownrigg had driven to XXX Corps HQ and, with the Corps Commander Colonel Horrocks, managed to persuade Montgomery to cancel the break-up of 61^st Recce.  Horrocks said that the Regiment “would be worth a brigade to me”.  (The normal strength of a Reconnaissance Regiment was about 40 officers plus less than 750 'other ranks' while a Brigade was three to six times as large).

 

Back on ‘the Island’ shelling continued and enemy activity was detected, including submachine gun fire (from infantry or paratroopers). The regiment could see several V2s being launched every day only 10 miles north of their positions.

          Chotie’s unit had moved right across England to Barrow-on-Humber on the Lincolnshire coast (possibly to the Barrow Haven anti-aircraft battery, designed to protect the port of Hull).  V2 rocket bombs could reach Hull and the 462 Heavy (Mixed) Anti-Aircraft battery of the Royal Artillery was now part of their defence against the buzz-bombs.

 

Dick had said he was teaching a course from Wednesday 22^nd to Sunday 26^th November but on 25th November he was more than 150 miles south-west of Arnhem in the little Belgian town of Izegem, near Courtrai/Kortnjk.  He was “fixing up civvy billets for the Squadron” and was only about 20 miles from Oudenaarde, the town his Troop had liberated where he had made so many friends. 

Back on the Netherlands' front-line 61^st Recce’s Regimental HQ at Elst was heavily shelled on the night of the 28^th and two soldiers were killed.  Eric Brewer was sheltered in the burnt out house until the end of November.  However, the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment was about to leave ‘the Island’ at last. 

75 years ago - 61st Reconnaissance Regiment

Dick joined 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment at the Medieval Lympne Castle in the second week of November 1942.  Before starting work as an officer he had nine days leave with Chotie at his home in Pagham, Sussex.  His first letter to her as a 2nd Lieutenant is "rather sketchy but the security angel cuts out everything worth writing – almost …."  We know from Eric Postles that 61st Recce were on coastal defence duties, patrolling between Folkestone and Romney in Kent. 

Managing to get back to Pagham on a 24 hour overnight pass on Wednesday 17^th November Dick was re-united with his brother Brin and his sister Diller, both home on leave (Diller from the pay Corps and Brin from Officer training).  He nearly got stuck at Brighton station on his way back having lost his wallet but was helped out by the local YMCA.  Around this time he also met up with Don Johnston, his old friend from 43^rd Recce (later killed in the sinking of the Derrycunihy soon after D Day).

61^st Division was also a training unit and Dick was involved in a week’s exercise in the Kent countryside in mid November.  He wrote to Chotie on his return:

Letter written on Sunday 28th November 1943

2/Lt R K Williams

‘B’ Sqdn. 61^st Recce Regt

Recce Corps, Home Forces

Sunday 28^th

Chotie Darling,

                                                I’m now back again and settled down after the scheme, which lasted for its original duration much to everyone’s disgust.

            On the whole I had quite a happy time, as I either stayed at, or passed through, several old haunts well known to the family in the old Morris Cowley* days, and coupled with the opportunity so often missed of worming my way into a vast number of period farmhouses and the like.

            The weather was excellent, cold but dry and as we stayed in one little village for three days without doing anything of military importance, we managed to get sufficiently well organised to hold ABCA*** periods and run a football tournament.  I evaded these two popular pastimes however, and mooched about a local farm until the daughter of the house asked me in for coffee and CHOCOLATE Biscuits!  Her undoubted charms left me cold, but I took a lively interest in the biscuits.  Lovely old house, with a massive oak beam over the fireplace marked 1600.

The major** came back yesterday.  He appeared quite a good type – reads Balzac, so I’m well in.

Nothing much happens here.  I’ve just finished a 48 hr spell of Duty Officer, rather a cushy appointment.  I get another 24 hr next Wednesday so I may go up to ……….. (word inked out).  There’s nothing to do here, or locally, but the snag is the fare.  It will be the second day I’ve had off in three weeks, which isn’t so good, to my way of thinking.

Many thanks for your letter, Darling, most welcome at the conclusion of an exercise.  Glad to hear you’ve got, or rather you’re getting, a rise****.  I bet you’re getting more than me after all.  After I’ve paid income tax, messing***** etc, I get the equivalent of Lance Corporal’s pay….

Must close here for dinner.

                                    All my love precious

            Dicker.

*presumably the family car from his childhood at Orpington in Kent.

**Army Bureau of Current Affairs – an organisation set up to educate and raise morale among British servicemen in World War 2.

***possibly the Regimental second-in-command, who was a Major, or maybe the Major commanding ‘B’ Squadron. Dick was one of 23 to 30 subalterns in the Regiment – commissioned officers below the rank of captain, generally comprising first and second (junior) lieutenants. Dick, as a newly commissioned officer, was a second lieutenant.

****due to her new qualification as Operator Fire Control?

*****Commissioned Officers were required to eat in the Officers’ Mess and pay a subscription fee for supplies and upkeep. They would also be expected to wear formal attire for evenings in the mess.

 © Chotie Darling

Dick, of course, was now in the regiment of the Recce Men we’ve been following.  All were in ‘B’ Squadron: a reconnaissance regiment consisted of the Regimental HQ with HQ Squadron and three Reconnaissance Squadrons (‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’) of about 150 men each.  Every Squadron had its own HQ, three Scout or Recce Troops consisting of one Recce and two Carrier sections - and one Assault or Infantry Troop.  (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007).  In 1943 Anthony Rampling and Eric Brewer were in the Assault troop (lorried infantry called in to overcome enemy resistance) while Dick and Eric Postles served in Scout Troops. 

 
Dick's Recce officer lanyard

Although Home Defence was still important (particularly Anti-Aircraft response) Britain was becoming more relaxed about the possibilities of invasion.  The fascist leader Oswald Mosly was released from prison, on grounds of ill health, on 17^th November 1943.  The next day the RAF began a series of very heavy raids against the German capital of Berlin, killing thousands of civilians.

In Poland as Operation Reinhard (the plan to exterminate Polish Jews) reached its culmination, 42,000 Jews working in forced labour camps were murdered by the Germans in the so called ‘Operation Harvest Festival’.  The world was waking up to the horror of the Holocaust when the dreadful atrocity of Babi Yar - the ravine where Nazis had shot and buried about 100,000 men, women and children - was revealed soon after the Soviet Army took the Ukrainian city of Kiev on 6^th November.

Wet and wintry weather was hitting both the Eastern and Italian Fronts.  In Italy the Allies advance slowed as General Mark Clark’s 5^th Army reached Monte Camino, the mountain ridges defending the main route to Rome.  The failed British attempt to take the ridge on 5^th November resulted in its nickname of ‘Murder Mountain’.  Montgomery’s 8th Army was now approaching the strategically important port of Ortona on the Adriatic coast but the Germans fiercely defended the town for another month.

In the Mediterranean Sea, Germany’s sinking of HMS Rohna, with the loss of 1,138 of the US troops she was carrying, would have been such a blow to Allied morale that it was kept secret until 1967!

Americans were engaged in terrible conflict with the Japanese in the Pacific.  1,000 US Marines were killed in the 3 day battle for tiny Tarawara Atoll in the Gilbert Islands - as well as 5,000 Japanese and Koreans - and on 1^st November the battle of Bougainville Island, east of Papua New Guinea, began and lasted until August 1945 (the end of war in the Pacific).  On 25^th November US planes based in China started to bomb the Japanese Island of Formosa (now Taiwan), contributing to a massive Japanese offensive against the airfields in early 1944.

Chiang Kai-Shek, the Chinese Nationalist leader, met Roosevelt and Churchill at a conference in Cairo http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1140364.shtml (BBC History website) on 22^nd November to confirm their strategy against Japan.  Russia had not declared war against Japan and so did not attend but the two western leaders met Stalin together for the first time in Iran, at the Tehran Conference on 28^th November, where he agreed to join the  fight against Japan once Germany had been defeated.  Roosevelt and Churchill promised that they would invade France in a second western front by May 1944.  This was to be Operation Overlord and the beginning of Dick's war in Europe....

75 years ago - Italy and Pagham

Letter written on Wednesday 1^st and Thursday 2^nd September 1943

Same address

Wednesday (nearly Thursday)

My Darling Chotie,

                                                            It’s a long time since I’ve written to you at this time of night, but I find myself with two others operating a wireless for three days and nights and this being the first I thought it would give me a golden opportunity to send you a young novel – so here goes.

            The remainder of the troop are out on a three days exercise and we are maintaining contact with them the whole time.  The system, as it stands sounds quite fun but unfortunately we are not allowed to sleep as those on the exercise aren’t able to.

            This little discrepancy is, however, compensated by the fact that I get a weekend on Saturday, so things aren’t really too bad.  Diller will be home I believe so she’ll have a glorious chance to moan to her hearts content, an opportunity I know she won’t be slow to seize.

Came back from 48hr scheme yesterday, just about all in.  This wireless* is murder, it’s not only the mental tiredness you get, but also chronic headaches owing to the headphones which have to be worn continually.  I’ll spend the week-end in bed – lonely and cold ….

            We’ve managed to scrounge some cocoa and milk, also a shave, so we have hopes of something hot soon.

            Weather here is typical autumn – lots of mist and rain and last night a beautiful sunset, one of the best I’ve ever seen.  The trees – hundreds of them here are just beginning to turn – though it’s early yet.  It will be lovely by the time I leave – always presuming I don’t leave prematurely …

            We have a pretty sound wireless officer, one of the pleasant slavedriver type who works all hours from morn ’til night and expects the whole troop to do the same…Luckily he likes his pint and consequently we always find ourselves some hundred yards from the Duke of Wellington for lunch and he always stands the troop a pint apiece.  God knows how much it must cost him.

            I was talking to the publican who says that the present Duke (who lives in the neighbouring estate – Stratfield Saye) is quite a pleasant bloke – Captain in the Commandos in Sicily and always goes to the pub when on leave to play darts with the farmers.  Apparently he’s about 30**.

            Did I tell you that Dad went up to Purley*** to see all the relations?  It’s the first time he’s seen his father for about five years!  Awful isn’t it?  Apparently things have changed quite a bit.  Gramp now looks his years – he’s about 78, which he never has done before and has slowed up considerably.  Cyril (Dad’s brother) took him on a trip which included all the most dubious of London’s night clubs.

            They all expect me to go up (after Brian going, of course) but I still prefer to go home, or if possible come down to see you.  (I still owe you about a dozen spankings…****)

            However, he did see them, they were all very pleased, and that’s that – for another five years anyhow.

            Incidentally is there anything I can get you for your Birthday? I haven’t had a chance to get out for ages, and you can’t do anything on schemes.  Let me know – and if there’s no chance of my getting it, I’ll send you some shekels*****.

            The ATS are a better crowd than I thought, despite their being mostly Generals’ daughters.  The one I had (not literally….) yesterday did all the cooking for us – and did it very well – probably because they were scared of letting us do it, as they have to eat it as well.  I managed to get her a room in a farmhouse and she managed to get me half-a-dozen eggs so we had quite a happy time.  She comes from Kent of course – Pett’s Wood – about a mile from Orpington†.  We had several common friends.  I should say friends in common – there’s a subtle difference….

            I still haven’t had an FFI†† – you really must organise another meeting…See what you can do.  I always get atrociously rude this time of night – at the moment I’m thinking awful things.  I couldn’t even tell you… 

            That’s enough of this – I’d better do some wireless for an hour or two.

            Well, I’ve done some morse – over an hour in fact and have just been relieved.  Still feel the same.  Good thing I’m not in the Bristol area.

            Read Deeping’s ‘Two Black Sheep’ on the scheme and also “Fanny by Gaslight” again (Michael Sadleir) which I’ve always thought an awful lot of.  It’s the finest picture of Victorian England of the last ten years and heaven knows there have been enough books on that subject!  I’m sure Fanny would get the same hold on you as she has on me.

            Won ten bob on a little side bet last night.  Bill said it was Tchaikovsky’s ‘Casse Noisette’ and I said it was ‘Eugen Onegin’ and Eugen Onegin it was†††.  Just as easy as that.  Wish money was always so procurable as that 10 bob.

It’s now nearly 2 oclock and we’ve got the water on the boil for some luscious cocoa!  Jeez! 

My two colleagues have just started to take an interest in things – now that there’s a chance of a hot drink!  One is that madman I told you about from Corfe Castle – incidentally his name’s Peter Collins (happy memories?) who still intends to live on Round Island after the war††††.  A genuine hermit’s life with just his wife.  Notice I say just!  This is where I should say “what more could a man want”… (after his pipe of course…Never mind Darling – you come second …)

            The other one’s an Oxford law student, pretty nearly broke.  Tennis champ of north of England.  Quite a good type.

            I’ve just had my COCOA(!) and, it’s good.  I’ve got a lovely warm feeling in my tummy which I definitely didn’t have before.

            Well, Chotie Darling I must close here as I have to go on the set again.  I’ll let you know how things went on the weekend and enumerate some of Diller’s moans.

                                    All my love, precious.

                                                Always thinking of you.

                                                                        Dicker

P.S.  You should read Napoleon’s letters to Marie Louise and Josephine.  They’re good….

*Wireless – “not enough emphasis can be put on the importance of communication in battle situations”…Wireless operators needed high quality training “to pick up weak signals against a background of atmospherics and interference” known as ‘slush’. (From ‘Phantom at War’ by Andy & Sue Parlour, Cerberus 2003)

**The Duke of Wellington’s estate at Stratfield Saye near Basingstoke in Hampshire . The 6^th Duke of Wellington, Captain of No 2 Commando, was killed in action at Salerno on 16^th September 1943 (from Commando Veterans website).

***Purley, near Croydon, South London.

****Possibly referring to Chotie’s involvement with her officer at the Bristol camp earlier that year??

*****slang for cash. Chotie’s 20^th birthday was on 6^th September 1943.

†Dick was born in Orpington in Kent and spent his childhood there.

††the 'Free from Inspection' inspection for venereal disease (presumably being used by Dick as a euphemism here)

†††Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ and not his opera ‘Eugene Onegin’.

††††an island in Poole Harbour.

Peter Collins was the name of one of Chotie’s early admirers:

“Peter Collins, the boss’s son, home from Blundell’s, a posh school in Devon, also took a fancy to me and given the chance, we would canoodle in the store room.  His mother was very kind to me and I was invited to stay at their lovely house in Talbot Woods for a weekend.  Peter had won a scholarship to Blundell’s for his brilliant piano playing and taught me about classical music - a love that has stayed with me all my life.” (From ‘Chotie’s Story’. See also F.W.Collins)

 © Chotie Darling

 

Dick went home to Pagham, Sussex over the weekend of 4th and 5th September and sent Chotie a postcard of Sea Lane, Pagham for her 20^th birthday on the 6^th September. 

His next letter of Tuesday 14th September had news of his brother Brin, now an Officer Pre-Cadet at Wrotham near Sevenoaks, and Dilys, his sister, home from the Pay Corps.  Dick was still worried he wouldn’t get an officer posting to the Recce

“They’re over staffed as it is, which has the annoying habit of making them very difficult to please.  They cheerfully accept about five in every fifty and the unhappy remainder have to go all through an Infantry OCTU, which takes nearly another five months.”  He agreed with Chotie that the news was good (see below) but wrote “We still have the hardest fighting to do”.

Chotie went home on leave again in September to Parkstone, Poole and met up with her best friend Mary Dakin.  Her unit moved from Portishead back to Markham Camp, Easton-in-Gordano, sometime in the month and she had two trips to the dentist in September.

Dick was still on “schemes” – training exercises, which went on for a number of days outdoors but had found time to read, see some films and listen to classical music on the radio (mentioned in his letter to Chotie of 28th September).

His future unit, the 61^st Recce, were involved in a full scale battle ‘scheme’ with Canadian and Polish troops - Exercise Link.

 

On 3rd September the Italian government signed a secret armistice deal with the Allies.  The same day British and Canadian troops of Montgomery’s 8th Army crossed the Messina Straits unopposed, to land in Calabria on the Italian mainland.  This and subsequent amphibious landings by the 1^st British Airborne Division at Taranto and Brindisi, on the south-east ‘heel’ of Italy, were intended to divert the Germans from the main Allied invasion south of Naples but did not succeed. 

The armistice was announced on 8^th September as the Italian Fleet sailed to surrender to the allies in the port of Valetta, Malta.  Italian forces in German-occupied territory became prisoners-of-war and German troops rushed south to take up defensive positions against the Italian invasion.  When the US Fifth Army including the British X Corps arrived at Salerno the Germans were already in place to meet them.  Casualties were terrible as the Allies attempted to break out of the beach-head.

By the 10^th of September the Germans occupied Rome and two days later they rescued Mussolini from his prison in the central Abruzzi Mountains.  At Salerno the Germans launched a counter-offensive on 13^th September, which nearly defeated the Allies but a few days later, with the 8^th Army approaching from the south, the German army began to withdraw to defensive positions north of Naples.

On 23^rd September Mussolini proclaimed the re-establishment of a fascist government in Northern Italy and Hitler now ordered the execution of all Italians carrying arms in Axis-occupied territory.  10,000 were massacred in Greece for resistance (5,000 on the island of Cephalonia on 24^th September).

The Allies' forces from the east and west coast joined up to form a front-line across the country on 25^th September and began to head north.  (This was an arduous campaign against Italy’s geography – a central ridge of high mountains with wide rivers flowing to east and west, providing natural lines of defence – as well as the Germans.)  On 27^th September the people of Naples rose up and drove the remaining Germans out of their city ahead of the Allies' advance.  Marshal Badoglio signed the official armistice with General Eisenhower on 29^th September at Valetta, Malta.

Free French commandos had landed on Italian occupied Corsica on 14^th September to aid resistance fighters in harrying the Germans withdrawing from Sardinia (they'd been duped into arming for an Allied Invasion by Operation Mincemeat) via the formerly French island.  By 21st October the Italian forces were assisting the French.

On 18^th September the British began an attempt to liberate the Greek Aegean islands with a landing on Rhodes but the Italian troops they were looking to for support had already been arrested.

Jews in Athens and Denmark were now facing the threat of deportation as their countries came under German control.  In Denmark, Danish authorities arranged a secret operation to move Jewish citizens into hiding for a safe escape to Sweden while in Athens two-thirds of the Jews escaped with help from the Greek Orthodox church and even the Athenian Chief of Police. The Danish resistance established a shadow administration, ‘the Freedom Council’, on 16^th September.

While Sweden remained neutral, Norway had been occupied by Germany since June 1940 and Hitler’s massive battleship, the Tirpitz, was anchored at Kåfjord on the far north coast.  On 22^nd September a British attack using midget submarines caused enough damage to put her out of action for 6 months.

In eastern Europe the German front-line was now held at the Dnepr river, across central Ukraine, but on 22^nd September Soviet troops began to cross despite suffering heavy losses.  The Allies were now poised to squeeze Hitler’s Europe between eastern and western fronts.

75 years ago - the Allies invade Sicily

Had Dick stayed in the 1st Airborne he could have been invading Sicily in July 1943 in Operation Husky.  He was probably better off at Sandhurst since 1st Airlanding Brigade's casualties in Operation Husky amounted to one third of those taking part, with many drowned when inexperienced pilots released their gliders too far from land to avoid flak.

The Allies’ first front in Europe since Dunkirk, the French surrender in June 1940 and the fall of Crete a year later, started with the surprise landing of forces on the south of the island from the night of 9^th July.  80,000 men were assembled before nightfall on the 10^th.  The British advanced from the south-east corner along the coast taking Syracuse thanks to remnants of 1^st Airlanding who prevented the destruction of the critical Ponte Grande bridge.  Patton’s US 7^th Army landed on the south coast and by 22^nd July had taken the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

Map of Operation Husky from 2015 event

Hitler held an emergency meeting with Mussolini on 19^th July but the Italian dictator lost control of Italy on 25^th July when, backed by the Fascist Grand Council, the King took over power and appointed Marshal Badoglio as head of government.  Mussolini was arrested and Hitler sent German troops to seize key positions in the north of the country.

The bombing of the ancient Ruhr city of Cologne by the RAF at the beginning of the month had produced an explosive firestorm and killed thousands.  At the end of July the RAF attacked the port of Hamburg creating a huge firestorm that, with the devastating bombing, killed 40-50,000.

Germany was also facing the possibility of defeat in Russia.  Operation Citadel, their immense offensive to take back the area around Kursk, started on 5^th July and on 12^th July one of the largest tank battles in history was fought at Prokhorovka, south of Kursk. The invaders made no progress though, overcome by the Soviets’ determined, massive and rapidly prepared defence.  On 22^nd July Hitler even gave permission for the German Army to withdraw from the now vulnerable bulge in the line around Orel, north of Kursk.

Operation Cartwheel continued in the Pacific with fierce fighting on New Georgia as the US Army attempted to take the Japanese base of Munda.

 

The Allies were now on the offensive while Dick led a relatively safe existence back in Blighty. (He did end up lost over a precipice in Snowdonia on a training exercise in North Wales in June ). 

On 13th June he sent Chotie a registered letter as he was preparing for the Wales trip.  His ‘Industry Group and Occupational Classification record’  on 25th June confirms that he was a student before he joined up (he studied French, which was later to prove extremely useful).  Better weather back at Camberly saw him swimming naked in the Sandhurst pool .  After a week’s leave in mid-July he sent Chotie a hand-coloured postcard of Sandhurst and wrote a letter the next day describing a visit to his Italian friend Guido Benetti in Brighton and his time at Pagham. 

Meanwhile Chotie’s anti-aircraft unit left Plymouth and returned to Bristol, this time to the north of the city at Cribbs Causeway.

Dick wrote to her there on 31st July:

Same Address

Saturday

My Darling Chotie,

                                                Sorry, this will have to be in pencil but Chunky has pinched our only table and chair and is very inauspiciously writing to his wife.

                                    Received your two letters, for which many thanks.  I was surprised to see you are once again in the Bristol area.  If you remember, Eric was convalescent at Westbury for some months.  At any rate you’re a little nearer home, which I suppose is something, if not very much.

            As regards next week-end I’m afraid I won’t be able to get down before Saturday Evening, as our leave doesn’t start until the afternoon, and it’s a fair journey.

            I shall have to leave again on Monday afternoon as we change squadrons on that day and I’ll have about six months accumulation of kit to move to the New Buildings, which are some half mile or so.

            Been swimming all the afternoon at the ‘Blue Pool’, the nearest baths (apart from the college baths) and am now beginning to get brown.  I’m already pretty browned off as they’re chucking out Recce cadets right and left as the corps is already too full.  The trouble is that in most cases they’re not even giving infantry commissions!  So I’ll probably be RtU’d* in the near future.

            These things run in cycles – one minute they’re clamouring for officers and the next they’re full up.

            Read Linklater’s short stories entitled “God likes them Plain”, which are very good.  Haven’t had time to read anything else.  Heard from Diller (still browned off) but haven’t heard from Brinner, needless to say.

            Swam in an inter-squadron competition and managed to win my event the net result being we won the whole show easily.  Rather funny really, and that’s the first swimming event I’ve been in.  On the 28^th** too!  Hell of a fluke – the other 3 were U.S.***

            I’ll close here Darling, as I’ve exhausted my mediocre letter-writing talents.

                                                                        All my love, Darling

                                                                        (until Saturday)

                                                                                    Dicker

*RTU – Returned to Unit

**Dick’s 22^nd birthday on 28^th July.

***Slang for useless?

© Chotie Darling

75 years ago - Defending Plymouth

At the beginning of June 1943 Dick was at the Royal Armoured Corps Officer Cadet Training Unit (Sandhurst) near Camberley in Surrey.  He went to battle camp in Snowdonia from Sunday 13^th June to Saturday 19^th (or 26^th?) June

Chotie had moved with her Anti-Aircraft battery - 462 Hy (M) – to the Plymouth area at Millbrook on the Cornish side of the Tamar.  Co-incidentally (or predicted by British Intelligence eg through code intercepts?) since on Monday 14^th June Plymouth suffered a heavy attack by the Luftwaffe with more than 70 high explosive bombs dropped on the city in just half an hour, hundreds of incendiary bombs falling on Saltash (just north of Millbrook) and phosphorous bombs falling on Mount Edgecombe Park (just south of Millbrook).  Chotie was already having ‘a lively war’. 

Luftwaffe aerial photo and map of the approaches to Plymouth and defences including Millbrook, January 1942

Dick wrote to her on a Tuesday earlier in the month (presumably 1st or 8th June ):

5731671 Officer Cadet Williams RK

77 Troop ‘B’ Sqdn

100 (Sandhurst) Octu RAC

R.M.C. Camberley, Surrey

Tuesday

Thanks very much for your letter and photo*.  It’s quite good don’t you think?  I’ve got a God awful photo of my troop taken the first day we had here.  (Actually I haven’t yet got one – it’s on the way).  We had one taken at Blackdown and that was so horrible that everyone refused to buy one.  I paid for mine and am still hoping to get my money back…. 

            I’ll send you one of the Sandhurst ones when they arrive.

            I’m writing this during a Gas lecture under pretence of writing notes so I have to keep stopping and pretending to look interested.  I don’t think I’m kidding this bloke, though.

            Well, how do you like Plymouth**?  You appear to have struck it lucky in getting such frequent changes of location.  I always seemed to stick for months in really horrible places.  Brinner had ten months at Basingstoke and I can’t think of much worse than that.  Mind you move Eastwards next time.  Somewhere about Lilliput*** would be rather handy or even Chichester or somewhere like that.

            (It’s a murderous job trying to write on one knee watching the lecturer with one eye and trying to appear reasonably attentive.)

            I get quite a nice time here on Sundays as all O/D’s**** draw cycles to go to church in Camberley.  Needless to say no one goes to church.  For my part, I repair to a certain YOCH I wot of and there drink gallons of tea (no sugar ….), smoke a pipe or two, and read ‘Country Life’ ‘Tatler’ and ‘Field’ until about noon when I lazily mount the crate and trundle back to my present abode at approx... 2mph.  However, we make up for it during the week, especially in PT which consists of pretty bloody runs of about 3-4 miles over obstacle courses in battle order.  Quite fun when you get used to it.  I shall have to use pencil from here as I’ve run out of ink.

            Life here, however, is quite pleasant on the whole though I hope to get transferred to an Infantry OCTU before I finish here.  Recce’s all right but I prefer the old infantry.

            Diller as you know I expect went to Leicester for initial training.  I bet it’s shaking her.  I went to Leicester once from Branksome***** if you remember but wasn’t impressed.  Good huntin’ country.

            Read Rose Macaulay’s ‘And no man’s wit’******, also Noel Langley’s 'There’s a porpoise close behind us’ (re-read).

            Plenty of swimming here, nearly every day in fact – I’ve got quite brown (-ed off…)

            I’m supposed to be going home this weekend for a few hrs.  Only wish I could get to Plymouth but it’s really too much.  I could have made Bristol I think.  However you may move this way soon. 

            I was slung on a charge last week!  Late on parade – but spun the Squadron Commander a yarn and got admonishment – cushy.  I’ll never make it again though, at any rate not with the same bloke – a Grenadier Guards major.  All the officers here are either Grenadier, Irish or Welsh Gds.  No Scots or Coldstreams. 

            It’s now Tuesday evening and as I have a few minutes before dinner I’ll round this letter off.  We’re on parade again at 9 o’clock for a night march….

            It’s been alternate sun and rain here all today, which is a good thing, for this place gets pretty dusty, also the rain helps to fill the swimming-pool.

            The library here contains the Encyclopedia Britannica and Oxford so I’m quite happy to spend a few weeks there every now and then.

            Our troop officer goes by the name of Brixey – Battle-mad Brixey – who’s really very decent and very cushy.  The Guards Officers here nearly all wear long puttees, the old style, that is with service dress slacks.  Very comic appearance until you get used to it.

            I’m afraid this letter’s rambling on in my usual inimitable style (?) ….

            (I’ve put your photo on my chest, furniture not anatomical – looks very good).

            I’m very lucky in having Brian & Chunky as room-mates as we never seem to fight although we argue incessantly of course.  Chunky being a Londoner hates the country period houses, beer, smoking, in fact all the luxuries of life.  Brian being Irish and a pianist in the bargain is often moody and sometimes says hardly a word all day.  He’s over six feet, about fourteen stone and will make a brilliant soldier.  Plans to stay in the army after this show.

            Chunky’s married but being ultra-modern has no children.  Brian says he’s going to get married on his next leave.  I believe I told you he was a ham before joining-up, and was a Captain in the IRA for two years.  Nice people…..

            Warrant Officers here call us Sir and we call them Sir so everyone’s happy.  Occasionally the Sqdn Cmdr or someone dines with the troop which means about an hour and a half in the mess making conversation over really horrible coffee.  Happily I smoke and get rid of the coffee to Brian who eats like a horse.

            Well, Darling I’ll close here as I’ll have to post this before Dinner and the stunt tonight.

            Hope to see you soon, Chotie Darling

                                                            All my love

                                                                        Dicker

    PS. Sorry half is in pencil but no-one has any ink at the moment I want it.

*See group photo of ATS from Bristol .

**This letter was addressed to W/242328 Pte Chalkley B.E.

ATS OFC ‘B’ Tp, 462 Hy (M) AA Bty RA, c/o GPO. Millbrook, NR Plymouth       

***a little village by the Harbour in Poole

****Officers of the Day or Officer Developers?

*****Dick was stationed in Branksome from September 1941.  See To Branksome

****** Rose Macaulay’s ‘And no man’s wit’ is a novel based on the Spanish Civil War. Noel Langley’s ‘There’s a porpoise close behind us’ is set in the backstage world of London theatre.

 © Chotie Darling

 

On 11th June 1943 Allied planes prepared for their first invasion in Europe, Operation Husky with the bombing of Sicily but also bombed Greece, Sardinia and northern Italy to continue the deception of Operation Mincemeat.  On 20^th June the RAF adopted the tactic of ‘shuttle bombing’, with planes leaving England to bomb Germany, reloading in North Africa and bombing Italian territory on return.  The Allied airforces also implemented the Pointblank Directive of co-ordinated bombing – the Americans flying ‘precision’ bombing by day and the RAF ‘saturation’ bombing at night.  The German city of Cologne was ‘saturated’ on 29^th June leaving almost 5,000 dead.

‘Radar' was officially adopted as the term for ‘radiolocation’ but remained very secret until the end of the war. The Admiralty at last changed their communications code – Naval Cipher 3 had been decrypted by the Germans in March 1942 leading to tragedy for the Allies in the Atlantic.

De Gaulle trumped Giraud by forming a French government-in-waiting (le Comité Français de la Libération Nationale) to avoid occupation by the other Allies or a communist take-over in the event of an Allied victory.  However, his Conseil National de la Résistance leaders were captured, including Jean Moulin on 21^st June (he died from torture without revealing information) and the communists began to increase their influence in the resistance.

Leaders of the Polish government in exile, including General Sikorski, were killed in a plane crash on 4^th June – a convenience following the discovery of the Katyn massacre that led to many conspiracy theories.  Following the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto Heidrich Himmler decreed that all Polish and Soviet ghettos were to be liquidated.

On the other side of the world the Allies, led by General MacArthur, began Operation Cartwheel – an attack on the strong Japanese base of Rabaul on New Britain Island, New Guinea, through capture of the surrounding islands and bases – on 30th June 1943.

75 years ago - Sandhurst at last

In May 1943, at the Trident Conference in America, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed the invasion of Italy after Sicily and set a date of 1^st May 1944 for the cross-channel invasion of North-West Europe – ‘D’ day.  Operation Mincemeat appeared to have convinced Hitler that the Allies would first invade Greece and Sardinia, even after the Royal Navy began a heavy bombardment of Pantelleria, the island between Tunisia and Sicily

The Allies had now triumphed in North Africa, taking the critical ports of Tunis and Bizerte on 7^th May.  On 13^th May the remaining Axis forces in North Africa, nearly quarter of a million men, surrendered.

Although Eisenhower had appointed the former Vichy general Giraud as Commander-in-Chief of French forces in North Africa, General de Gaulle arrived in Algiers at the end of the month in a political move to take control of l’Armée Afrique, which far outnumbered his Free French forces.  Jean Moulin, de Gaulle’s appointed leader of the French resistance, had succeeded in uniting the networks of northern France into the Conseil National de la Résistance.

On 15^th May Stalin announced the dissolution of the Comintern, the Communist international organisation working for world revolution.  Britain’s SOE (Special Operations Executive) began giving support to Marshal Tito’s communist partisans, who had wrested large areas of Yugoslavia from Axis control.

In the Atlantic the cracking of the German Navy’s enigma code and new more aggressive tactics were at last ending the devastation of British and American shipping. Admiral Dönitz lost 33 U-boats in May 1943 and withdrew his wolf-packs from the northern Atlantic.  In the northern Pacific the Americans took back Attu Island, US territory in the Aleutians, from the Japanese. 

The disastrous first British Arakan campaign in Burma ended with no gains and 5,000 casualties since September 1942.  However, Britain’s warfare technology was making important steps towards victory.  The flight of a Junkers 88 fighter from Denmark by Danish defectors brought the Telecommunications Research Establishment a German radar set that contributed to the development of ‘Window’ radar interference.  On 16^th May, in the famous Dambusters raid, bouncing bombs were successfully used to breach the Möhne and Eder, killing 1,300 in the flooded Ruhr valley and disrupting industrial production.  On 29^th May RAF bombers created a devastating  ‘firestorm’ for the first time at Wuppertal in the Ruhr – the explosive fire killed more than 3,000 people.

 

While Chotie adjusted to life among the guns near Bristol Dick was sweating over Pre-OCTU theory work “writing up notes for hours and hours” at Aldershot – “horrible place – nothing but military for miles.”  He had made two friends - ‘Chunky’, the ex-chef at the Trocadero and Brian ‘Enoch’, the actor.  By 28th April he was doing ‘Gunnery’, “which is pretty cushy” and looking forward to Sandhurst. 

At the beginning of May he ‘passed out’ of Blackdown Camp pre-OCTU and 7 days leave at his parents’ home in Pagham, where he was telegrammed Chotie to join him.  She didn’t (perhaps distracted by her new officer?).  On 17^th May there was a large bombing raid on Cardiff, the Welsh capital on the other side of the Severn to Chotie’s station.  Since the German bombers often flew up the Severn to reach their targets Chotie’s anti-aircraft battery may well have been involved in the action.

On 23^rd May Chotie’s former place of employment, the Beales Department store in Bournemouth, was destroyed by a bomb.  Through 1942 Chotie was a trainee window-dresser and, like many of the staff, a night-time firewatcher for the building.

Dick only sent one letter to Chotie that month.  It was written on paper from the Royal Military College, Camberley, Surrey - on15^th May he had joined the 162^nd OCTU of the Honourable Artillery Company, Sandhurst – and posted on Saturday 22nd May:

My Darling Chotie,

                                                It seems ages since I heard from you and as I expect it’s the same with you – here goes.

            As you will see from above I’m now at Sandhurst, which is quite a place.

            I’ve been so busy the last few days, what with passing out (in more ways than one) at Blackdown and getting settled here, I haven’t had a moment to myself.

            I was very disappointed with your inability to make Pagham, but realise what the hell of a journey Bristol is.  But why didn’t you send a wire or something?  Then I could have come down.  Brinner and Diller were home as you probably know.  We could have got really stewed – actually we did, but that’s another story.  However, we must try again soon.  I shall be able to get a week-end here and there, though I expect to be up to my eyes in work.  I’ve been very lucky here in getting a room with Chunky* and Brian (my mates …. ) and an excellent servant who knows all the tricks of the trade – and then some.

            (Don’t smile at this paper.  It’s all they’ve got here, and needless to say they robbed me …  Never again).  I had a letter from Eric last week!  No kidding.  He “didn’t want our correspondence to collapse” or some rot or other.  The rat.  Doesn’t appear over happy, but then he never does.

            Is Rosemary** still with you?  Lucky Rosemary….  However, all good things come to an end – we’ll be kicked out of this Army before long – I hope.

            I haven’t seen a flick for nearly a month, which cuts out that topic of conversation.

            We’re allowed to wear civvies in the evenings here, also dine in them, but as I’m couponless it doesn’t really interest me.

            So much for Sandhurst.  I expect you know all about Bristol by now - all the pubs anyhow.

            Diller and I found quite a good one in Chichester.  It’s so old it doesn’t have a licence.  It’s got some ancient charter from James I or some other bloke which dates back before shame even.

            You’re lucky in having some relatives in the neighbourhood – I’ve never been near anyone.

            Nothing new at home.  Mother’s been offered Gentians (that little Tea Rooms by the Kings Beach) for £100 and is toying with the idea.  Mike*** presents the only snag.  I’m all for it as we would be able to get buckshee teas on leave.  She always has these vague obsessions as well you know.  She also wants to make out a thousand in our names (Diller, Bryn & myself) to avoid death duties should she be killed by a stray bomb….  Crazy’s right.

            It must be over five months since I saw you last.  Have you changed at all Darling?  Don’t tell me you’re any slimmer ‘cos I’d never believe anything but my own eyes.  I’ve had so many 771’s in the last few days I reckon it would be easier to turn nudist and have done with it.  The old British public would raise horrified eyebrows, though you, I should imagine would remain entirely unruffled.  (We’ve got a wonderful old oak outside our window.  I have to keep stopping to gaze in rapt appreciation …. Must be the artist in me crying out like a voice in the wilderness against some aesthetic repression ….)

            Brinner bought another Gigli**** when he was home.  I won’t comment on it, as he and Solomon are the only two men in this poor world I would never attempt to criticize. 

            Have you read ‘Clochemerle’***** yet?  Don’t ask for it in a bookshop as they would only give you a pretty old fashioned look anyway.

            I spent a day up in town on my way back to Blackdown.  Piccadilly was, as usual, full of the usual who keep stopping you which is all very embarrassing, especially for an innocent little boy like myself, in London Town to see the bright lights.  I told one of them that she should be paying me, if only she knew me, which annoyed her not a little.  I didn’t tell her I existed for Chotie alone.

            Well Darling I must close here.  Hope to see you soon.  I’ll advise you when I can get a weekend.

                        All my love, Precious

                                                Dicker

5731671 Officer Cadet Williams R.K.

77 Tp. ‘B’ Sqdn., 100 (Sandhurst) O.C.T.U. R.A.C.

Royal Military College, Camberley, Surrey.

 

*see letter of 18th April 1943.

**Rosemary was Chotie’s young cousin I think

***Mike was the family dog

*** Beniamino Gigli was an Italian tenor singer and Solomon was possibly the pianist Solomon Cutner. See letter of 7th February.

****see letter of 11th April.

 © Chotie Darling

Dick’s officer training would have included learning from his ‘servant’ how an officer should speak, walk and eat.  Before WW2 the British Army had recruited only ‘gentlemen’ as officers based on character, use of weapons and ability to ride a horse; and , of course, class.  Now they were also recruiting officers from the ranks they were still concerned that they should have the ‘competencies’ of gentlemen.

75 years ago - Defending Bristol

On 6th April 1943 Chotie moved to Markham Camp at Easton-in-Gordano (east of Bristol and the River Avon and south of the important port at Avonmouth).  She joined ‘B’ troop of the 462 Heavy (M) Anti-aircraft Battery as a radar operator or 'spotter'. Easton-in-Gordano also had rocket firing or ‘Z’ sites and it may have been these that terrified her on her first night as ‘Ack-Ack

Rosemary Stewart was ‘B’ troop’s Lance Corporal and she remembers Barbara Chalkley as the only girl who insisted on using eye lash curlers (with boot black if she couldn’t get mascara) before going on parade.

Chotie's ATS Anti-Aircraft unit that defended Bristol in 1943. Chotie has ringed her face at the right-hand end of the second row from the back.

 

Dick had written to Chotie on 28th March while home at Pagham (Sussex) for a few hours.  He’d ‘passed out’ of his first 3 weeks of pre-OCTU training at Aldershot: “ie the hard graft and get it much cushier for the next six – nearly all theory” and his sister Diller was also home prior to enlistment.

He wrote again on 11^th April:

Same address

Sunday

My Darling Chotie,

                                                Many thanks for your letter and the news of your change of address.  Hope you prefer it to Oswestry, - at least you’re a little nearer home ….

            I shall be here for the next seven months or so – at least in this neighbourhood I suppose.

            ‘Fraid I don’t know Bristol – all the blokes in my room at Dover came from this most antique of ports, and, needless to say, consider it the model town of the whole country.  The Clifton Suspension bridge is considered one of the chef d’oeuvres* in the structural engineering world.  I also know a BA who lives at Clifton, hails from the varsity.  That about finishes my knowledge of the town.  Glad to hear you’ve made a friend there.  Always seems to help matters.

            I’ve dropped for Guard Commander for Tuesday next so I’m spending the weekend blancoing etc.

            I start on wireless tomorrow – for a fortnight then a fortnight gunnery – then leave and Sandhurst, maybe…

            I believe I told you there’s an RA** crowd here (ATS).  Always seem to be doing predictor stuff.

            (Have stopped writing to have chat with bloke who’s hobby was mountaineering – very interesting.  Another bloke here – the medico - says his greatest ambition in life is to become a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron!  Nothing like aiming high, is there?  He’ll probably make it.)

            We’ll have to arrange something about my next leave.  You may be able to get a 72hr or something.  I’ll let you know all details when they arrive.

            Had two days out driving last week.  Went to Brighton on Thursday and Oxford on Friday.  Saw Gloucester*** arriving through Oxford in his Rolls.  (One of his Rolls).  Also went through Bicester, Aylesbury, Windsor Great Park, etc.  Made quite a change as I don’t really know this area.

            The country round here is pretty marvellous but the Army of course have got their hands on most of it.  There are literally hundreds of period houses, mostly Tudor cottages which have been used as weekend hide-outs, I should imagine.  It makes me wince every time I see the military in them.

            I’m reading (in brief snatches) Gabriel Chevallier’s ‘Clochemerle’, which is a rather licentious tale of life in a French village.  Very amusing.

            I’m boring you again I suppose so will close here.  Will let you know of any developments as regards leave, etc

                                                All my love

                                                            Darling

                                                            Dicker

P.S.  Excuse envelope – it’s all I have.

* ‘chef d’oeuvre’ – French for masterpiece

** RA – Royal Artillery

***Presumably Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester and third son of King George V. He was appointed potential regent by his brother George VI should he die while his daughter, the future Elizabeth II was a minor.

© Chotie Darling

 

Meanwhile our friend Eric Postles was in the Chilterns and had been joined by Anthony Rampling in the 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment – Dick’s future unit.

 

History was with the Poles in April 1943.  On 12^th April German radio announced the discovery of the remains of nearly 15,000 Polish officers and intelligentsia near Katyn in Russia.  The massacre had taken place in April 1940 but was denied by the Soviet Union until 1990.  It caused a diplomatic crisis among the Allies.

On 19^th April German troops stormed the Warsaw Ghetto and met with fierce resistance.  The Polish Jews managed to hold out for another month as the Ghetto was destroyed by fire and flood – those that survived were sent to the Treblinka death camp.

In North Africa the Allies were approaching victory as their forces from the east and west met in Tunisia on 7^th April. Allied planes from African air-bases shot down a record number of Luftwaffe planes on 18^th April but over Germany the RAF and US Eighth Air Force were suffering huge losses.

One of the most famous successful attacks on an aircraft was the US destruction of the plane carrying Admiral Yamamoto, the Commander of Japan’s Imperial Fleet, shortly after he’d ordered the greatest Japanese air strike since Pearl Harbour against Allied bases in the Pacific on 17^th April.

Hitler was busy giving pep talks to his European allies to keep them in the war, particularly Italy.  Britain and America had agreed at the Casablanca Conference that their next step after Africa would be the invasion of Sicily but the US were not yet convinced they should advance into Europe via the Italian Peninsula before attempting to cross the Channel.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

75 years ago - A Very Happy Leave

On 2^nd December 1942 a team of scientists working on the Manhattan Engineering District Project achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Atrocities against Jews continued in countries under German occupation.  By the end of December 1942 approximately four million Jews had been killed, as well as 40,000 Roma (on 16^th December 1942 Himmler had ordered that all Roma or gypsies were to be sent to the concentration camps).  News of the death camps had begun to reach the Allies command and on 17th December Britain and the US vowed to avenge Nazi war crimes against the Jewish people.

Fighting continued in terrible conditions on the Russian front.  On 12^th December the German’s Operation Winter Storm attempted to reach and re-inforce their starving Sixth Army at Stalingrad but the Soviets attacked in Operation Little Saturn, forcing withdrawal with the loss of 10% of the Luftwaffe’s transport planes.

In Africa Rommel (unlike the obedient Paulus, commander of the Sixth Army) had defied Hitler’s orders to ‘stand to the last’ and was withdrawing his remaining forces west.  Montgomery’s Eighth Army attacked on 11^th December, in the Battle of El Agheila, but failed to stop the Panzerarmee Africa’s retreat towards Tripoli.  Although Operation Torch in West North Africa was diverting much needed men and supplies from the Axis in Russia, it was not going to plan.  The Germans rapid occupation of Tunisia included the critical north coast port of Bizerte.  However, US planes were now able to attack Italy from airfields in Algeria and Naples was heavily bombed on 4th December killing 900 people.

In the Far East Australian forces at last took the Gona bridgehead from the Japanese on Papua New Guinea and on 21^st December Britain launched a doomed offensive to recapture the Mayu Peninsula in Burma’s Arakan (they were forced to retreat to India after three months and 3,000 casualties).

Nearer to home the new navigational radar system, known as Oboe (and developed by the Telecommunications Research Establishment in Dorset and Malvern) began to be used on 21^st December, greatly increasing the accuracy of RAF bombing.  Six ships were destroyed in Bordeaux Harbour on 11^th/12^th December – not by bombs but with limpet mines attached by Royal Marine commandos who paddled up the Gironde in ‘cockleshell’ collapsible canoes in the heroic Operation Frankton.

Despite the cold-blooded murders under Hitler’s Commando Order the role of commandos was developing. In the Bournemouth area the newly the 3rd Special Services Brigade (which was to see service in Burma) trained under the eye of the novelist Evelyn Waugh, a Staff Officer in Dorset’s Combined Operations command based at Anderson Manor.  Dorset was also hosting the first tests for Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bombs on the Fleet Lagoon.  The county continued to suffer from German bombers, with civilians killed in Poole and Bridport in December 1942 and an attack on the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School at Lulworth Camp.  However, church bells were heard for the first Christmas since the beginning of the war - they had been silenced for use only to warn of invasion but once again rang out in celebration.

 

In late November the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment was subject to inspections by General Sir Bernard Paget, the Commander in Chief of Home Forces and Lt-General Stopford, the XII Corps Commander. The Corps, then based in Kent, included Major General Ivor Thomas’s 43rd (Wessex) Division). Dick wrote to Chotie on 26th November 26^th November only of his forthcoming leave and being ‘wet through’ all day.  Individual training continued in December although Dick had a ‘very happy’ week on leave with Chotie from 2^nd December. Chotie returned to Dorset for her sister Margaret’s wedding to a guardsman, Ted Lewis.

Chotie as bridesmaid at Ted and Margaret's wedding

On 13th December 43^rd Recce were issued with light khaki berets, to replace their ‘field caps’.  There were Divisional and Regimental Skeleton exercises before Section Training started on 21^st December when Dick’s HQ Squadron Company went on a route march:

 

Letter Tuesday 22nd December 1942 

PPS.  Good book “Tambour Terrace” Eleanor Dunbar Hall

As before

Tuesday

My Darling,

Sorry I haven’t been able to reply to your last before now, but I’ve been away on a scheme for the last few days.  This culminated in a route march which finished me off – I was wearing new boots, so today finds me on the sick list.  There’s a run on this afternoon and being excused running for five days I’m able to write to my Chotie.

Thanks for the letter and cake.  You must thank Margaret for me – when next you see her.

I had a letter or rather a note from our mutual friend Lightfoot*, last week.  Apparently he’s in Colchester (Essex).

Brinner has also moved to Essex – rather in the wilds, I gather.  I’ve despatched a letter to Diller – shake her I expect – as I’m not sending any cards.

Let me know as soon as you see anything in the cheese-dish line – I hardly remember what they look like.

            Hope your medical** went off all right.  Let me have the dope as soon as possible.  Also the Dance.

Went to a whist drive last week.  No luck of course.  I should have been well in, but went down 12-1 which finished everything.  Really stupid girl for a partner…Ginger.

                        Look like the Fighting French in our berets.  Remember that photo you had of cadets?

                        No news of course.  Devilish dull here – though we don’t get much time anyhow.

                        (With Doug’s letter came a Pkstone Cong***. Magazine.  Know who sent it?  Sure I don’t)

                        Roll on Christmas … (Incidentally which Christmas is the war going to end by now?)

                        Must close here.

All my love Darling

                                                                        Dicker

1. Will send you something if I should ever see anything.

*Doug Lightfoot

**On 17th December 1942 Chotie was enrolled into the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) at Southampton.

*** Parkstone Congregational Church (now Parkstone United Reformed Church), opposite Chotie’s home on the corner of Chapel Road and Commercial Road, Parkstone, Poole Dorset.  Chotie met Dick at the church Youth Club when she was fourteen.  Her family left the house in the 1960s and it was knocked down and replaced with a tyre shop.

© Chotie Darling

 

Chotie was about to start a very different life in the ATS so posts particularly concerning Dorset end here.

75 years ago - the End of the Beginning

November 1942 was the month that the tide of the war turned for the Allies. 

In Africa the legendary success of Montgomery and the British Eighth Army at El Alamein pushed Rommel’s German and Italian forces into a retreat from Egypt to Libya.  On 3^rd November General Dwight D Eisenhower was flown from Hurn Aerodrome in Dorset to the Rock of Gibraltar, his base for command of Operation Torch in West North Africa and on 8^th November the American landings began in Algeria and Morocco.  Although initially US troops found themselves fighting the Vichy French, Hitler’s aggressive response to this new threat - sending German troops into the south of France in breach of the 1940 Armistice Agreement - led the French leaders in Africa to declare a ceasefire.  Germans also landed in Tunisia and very soon American forces were engaged in fierce fighting with the Germans for the first time since World War I.  Eisenhower accepted the Vichy French Admiral Darlan as head of French North Africa to the disgust of General de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French.  Admiral Laborde, having been reluctant to hand the French Fleet to the Allies, scuttled the Fleet in Toulon Harbour rather than let it fall into German hands. 

The US Air Force bombed the ‘U’- boat docks at St Nazaire in western France (which was already under German occupation) but their daylight ‘precision bombing’ was proving less than accurate and their airmen paid a high price for flying with visibility.  In Norway British and Norwegian commandos were attempting to destroy the German heavy water plant (critical for the development of German atomic weapons) at Telemark without success.  Denmark had resisted adopting anti-Jewish legislation so Hitler installed a Nazi, Erik Scavenius, as Prime minister.

Hitler (increasingly crazed by amphetamines?) doomed his Sixth Army to annihilation at Stalingrad by commanding the beleaguered forces to again attack this ferociously defended city.  They made their final push on 11^th November - just as the cruel Russian winter took hold - leaving a weakness in their flanks, held by the Romanians.  Operation Uranus, the Soviet encirclement of the Sixth Army, had been planned since September.  Advancing on 19^th November the arms of the circle met by the 22^nd.  Although a diversionary attack at Rhez, Operation Mars, was a disaster, the Red Army could now draw the net around nearly 300,000 men.  The Führer forbade his army to attempt a retreat.

In the Pacific the Second Battle of Guadalcanal left the US Navy finally in command of the waters around this critical stepping stone to victory.   By the end of the month the Japanese had also abandoned their attempt to take the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, and had retreated to their original bridgeheads.

As Churchill appositely said in his speech of 10^th November:

“Now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

 

Dick was still kicking his heels in the 43^rd Reconnaissance Regiment at Dover.  On 29th October Corps he sent Chotie a Recce broach and wrote of the “rain, rain, rain for days on end” but with “glorious sunsets”, books and cinema to pass the time.

The Reconnaissance Corps badge

At the beginning of November 43^rd Recce commenced the “Winter Routine” and a 6 week period of intense individual training.  Dick was on exercises, cross-country runs and route marches with lectures on guerrilla warfare from China.  His letter of 6th November sadly mentions friends dead or missing in action: “I’m afraid we’ll all miss someone before this wretched show is over”.  Chotie was still thinking of joining up – she wanted the WRNS initially (a smarter uniform) but was persuaded to join the ATS to work on something new and “top-secret” (radar location of planes for the anti-aircraft guns).

In Dick’s letter of the 10th he’d visited Canterbury, where he was at school before moving to Poole.  He’s also called in on his former girlfriend, Monica – now married and pregnant – and had a frosty reception.  The news was “brightening up” (see above)and Dick writes with some foresight “the importance of command in Libya cannot be over-emphasised as it means command in the Mediterranean, which we hope will lead to the elimination of Italy as an Axis Power”.

On 17th November he writes:

Address as usual

Tuesday

My Darling,

                                    Once again I find I’m able to reply to yours just received instanta, but I’d better not make a habit of it ...

            Well, my Dear, you seem to have some news this time – whether good, bad or indifferent I leave you to judge, though from your letters I see a sort of aloof indifference.  As my literary hero said “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.”*

            I was pleased to see that you’re sticking out for a specialised job – for which I think you are very wise.  The main criticism offered against this procedure is that you tend to get into a rut; but a comfortable rut is preferable to wandering de place en place as most of us appear to do.

            I was, needless to say, even more pleased to hear that you will not be going before Xmas.  By all laws and statutes I should get my leave a fortnight today, ie the 2^nd of December – but you know what leave can be, or you soon will...

            En passant, I think you are in error as regards the leave; most blokes find that the feminine services are able to get leave when their ‘soldier hero’ gets his.  Naturally this is not always the case but I think you’ll find that in general practice it can be wangled.

            Sorry to hear that Diller’s given me the bird.  Maybe I’ll write her one of these fine days.  You might tell her that I’m giving the matter considerable thought.

            Well, there’s no news from this end.  I managed to get Saturday and Sunday – quite a change, and saw “The Saint’s Vacation”** and, at last – “Reap the Wild Wind”***.  Neither was particularly outstanding.  Always grumble, don’t I?

            Well, I suppose I must close here, not having anything else to hold your attention.

                                    Hope to see you soon, Darling

                                                all my love                                                   

                                                              Dicker

*Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ – Act 5, Scene 2.

**a film based on one of the Simon Templar a.k.a. “The Saint” novels by Leslie Charteris. The film was reset in the Second World War with Nazis as the villains.

***a swashbuckling adventure film set in the 1840s along the Florida coast.

© Chotie Darling

75 years ago - Driver Mechanic, Mortar Troop

On 21st August 1942 Dick (a Francophile and fluent French speaker) wrote to Chotie horrified at the list of French celebrities published as traitors for collaboration with the Germans.  Some of the boats from the disastrous raid on Dieppe had left from the Sussex coast and the county had received attention from the Luftwaffe – Dick’s mother was shopping in Bognor Regis shortly before the Odeon was bombed and Dick, who “saw most of the action in the Channel” was “machine-gunned in the streets”.  On 29th August he got very drunk with some French-Canadians, who may have been involved in the commando raid, carried out by mainly Canadian forces.  He was still enjoying other delights of Brighton with frequent visits to the cinema, as well as the ballet.  He seems very keen to become engaged to Chotie in his letter of 30^th August, but as far as I know there was no engagement.

‘Polyfoto’ of Chotie just before her nineteenth birthday.

On 2nd September Dick passed his trade test as a Driver Mechanic with good results. He wrote to Chotie the next day to let her know he would soon be back in Dover and wish her a very happy nineteenth birthday. He’d also visited the opera and made a new friend, the Italian Benetti.

On Tuesday 8^th September, back with 43^rd Recce he wrote again:

5731671 Tpr Williams R

A/TK Troop, HQ Squadron

43rd Recce Regt,  Recce Corps,

Armed Forces

Tuesday

My Darling Chotie,

I'm in a lecture at the moment, so I'm writing this in my notebook under pretext of taking some notes…  I got your letter this morning - for which many thanks.   Hope you can read this scrawl but I never could write on my knee.  Glad to hear you celebrated your birthday in style - wish I could have been with you.

            (The bloke here is a yawning on about internal combustion engines - very dull after six weeks of it.)

By the way - in your last letter but one, you told me about your ‘change of employment ', but it was, if you remember, in the form of a postscript, which I missed of course, at the first reading.  When reading it again at a later date (a very sound habit of mine), I came across it, and needless to say, would have congratulated you in my last epistle.  Anyhow - nice work.

            (I very much doubt whether you can make head or tail of this scrawl.  I've got a job to understand it myself - but persevere, Darling.) 

I have to keep answering questions all the time to this wretched man - a Sergeant from the Ordnance Corps.  Up to now, I've managed to keep just one jump ahead of him.  He's not really very bright - typical of the R.A.O.C.*, but writing a letter as well has its snags.

I've been enquiring about my leave, and may get it on the 16th i.e. next Wednesday (a week today), but it seems rather doubtful.  What can you manage if I do?  I'm afraid I can't say definitely, because the Squadron Office don't know themselves.

I've been put on fire guard for a week (!) which means I work evenings as well.  I haven't been out since I've been here.  Not that there's anything of interest.  I went out on an exercise yesterday morning, and passed through some marvellous villages, would have delighted Frances B. Young**.

Glad to hear you met Jones.  Where is he stationed these days, or didn't he tell you?  Did I tell you that Brinner was on a course in North Devon?   

Are the old Dorsets*** still with you?  It would mean that they've been there a year now.

I've got a cross country to run this evening after tea, a Devil, isn't it, seeing that I haven't done PT of any sort for seven or eight weeks.

My two Scotch friends have gone on leave to bra’ wee Ayr, and left me disconsolate, although they are both in ‘A’ Squadron, and I don't see much of them.  (The lecture has at last ended, 1½ hrs, so I'll finish this tonight - maybe...)

Well, Lulu, after the lecture I heard I'd been transferred from the Anti Tank Troop to the Mortar Troop****, and having seen the Troop Commander about my leave, feel more confident about the 16th - but remember it’s still not definite.

This mortar job appears cushy - driving - but not quite so cushy in action.

Well, Darling, I must close here with all my love,

                always yours, Precious

                                your loving

                                            Dicker

P.S.  I mentioned our “engagement” to the old folks at home in my last letter.  I haven't yet had a reply ... keep your chin up, Lulubelle..

*Royal Army Ordnance Corps – responsible for supplying weapons, ammunition and equipment to the Army.

**A Frances B. Young wrote a biography of Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke (an Elizabethan writer) but the origins of this reference are obscure.

***Dick’s original regiment (see Chotie Darling Part 1 ‘The Blue Cockade’) last heard of at Branksome in Poole.

****A Reconnaissance Regiment consisted of one HQ Squadron and three Reconnaissance Squadrons. Mortar Troop was one of the four Troops in HQ Squadron (with Signals, Armoured Tank and Admin) and used 6 x 3” mortars. Mortars are portable. Fixed to the ground they are used to fire small bombs in a slow high arc into the enemy at close range.

 

In September 43^rd Recce received orders to mobilise complete with re-inforcements, which presumably would include Dick. There were Brigade exercises ‘Break in’, which Dick may have been involved in and ‘Break out’, which he would have missed while on leave.

Later in September the Sunday Pictorial (now the Sunday Mirror) published an article on the Recce entitled “The First Thrilling Story of Britain’s ‘Reccies’ – our Secret Army is Ready”:

“The men of the Reconnaissance Corps have taken on one of the toughest jobs in the war – the spearhead of our attack on Germany. They are as elusive as guerrillas, fast as scouts, tough as commandos…..every one picked for brain as well as brawn…everything is improvised, time reducing, hazardous…an army which will roam behind enemy lines…their job, to spy on the enemy a close quarters…every scrap of information they get will be fought for” etc.

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’  by Roy Howard, courtesy of the Sunday Pictorial, now the Sunday Mirror.)

 

Back in Dorset Chotie had “a change in employment” – since she was in Beales’ knitwear department in June 1942 perhaps this was when she went to Plummers, the employment she recalled after the Land Army episode? Certainly her last civilian job before January 1943 was as a window dresser at Plummers (Chotie called herself a “Display Artist”).

Luftwaffe attacks continued with 5 people killed by a bomb not far from Chotie’s home in Parkstone on 11^th September.  In the Channel planes from Warmwell sank two armed trawlers on 9^th September and 21 people died when a famous Poole flying-boat, the Clare, caught fire over the English Channel the 14^th. A new aerodrome that was to play a critical role on D Day and in Operation Market Garden was now under construction at Tarrant Rushton.

Poole’s Small Scale Raiding Force successfully obtained captured German wireless operators and Naval codebooks from les Casquets lighthouse in the Channel islands on 2^nd/3^rd March but their founder and leader, Major Gus March-Phillips was killed in another raid on 12^th/13^th September on a beach at St Honorine in Normandy, later better known as ‘Omaha’ (from the D Day landings).

 

On 3^rd September 1942 a National day of Prayer was held in Britain for the third Anniversary of the Declaration of War.

Germany began a major offensive in Stalingrad on 13^th September with orders from Hitler that the entire male population of the city should be eliminated. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)   Fierce Russian resistance and cunning was eventually to save the city but Stalingrad became a legend for the huge numbers killed on each side – possibly 750,000 troops and approximately 40,000 civilians.

On the other side of the world thousands of Japanese soldiers and US Marines were killed on one day, 12^th September, in the ‘Battle of Bloody Ridge’ over the airfield on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

75 years ago - Poole saved from bombing with Island decoy

On 23^rd May 1942 the new 'Starlight' radar system was employed successfully by RAF pilot John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham to shoot down the German flying ace Hauptmann Langur, whose plane crashed near Shaftesbury in Dorset.  The Telecommunications Research Establishment, however, did not stay in Dorset. In May 1942 it moved inland to the safety of Malvern in Worcestershire – the Small Scale Raiding Force and Bruneval Raids were proving how vulnerable coastal locations were to attack.

Poole was the target for a large bombing raid on the night of 24th May, involving 60 German aircraft.  Luckily one of the initial ‘pathfinder’ bombs fell on Brownsea Island setting off the pyrotechnic displays of the Elstree Studios’ decoy used to simulate burning buildings and successfully diverting the rest of the attack to the Island.  Although several people were killed in Hamworthy by other Pathfinders - and a bomb falling near Chotie’s home in Parkstone killed a Home Guard - the ingenious "Starfish" (from ‘Special Fire’) decoy was a great success, attracting 157 tons of the 166 tons of bombs used in the attack – it may well have saved Chotie’s life.

A Starfish decoy in action

 

On the other side of the world the Japanese now held all of the Phillipines and were advancing into southern China along the Burma Road but in the Battle of the Coral Sea the American Navy prevented their landing at Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea). 

Soviet forces experienced terrible losses to the German Army in the Second Battle of Kharkov (Ukraine) and the Crimea.  Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect of the Jewish Holocaust, was shot by the Czech Resistance and died a few days later.  Germany suffered its first 1,000 bomber raid on the night of 30^th May when the RAF attacked Cologne, devastating the city.  However, Rommel’s offensive in Libya in May 1942 led to his most famous victory in the Battle of the Gazala line.  This also impacted on Dick’s future since the 50^th Division’s Reconnaissance Regiment was wiped out in the Battle to be replaced shortly before D Day by 61^st Recce, the unit Dick and his comrades were to fight in.

Eric Postles was already in the 61^st Reconnaissance regiment, training in Northern Ireland but in May 1942 Dick was with the 1st Airborne  training on the Bulford Ranges near Salisbury and moved there from Shaw House at the end of the month.  On Sunday 3^rd May he had his first flight, in a glider, but seemed unimpressed (possibly slightly airsick?).  He met up with his brother Brin on Saturday 9th May and again the following Saturday.   On Thursday 21^st May he had a rather more illustrious meeting:

 

Saturday 23rd May 1942

5731671 Tpr Williams R

1^st Air Landing Sqdn

 Recce Corps

HOME FORCES

My Darling Chotie,

Hope you will excuse my writing in pencil but expect you are used to it by now...

            Many thanks for letter - as welcome as ever.

            Glad to see you managed to get a swim in - which is more than I've been able to - not that I've got the inclination - seem to have lost all interest in that direction, which is probably a good thing as I always tended to overdo it.  I rather think Brinner has also lost interest.  If ever I get out of this show alive I'm all for a life of ease – swimming’s far too strenuous.

            So Margaret has made it up with Ted to quote your own words.  Well, well...On ne sait jamais*..

            Had quite a thrill on Thursday - when we were inspected by the King & Queen and a score of Generals.  It was a demonstration of Paratroops & Gliders etc.  I hope Johnny knows what he's letting himself in for.  At any rate he'll find out sooner or later.

            Did you hear the “Barber**” this afternoon (Saturday)?  Unfortunately I was working and missed it.  I cursed my ill-luck bitterly.

            Flying all the morning - cold & cloudy.

            Lucky Diller - wish I was going down, or rather we were.

            Books: “Portrait of a Village” Francis Brett Young**, “Blood & Sand” Ibanez - though rather dull gives quite a true appreciation of the life of a Torero.

            Brinner may have moved by now - probably has.  Near Winchester I believe - couldn't be worse than Oakmere Farm - I was horror struck when I saw it last Saturday.

            Raining hard at the moment - very miserable - the weather I mean - I'm reasonably cheerful.

            Well, Precious no news as per usual.  Incidentally will you get in touch with Eric and get him to send me a GROUNDSHEET. MOST IMPORTANT!!! I'm about to be charged 18/- for one! Will you send it, Darling?  (please...) - and I'll give you a big kiss...(Hope that will do the trick).

                        Well, bye, bye for now, Darling.

                                                            All yours,

                                                                        Dicker

PS. I now drive a 15 cwt truck. It was called ‘ Evelyn’ but is now ‘Chotie’ - I painted it in Gothic’s.

                                                                        xxxxxxx

                                                                        all for you!

                                                                                    Darling.

                                                                                    Xxxxx

*French for “You never can tell”.

**Presumably the ‘Barber of Seville’, an Italian comic opera by Rossini.

***A mystery story set in the Black Mountains of Wales.

****A famous tale about bullfighting in Spain.

© Chotie Darling

75 years ago - bombing raids in Southampton

In March Dick moved back to south Hampshire from Southbourne and was stationed in Southampton. The city was subject to regular air-raids, the Luftwaffe having resumed their bombing campaign (which had been hampered by the winter weather following the terrible attacks of November and December).

Poole, where Chotie lived, suffered 88 air raid alerts in March and April as incendiaries, high explosive bombs and UXBs were dropped on the area (from  ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillierand published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980.)

 

Dick wrote this letter while on guard in Southampton:

‘D’ Company

70th Dorsets

Southampton

Hants.

My Darling Chotie,

                                                                        As I’m on guard once again I thought I’d write as I have a few moments all to myself!

        I have to go on guard every three days or so – far too often - a 24 hrs guard, mounting at 6 pm and dismounting at 6 pm the next day. 

        It’s a regimental guard over the main entrance to the Battalion Headquarters.  Needless to say everything is just so-so or the RSM* wants to know why.  However, there’s a stove in the guardroom which helps matters not a little.  There’s also an orderly attached to the guard who gets the meals and anything from the NAAFI.

        The guard consists of one Corporal and three men, each man doing two hrs on duty and then four hrs in the guardroom.  The main snag is that we have to wear full equipment and are not allowed to take it off during the 24 hrs, except for reasons too obvious to mention!

        That’s enough of guards – they’re pretty depressing things anyway. To turn to a more cheerful subject, I hope to get home next weekend for a few hours – either on Saturday or Sunday.  It all depends on when I have to go on guard again.  If it falls on Saturday evening it ruins me, as there wouldn’t be time to get home and I would be on guard all the Sunday.  I believe, however, that I go on again on Friday, which means I come off Saturday night and could get home on the Sunday.  We must trust to luck as usual.  I think I can make it all right.

        I’ve been to the flicks twice lately – saw ‘The Great Dictator’ and ‘Black Fury’ (Paul Muni).  How anyone could see anything in the ‘Great Dictator’ I don’t know.  I thought it was chronic.  ‘Black Fury’ was quite good but nothing up to the usual Muni standard.  The place we go to (the only place we are allowed without a pass) is Shirley.  I’ve no idea where it lies on the map but it’s inland from Southampton.  It’s a pretty dull place; reminds me of the East End on Sunday – all 50 shilling tailors and patent leather.

        There’s nothing to go out for anyway, as we have a first rate NAAFI and a good Corporals’ Room.  The boys say there are plenty of women here but I haven’t seen any – except a couple of old bags, doubtless engaged in plying the oldest of professions. I’m afraid that’s rather crude. Almost Russian**…

        Incidentally, I don’t know whether I told you I had an interview with the ‘Old Man’ and he’s recommended me.  It will mean some months, as I have to wait for the recommendation to go through to the interview board.  They’re the b----rs to get past and even if I get past them (which I very much doubt) I’d still have to wait to get posted to an O.C.T.U.***  Still it’s a start, I suppose.

        I’ve just paused to make out the Guard reports – a wretched job as everything has to be reported – even the minutest detail.

 

            Later

                                    Well, Precious, it’s now just after midnight and still the sirens haven’t gone.  It’s really rather odd as we seem lost without them here.  I expect Jerry’s stocktaking this evening…  the raids lately have been almost continuous and pretty vicious. About six houses in a row, 200 yards from here came down on Saturday night.

        When there’s a night raid on the shrapnel comes down like rain, from the Anti-Aircraft Barrage.  There’s not a house in the whole place that hasn’t got some windows out or half the roof gone.  It’s certainly more interesting from that point of view, as there’s seldom a dull moment at night.  It makes the guards a lot more fun when you can hear the shrapnel on the roof.

        I’ve done very little reading lately as I don’t get very much time.  I read, or rather re-read, Hitchins’ ‘The Garden of Allah’, and quite an interesting little book called ‘I’ll tell you Everything’, written by Priestley in collaboration with some one else****, which, although very light & sometimes puerile, was really rather good.

(Every now and then I light my pipe and march up and down outside in an effort to keep awake.  The stove in here makes me wish for my dear little bed…).

        There’s a piano here in the Assembly Hall, on which I manage to amuse myself occasionally if no one else.  If I can find a piano anywhere where I can play without fear of being interrupted I’m really happy for hours – which only goes to prove what a simple minded soul I must be.

Well, my precious baby, I must close here as I don’t want to put an undue strain on your eyes (?) reading all this rubbish, so I will say ‘Good Morning’, Darling,

                                                            Your ever loving,

                                                                                    Dicker

P.S.  Please look after yourself, Darling, as you mean just everything now.

 

* RSM – Regimental Sergeant Major

** ‘Russian’ was a romantic code between Dick and Chotie.

“Dicker and I, so young, played wonderful games. We pretended to be ‘Russian’ and he taught me to love the ballet as he did.  Having always wanted to be a dancer we pretended I was.  I wore my long blonde hair in the style of a ballerina. He was a brilliant pianist and played Chopin by ear. He had a very good physique having exercised with weights and things – very muscular.  How I adored him.  Our lovemaking was very pure by today’s standards.  Just to kiss and hold each other close was very thrilling.”  From ‘Chotie’s Story’.

*** O.C.T.U. – Officer Cadet Training Unit

****Robert Smythe Hichens’ ‘The Garden of Allah’, a tale of adventure in the Sahara Desert written in 1904, was made famous by the Marlene Dietrich film of 1936.  ‘I’ll Tell You Everything’ written by J.B.Priestley in collaboration with Gerald Bullett is a light-hearted crime thriller.

© Chotie Darling

75 years ago – “Birmingham Urchins”

At the beginning of September 1940 Dick was back at Bemerton, a Lance Corporal and a PT Instructor but without friends.  Toni, who was in ‘D’ Company with Dick, had moved to Dinton when Dick went on the PT Instructor course at Tidworth and by the end of August George and ‘Hughes’, who were in ‘G’ Company, had also gone to Dinton.  On the night of 4th/5th September Dick was woken by ‘a veritable rain of bombs descending around’ on Salisbury Plain – the London Blitz started two nights later on 7^th September.   Later that month Dick was hearing of 'a lot of action around Parkstone' where Chotie lived.

Having made two new friends, Lance Corporals du Rose and Gammage, he also made an enemy – Company Sergeant Major Gurd – and they narrowly escaped trouble on a few occasions.  Dick was already fed up with PT and pinning his hopes on a commission.  In these September letters Dick begins to mention his close friend Eric Kessler.  There were also some interesting acquaintances from Brum…

Posted on Wednesday 18th September 1940

Bemerton

Wiltshire

My Darling,

                                                                                                       What’s happened to you!  Haven’t heard from you for ages.  I thought you must at least be pushing up the daisies by now.

     Well Darling, I’m still fed up (as usual) and trying hard to get a transfer.  Du Rose, Gammage and myself are still being chased by the RSM.  My God, what a life we get.  It’s just an existence.

            He managed to get du Rose on two charges in the same day last week, but Eric, who is almost a BA put up a lawyer’s defence and the cases were dismissed.  It was a narrow shave, though.

            I’d rather hoped that we would have been stripped, in which case I should have reverted and gone back to the ranks.  At the moment none of us care either way.  If du Rose would, I know I should.

            I’ve been reading rather a lot, having enjoyed immensely Adrian Bell’s ‘Corduroy’ and having fought, I think rather unsuccessfully, with James Cabell’s ‘Jurgen’.  I also read a Penguin (these are all penguins) entitled ‘Murder at the ‘Varsity’ ’* in which the murderer, an elderly scholastic University Lecturer, has a passion for Rabelais! – which I suppose only goes to show what Rabbi can do for you.              

        I hope you will excuse this scrawl but as I write less, so my écriture** depreciates.  I’m afraid I get duller and duller in my present company.  My former touch with ‘Les Belles Lettres’ now seems to elude me.  I often misquote Shakespeare.  An unpardonable sin.  However, I rival University Dons on the ‘Immortal Bard’ when half tight; so perhaps it’s not as bad as I make it appear.              

            At present I’m sleeping in du Rose’s tent with six Birmingham urchins – and what amazing blokes they are.  Nothing seems to get them down.  They grumble about everything one moment, and are exceptionally cheerful the next.  Their language is amazing.  They all appear to live for “tabs” (cigarettes) and kypher (skirt) and come back to the tent late at night and recount all their luck and experiences until the early hours.  Needless to say it’s all very interesting.

        Du Rose is something of a swimmer.  He is the present Midland Champ and has swum against Wainwright*** a score of times. 

 

        It’s now Tuesday afternoon & I still haven’t heard from you.  Mother wrote on Tuesday last but I only received the letter on Monday.  It had gone all the way to Warmwell although it had the Bemerton address. 

        Well Darling I must close now, still loving you more than ever    

                                                    Your devoted

                                                                        Dicker

PS Write soon.

PPS. I’ve just received your letter.

                        All is forgiven!

                                                            Dicker

* Adrian Bell was an English rural journalist and farmer – ‘Corduroy’ recounts his early experience of farming.  James Cabell was an American author of fantasy fiction.  His best known book ‘Jurgen’ was the subject of an obscenity trial soon after publication.  ‘Murder at the ‘Varsity’ ‘ is by Richard Wilson Webb, and English detective writer.

**French for handwriting.

***Norman Wainwright was a British Olympic swimmer.  At the 1938 Empire Games in Sydney he was in the gold medal winning freestyle 4 x 220 yards relay team.

© Chotie Darling, 2010

 

19^th September 1940 – the German Fleet assembled to bring their troops to Britain for the invasion was dispersed.

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

Friendly Belgians - Monday 8th January 1945

Sandy Handley continues the story of 61^st Recce in the Ardennes:

“Later in the Ardennnes the snow came and curtailed any reconnoitring.  It was bitterly cold but now and again we managed to stay in an empty house for shelter or sometimes occupy a spare room of a friendly person’s home.  We found the Belgians so friendly and fortunately by far a most could speak English.” 

(From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

 

61^st Recce Regt

RAC. BLA.

Monday Jan 8^th.

Chotie Darling,

                                    I wrote you yesterday, but on reflection found it wasn’t much of an effort so, as I have a free evening today,  I thought I’d tear up yesterday’s meagre missive and start again. 

            It’s very cold here and there’s still plenty of snow about, though not very much has fallen during the last few days.  We’re in another village now – a very charming little place, about the size of Blandford.*  The people, needless to say, are all exceptionally kind to us – I did all the billeting for the Squadron and found no difficulty in fixing up everyone.

            I’m living with a very charming family who do everything they possibly can to make things as pleasant as they can be, under these circumstances.  They press me to have all meals with them but of course I decline most invitations.

            These “middle-class’ houses are quite pleasant but lack the ‘lived-in’ appearance of the English home.  For example many of the ‘dining-rooms’ I’ve been in have tiled floors and everything very much in its place.  Against this however, the people in the £1,000 per annum class have really beautifully furnished houses and a much better conception of interior decoration then we have.  The house I was in at Iseghem falls into the latter class, where the Sintobins collected paintings and furniture.  They also collected albums of Mozart recordings, but I digress….

            I read in your last letter that Margaret’s baby is getting on well.  I’m afraid I haven’t really had time to write her, but I will try to do so as soon as possible.  I hope you’ll send her all my best wishes when next you write.  I still haven’t managed to contact Ted, and now of course with this weather he’s miles away as they can’t use his sort of unit** in this snow.

            Well, my Darling, I’ve just received your letter of the 3^rd.  Glad to hear you got the cheque – hope you can cash it without too much trouble.  No, it’s not the letters that get behind so much as the parcels – they’re deadly.  I haven’t had any tobacco for weeks and weeks and mother sends some very regularly.  I’m now smoking cigarettes again which makes me very crusty.  Always grumbling aren’t I?

            No, again, I haven’t seen Madeleine, though she sent me a very nice letter at Xmas.  Once more I’m afraid I haven’t found time to write her.

            I must say, you’re a very naughty girl for getting all these charges*.  I’ll write your C.O. suggesting he spanks you.  That measure may prove beneficial.  Alternatively I could send him my copy of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’****…

            I haven’t had any news of Bryn since hearing that he was recalled from leave to go to Barnard Castle*****, which mother told me in her last letter.

            My uncle, whom I believe I told you about before, died on Boxing Day.  He was conscious until Xmas Day and able to recognise my Aunt.  I can’t say I feel any pangs at his passing – though I haven’t said a word to mother on the subject.  He hated Dad like poison and that was always enough for Brinner and I.  He was always reckoned to be ‘so clever at figures’ but the old man used to make him look like a two year old.  However, mother as ever turned the other cheek and went up to Nottingham to console her sister.  She learnt that my cousin Dennis (“Denner”) is now a Lieutenant with the R.A. over here.  His sister Doremy (‘Dommer’) is in the WAAF.

            We must certainly come here after the war darling.  The countryside is really very lovely and the food…!

            I’m afraid I must fall out with you over “Greenery Street”******.  I must have been in a very happy mood when I first read it, as on re-reading it some short time ago I found the whole thing to be mere sentimental canting.  However, it’s of no importance….

            Have I told you about Geoff?  He’s had his first operation and was waiting for the second when he wrote.  Says they’re pumping him full of penicillin.  Frank Harding  (the Squadron Leader) has been flown to England after a spin in the same hospital as Geoff following his jeep crash on Xmas Day.  Apparently the frontal (forehead) was fractured – which may be serious.*******

            There doesn’t seem to be much to write about, Chotie – nothing I can tell you anyhow, and that, restricts my writing by about 90%.

            I’m hoping to see you again soon Darling – keep your fingers crossed, won’t you?  You’re very precious, you know.

                                                All my love, Baby,

                                                                        Dicker

 

*Blandford Forum is a market town in Dorset.

**Ted Lewis, Chotie’s brother-in-law, was in a tank regiment in the Guards Armoured Division.

***Mum told me every time she was made Corporal or Lance Corporal she was ‘busted’ and put on a charge. She went AWOL (Absent without Leave) to meet Dick just before D Day and I think there were a number of other misdemeanours.

****Shakespeare’s somewhat misogynistic play.

*****a northern market town in Teesdale, County Durham.

******a novel of domestic happiness by Denis Mackail.

*******Major Frank Harding, MC survived until 3^rd June 1981. He was a staunch supporter of the Old Comrades Association, often speaking at dinners or official visits re-treading the footsteps of 61^st Recce in Europe.  He published a book of poems ‘War Echoes Over Thirty Years’ in 1970.  Colonel Brownrigg wrote on his MC citation:

‘The success of Major Harding’s squadron has been very largely due to his own example.  He has never spared himself, and his cheerfulness in any difficulty or danger has been a great inspiration to his Squadron.  It would be hard to overestimate the value of this officer’s work to the regiment.’

© Chotie Darling

New Year's Eve dinners - Sunday 31st December 1944

As Usual

Sunday 31^st Dec.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Surprisingly enough I have another day free, so thought I’d write you a few more lines.

            As we were ‘working’ over Xmas, we had to postphone our Xmas dinner, and we are now looking forward to it tonight.  I’ve managed to get two bottles of whisky for about 22 shillings so we won’t go short of a wee nip, as all the other officers have the same ration.

            I’m sorry to say my mate Geoff Winzer (The Dooke) was rather badly wounded yesterday when doing a patrol that I had previously done some few days ago – Xmas Day I believe.  I haven’t seen him since – he’s miles back now of course – so I can’t say exactly how bad he is, but it’s reckoned he’ll be in dock for at least six to eight weeks.       

            Eric (Schoolmaster) Macey* and I share a room in a café in this little village**.  The people are very good to us here – we had lunch with them today, a glorious meal comprising soup with toast, a dish consisting of every conceivable vegetable mayonnaised with eggs and salmon, followed by boiled chicken, white sauce and mashed potatoes à la crème. The meal went on for hours and hours ending with coffee and cigars.  Having then assisted each other to rise from the table we had our photos taken in the snow outside.  I'm now resting preparatory to another bout at six-thirty tonight.

                I received a parcel from the Church yesterday which was very kind of them.  I’ll try to write them just as soon as I can, but I’m pretty pushed for time.

                I hope you received my cheque for Xmas – if it doesn’t arrive, let me know & I’ll send another.  As soon as I get a chance I’ll send you some ‘parfum’ or something – but there just aren’t any shops here.

                Have just re-read Huxley’s ‘Crome Yellow’*** - an excellent way of spending the odd minutes spare on patrol.

Well, Darling I’ve really nothing to write about – nothing I can tell you.  

Don’t swear on my getting leave will you?  I certainly can’t get home in under six weeks.

                                              All my love, Darling

                                                             Dicker

 

*see post for 29th December 1944.

**probably Honnay, between Beauraing and Wellin, south-west of Rochefort.

***the first novel by British author Aldous Huxley.

 

These photos are labelled ‘Honnay le 1.1.1945’ but fit the scene described in Dick’s letter for 31st December 1944.  Only the girls’ names are added to the label Esther, Lucienne and Victorine. The soldier next to Dick is presumably Lieutenant Eric Macey and Dick describes the other man as an ‘old boy like Joe Stalin’ in his 1945 diary where he also mentions he stayed with them at Honnay ‘some five days’.

A very able Commander - Saturday 30th December 1944

As Usual

Sat 30 Dec

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m very sorry, Precious, for not having written you before, but it just hasn’t been possible.  I’ve now got the first free day for nearly a fortnight, so everything depends on today.  The mail has been very poor lately – I received your letter and calendar, for which many thanks, Darling.

            I’ve been at it for a fortnight, as I say, so Xmas was just another day.  I had an indifferent breakfast and a worse meal about 10 pm when I got back from patrol.

            Weather here has been quite good – very cold but plenty of sun.  The countryside here is really lovely quite like North Wales, and a wonderful change after the Nijmegen Bridgehead! (I had nine weeks there!)

            I hope you are keeping fit, Darling and warm!  It’s bitterly cold in armoured cars as the engine is in the rear and you get no protection from the wind.

            We shot another three Boche on Xmas Eve (one nearly shot me first) and another five on Boxing Day, which puts my troop in the lead again.  What a gruesome business!

            Hope Margaret is progressing well – I shouldn’t wonder the baby was late this weather!

            On Xmas Day the Squadron Leader* had a terrific crash in his jeep whilst out visiting the various troops.  They carted him off with severe concussion and he’s expected to be in hospital for at least a month.  So much the worse as he’s a very able Commander.

            Diller has been home on leave I believe, but I’ve heard no news of Brinner lately.  He’s supposed to be getting some leave I believe.

            I’ll enclose this letter** with the three little books*** I bought in Malines – if you would just keep them safe, Darling.  As I say it’s not much good sending them home as mother’s sure to throw them away in the Spring.

            I must close here, Chotie Darling –

                                                All my love Precious          

                                                            Dicker.

 

*Major Frank Harding had been the B Squadron leader from 12^th June 1944. He received the Military Cross for B Squadron’s role in the operation at Amayé-sur-Seulles and Condé-sur-Noreau in Normandy, the advance across France into Belgium and the holding of 15 miles of the Belgian Escaut Canal including Oudenaarde from the 4th  to 7th September.

‘He never spared himself and his cheerfulness in any difficulty or danger has been a great inspiration to his Squadron’ (from his Military Cross citation).

 

**Perhaps because it was enclosed with the books, this letter seems somewhat freer with military information than Dick’s usual correspondence.

***my mother kept these three little leather bound books Dick bought (in Antwerp) but they eventually fell apart from love and use. One contained four Shakespeare tragedies (Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet) and the others were philosophical essays I think.

© Chotie Darling

 

 

On 30^th December the Germans launched a heavy but unsuccessful attack on the corridor connecting Bastogne to American forces south of the German salient.  The US Army began a major counter-offensive from the south on the same day and the British attacked Houffalize, north of Bastogne in the centre of the German bridgehead, meeting fierce resistance.

 

Dick may have been out of the fighting that day but Don Aiken had records including 61^st Recce at Houffalize on 30^th December.  The Regiment certainly experienced tragedies that day....

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 30th December 1944:

          Trooper Dennis Robert Carter (age 20)

          Trooper Richard Charles Collingwood (age 27) of East Molesey, Surrey, killed in action as part of the Anti-Tank troop.        

who are laid to rest in the Hotton War cemetery, south of Liège, Belgium.

 

Mark Howard recounts how his father Roy Howard (of ‘A’ Squadron) remembered the awful accident that killed both men.  Their armoured car was forced off the road by an American lorry in full flight from the advancing Germans and, rolling down a bank, burst into flames.  Roy administered morphine to one of the men as he lay dying trapped inside. (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes another comrade who died on 30th December 1944:

            Trooper Thomas Webb (age 19) of Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire

who is laid to rest in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, between Bruges and Gent, north-west of Brussels.  A number of isolated graves from various communal cemeteries and churchyards in Belgium have been brought into this cemetery since the end of the war

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.) 

We will remember them.

A Bath and a new Battle Dress - Wednesday 6th and Friday 8th December 1944

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA.

Tuesday (sic) Dec 6^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letter from home, which I received yesterday.  Yes, Darling, you can come as my batwoman any time you like – though I don’t think I’d get much work done.  Perhaps it would be better to wait until I get back to England, and I’ll apply for you then…. Let me know if you’re on, and I’ll start teeing-up the necessary formalities.

            I expect Margaret’s baby has arrived by now.  Give her all my best wishes won’t you Darling?  I’ll try to write her if I can find time.

            I was very lucky last night, hearing the whole of Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio'* – his only opera, in German from Munich.  'Turandot' was also on but of course I wasn’t to know that.  Actually, I heard the last note – as I switched from Munich to the Home Service.  It was the first time – believe it or no – that I’ve heard ‘Fidelio’ in its entirety, which was quite a thrill, as you can well imagine.

            Well, my darling, I suppose you’ll be back again by the time you receive this.  I expect you managed to have a pleasant, if lazy time (knowing you….).  Don’t forget to let me know of anyone you happened to meet – though I don’t suppose there’s many of the old stagers about – unless they also happen to be on leave.

            Yes, 'Fanny'  is quite a good book**, but Sadleir has no need to write, as he’s rolling in money, anyway.  The film, of course, was shocking – but then I expected that.  Merle Oberon’s effort at George Sand*** will be equally ludicrous – she just hasn’t the ability to play that extraordinary woman.

            Did I tell you I read HE Bates ‘The Poacher’?  It’s a very fine piece of writing – which I can heartily recommend.  I must admit I was sitting in front of a fire – always a luxury out here - with the old pipe, which may have influenced my criticism.      Got a new battle dress**** today (a great thrill) but don’t yet know when I’ll be able to wear it to advantage.  I rushed it to the local tailor (there’s only one in this wretched village) and got the lapels faced-up.  He (the tailor) couldn’t speak any English and I can’t speak any Dutch so you can imagine the proceedings.

            Ronnie has just turned-up with a bottle of ’29 Bordeaux, so it looks likes being a happier evening than I expected.

 

            Two more days have elapsed since I wrote the foregoing – though nothing of any interest has happened.

            I’ve moved once again, but still find myself in the inevitable farmhouse.  The last one we were in was really ideal.  Our usual practice was to do a week or so ‘in the line’ and have a week back at the farm in reserve.

            The three Armoured Car Officers (Geoff Winzer, Eric (Schoolmaster) Macey and I) used to share a room, with the equally inevitable stove (no Dutch houses have open fires) and of course the radio.  There was always plenty of work to do, especially on the cars, but we usually had the evenings free, and spent most of them with the Burgomaster.

            The Rhine (they call it the Maas in Holland*****) flowed by, some hundred yards from the farmhouse, and there was a cluster of gaily-painted barges alongside the dyke.  Had it been spring it would have been very pleasant – though I spent many happy hours wandering along the dyke road on the few sunny days we did have.

            To come back to earth – I hope to get a bath this afternoon – the first for six weeks or more.  Always a great occasion.  Must close here to tee it up with the Squadron Leader.

            Tons of love, Chotie Darling   

                                   Dicker                                     PTO.

 

P.S.  Do you think you could get me some leather buttons?  About this size:- (drawing of circle 1.4 cms across) for utilizing battle dress?  I need about 30.  Also four of five big ones for great coat?

            Let me know if there’s any chance won’t you?

                                                                        Love

                                                                                    D.

 

*Thomas Mann, the great German writer, commented when Fidelio was performed in Germany soon after the war:

"What amount of apathy was needed [by musicians and audiences] to listen to Fidelio in Himmler’s Germany without covering their faces and rushing out of the hall!”

The music and theme of love, liberty and justice “for all men…will always represent an appeal to our conscience” (Wilhelm Furtwängler, German composer, 1948).

**the novel “Fanny by Gaslight” by Michael Sadleir.

***Merle Oberon, and Anglo-Indian actress, played George Sand, the French writer and Chopin’s lover, in a biographical film of the composer released in 1945 – “A Song to Remember”.

****’Battle Dress’ was the standard uniform in the British army made of woven wool (serge) with a short jacket that buttoned to high-waisted trousers.

*****Dick has got confused – the Maas is a separate river flowing east and then south of the Rhine.

© Chotie Darling

 

Eric Brewer wrote against 5th December that he:

“Moved to Ell, near Weert (south-east of Eindhoven and west of Roermund) in a civvy’s house.  Having a good time.”  (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Dick was presumably at Mill and then at Ell, near Weert,

when he wrote this letter.

 

Malines - Friday 1st December 1944

61^st Recce Regt

Rac

BLA

Friday 1^st Dec.

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letters, which I received rather late as I had no mail whilst in Belgium – some six or seven days in all.  Sorry to hear you don’t think much of the area you’re in.  Personally, everwhere north of the Thames stinks as far as I’m concerned.  There are exceptions of course, but they’re few and far between.

            I had a very happy time in Belgium, though I was only there for five days as it took some time to get there.  I managed to get to Audenarde (the town I liberated 6th September) and met the Gervaert family.  It was Madeleine who gave me, or rather lent me the Balzac’s and the Mozart.  They were very surprised and pleased to see me and made me very welcome.  It was Sunday afternoon so of course all the family were there.

            They speak Flemish when at home but French among their friends, - and of course when I’m there.  It’s very odd to be completely bi-lingual, as I’m sure they carried on in French after I left, and probably didn’t revert to Flemish until the following day.

            I’m afraid there’s little news to tell you, owing to censorship, but hope to have some for you in the near future.

            I spent a night on the way back in Malines (Michlin*) which is one of the pleasantest towns in Belgium.  The only snag there, are the flying-bombs, which, although not intended to land there have the annoying habit of failing short on occasion.

            I saw two go over the following morning, the first I’d seen.  I heard them whilst some distance away, and watched them pass right over us which was quite a thrill as we were sweating on them dropping on us.

            There are some first class cafés in Malines – full of beer and ice-cream creations.  I had a most wonderful one – with martini and grated nuts – quite a work of art.

            Had a letter from Brinner with yours telling me he was in the Isle of Man!  Apparently he’s there on an Infantry course – before returning here again.

            He managed to get home for a couple of hours and Mother of course got such a shock on seeing him that she was bad all the afternoon!  As it happened Dad was in London visiting his father who was 79 that day, and of course he missed him.  He’s going to try to get some more leave after the course has finished.

            Had two letters from mother, about sixty of these pages I should think, full of news.  My Uncle Tom (mother’s younger sister’s husband) was blasted by bombs in London and again in Canterbury – and three doctors and a couple of Specialists say he can’t last more than another two months, as being blasted has brought out a latent tubercular germ.

            I’m sorry I can’t write you a more newsy letter, Darling, but it just isn’t ‘on’.  I should be able to give you something more definite in a week’s time.

            Must close here, Precious.

                        Goodnight, Chotie darling

                                                Yours always

                                                            Dicker

P.S. Ronnie is still worrying me about that polyfoto!

                                   

*Mechelen (Malines) between Antwerp and Brussels.

During the German occupation Malines or Mechelen was a Nazi transit camp.  More than 25,000 Jews from Belgium were transported to concentration camps including Auschwitz death camp. Presumably Dick knew nothing of this recent history…

 

© Chotie Darling

First Visit to Izegem? - Saturday 25th November 1944

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA.

Saturday Nov 25^th

Chotie Darling,

                                                I’m afraid this will be a short note as I’m up to my eyes in work, fixing up billets for the Squadron – civvy* billets.

            I can’t tell you where I am, but hope to be able to give you more griff when next I write.

            I’m afraid I won’t receive any of your letters for at least another week – I haven’t had any for about four days now.

            Ronnie has found out I’m writing you and wants a polyfoto, please…..

            Lovely weather and a very pleasant little town we’re in – so everyone’s happy.  I’m not far from the place where Madeleine** lives so I’ll pop over and return the Mozart she lent me.

            Must close here precious

                                                            All my love Darling

                                                                        Dicker

 

*civilian billets - lodgings with the local population.

**Madeleine Gervaert Madeleine Gervaert lived at Oudenaarde, the town south of Gent Dick had liberated with 61^st Recce, so Dick was now in Belgium again, possibly at Izegem

© Chotie Darling 

 

By 25^th November

Chotie’s unit had moved to Barrow-on-Humber, Lincolnshire.

 

It seems probable that she was stationed at the Barrow Haven anti-aircraft battery Barrow Haven anti-aircraft battery designed to protect Hull.

Kingston-on-Hull, a major port, was the target of many Luftwaffe attacks, particularly in the early part of the war, with hundreds of people losing their lives.  It appears V1s and V2s could reach Hull (see People's War website) and they may have been the focus of the Practice Camp at Bude that Chotie attended.

 

Music from Germany - 16th? November 1944

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 16^th       Place WINSSEN

‘ “A” Squadron relieved “B” today in area 6071.  Orders were today received for the Regiment to take over the sector EAST of ELST from 151 Brigade.  Relieving an Infantry Brigade has now ceased to be a novelty but this particular sector has extra problems as “A” Squadron are still to remain under command of 501 RCT at ZETTEN.’

Eric Brewer wrote: “Moved to base at Venssen (Winssen) in a civvy house.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

61^st Recce Regt

RAC BLA

Chotie Darling

                                    Many thanks for your last letter – which I received whilst ‘on the job’.  However, I’m now in a cushy area once again so I can now reply at ease.

            I was very pleased to see that you had enclosed the photos, darling – they’re very very good indeed.  I’m afraid I had to part with one of them – Ronnie the ‘artist’ wanted one to keep.  Don’t mind do you?

            Glad to hear you got the magazine – I also thought the stuff in them pretty good.

            As regards the perfume, I may be able to get some in the future – but I don’t quite know how.  You see there’s nothing here – all that sort of thing is in Belgium, and I said goodbye to Belgium months ago.  Also there’s the snag of changing guilders into Belgian francs – no mean task as the Field cashier is never seen within 20 miles of the ‘front’ and I’m certainly never 20 miles from it!  However, I’ll see what I can do – Brinner may be  able to manage something.  I could have got some in Antwerp but I haven’t sufficient Belgas – only guilders.

            Don’t tell Margaret, but Ted’s crowd haven’t fired a shot in anger for about 8-9 weeks!

            Nothing much to do here – we’re in a little village, which is very deadly but as there’s so much to do in the way of personal and vehicular maintenance we find our time is pretty occupied.

            I’m anxiously awaiting a letter from Brinner as his last P.S. said he had just been granted 7 days leave before joining his unit!

            We’ve had a little snow here but not much.  As the ground was wet, it didn’t lay anyhow.

            Have read Graham Greene’s ‘Stamboul Train*’ (Guild Books) which I can recommend.  I think you may have read some of his other efforts – ‘Brighton Rock’ ‘Ministry of Fear’, ‘England made me’ ‘A Gun for Sale’ (filmed as “This Gun for Hire’) etc, etc. 

            There’s a helluva dearth of books in the Squadron.  Never seem to be able to get anything to read.  I carry about 30 books on my car – but I’ve read them a good many times now – and anyhow they’re all in French.

            I’ve got the devil of a lot of washing to do this afternoon – looks as though it will take me about four hours.  The laundry system over here is lousy as there’s no marking ink available and you never get the same stuff back again.

            Must close here for lunch will write some more this afternoon.

           

Well, Darling, I’ve had lunch and got the stove cracking so I’m beginning to thaw out for the first time for days.  We’ve also got the radio going.

            Eric, Geoff and Charlie from ‘C’ Squadron went to the Burgomaster’s last night for a game of bridge so ‘Junior’ (Ronnie) and I sat in here and managed to get a wonderful programme from Munich.  It was announced in German and consisted entirely of Italian Operatic records.  We had that beautiful tenor/Baritone duet from ‘Fozzer del Destino’ (Verdi)** sung by Gigli and Corrado Zambelli*** - easily the finest recording of this particularly lovely duet.  Also an aria by Janina Arangi-Lombardi (- the second soprano in the world before the war) from Donizetti’s ‘La Favorita’****.

            ‘Junior’, luckily, had brought a bottle of Burgundy so what with a warm fire, mellow wine and Verdi, we simply revelled.  What it is to be simple-minded!

            Must close here to get back to earth and laundry!

                        All my love, Precious

                                                            Dicker.

 

*a novel set on the ‘Orient Express’

**’La Forza del Destino’ (The Power of Fate’), an opera by Giuseppe Verdi set in Spain and Italy.

*** Corrado Zambelli was an Italian bass and Beniamo Gigli was the most famous tenor of the early 20^th century.

****a grand opera in French by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, also set in Spain.

© Chotie Darling

Home from Home - Sunday 12th November 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA.

Sunday Nov 12^th

Dearest Chotie,

                                    Well, Darling, believe it or no, but I’m writing this in an armchair in front of a lovely fire, which makes a bleak November afternoon quite a pleasant prospect.

            Many thanks for your last letter, Darling, and the promise of the gloves, as we had our first snow yesterday and it’s not exactly July here.  It’s OK when you can keep on the move but travelling in the vehicles or standing about in trenches in night isn’t my idea of a picnic by any means.  Always grumbling aren’t I??

            There’s a ton of books in this house – also a Blüthner grand*, so I manage to amuse myself during my ‘free’ time.

            I’ve just had a letter from Brinner with news that he’s leaving the RHU** and joining a regiment – with seven days leave and a short course first.  I don’t know where he’ll be spending the leave or the course so I’m anxiously awaiting his next letter, as I may be able to meet him shortly.

            Have you heard any further news of going abroad? Don’t do anything too rash will you?  I don’t quite see to what part of the world you can go to.

            I was in this same house about a month ago so it’s home from home as far as I’m concerned.

            The owner is a protestant minister, a man of considerable intellect and general broadness of horizon.  I may have mentioned him before – he’s quite a polyglot, speaking French and English with equal fluency, as well as German, Dutch, Flemish & Russian!

            He’s very charitable.  It’s difficult to imagine an English minister giving his house as a home for unmarried mothers, as he is doing here.***

            He wears plus fours, knee-length training-boots and a Norfolk jacket, which you must agree is quite a combination.  I suppose him to be about 35-40 years of age.

            Had a bottle of good English beer today – the first drinkable beer I’ve had for about three months – but one bottle doesn’t go far.  I also had some tobacco from Brinner so everything’s fine.

            It’s rather a pity you’re in such a spot at this time of the year – in the summer it would have been ideal – though you might well winter in Egypt…. I reckon we’ll have it pretty cold.  It’s only when it’s wet as well that it gets really miserable.

            I must close here, Darling to get some sleep as I’m up rather early in the morning.

                                    All my love, Chotie Darling

                                                                                Dicker

 

* Blüthner, based near Leipzig in Germany, are one of the ‘big four’ piano manufacturers so Dick is referring to a high quality grand piano.

**Replacement Holding Unit?

***In the 19^th century Ottho Gerhard Heldring founded a foundation (the Ottho Gerhard Heldringstichting) in Zetten for the reform and education of prostitutes.  At the turn of the century a famous Lutheran pastor, Hendrik Pierson, was its president and a local college is named after him.  Around the shelter (‘steenbeck’) a whole complex of large and smaller houses grew, all focused on the care, upbringing and education of vulnerable girls and young women.

© Chotie Darling

Dance, Opera and remembering the Dorset Regiment - Wednesday 8th November 1944

As Usual

Wednesday Nov 8^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Still have some time to spare so here goes once again.

            Been doing nothing much all day – except some work on the cars, etc. and tying things up generally.  Weather hasn’t been too kind lately – high winds (which I don’t mind) and plenty of rain (which I heartily dislike).

            I’ve been going for walks along the dykes which is very pleasant when the rain holds off – especially now when all the trees are at their best.

            I’m hoping to hear Eva Turner sing ‘Turandot’* tonight at 7.30.  She is I think the greatest ‘Turandot’ ever, and she’s in great voice lately.  It’s not often I get the chance to hear a complete opera so you can imagine it’s quite a thrill.  The only snag is that the light (& power) usually fails about this time, so I’m sweating on it staying on – tonight at least.  They couldn’t manage, of course, without any of the Welsh contingent so I see that Powell Lloyd & Roderick Lloyd** are also in the cast.

            We (the Armoured Car officers) ran a dance last night.  Refusing to have anything to do with the dancing side of things I ran the bar, consequently having a very successful evening.  The unhappy people who preferred to dance had a miserable time, as the women were few and far between, and generally a pretty scrappy lot.  Needless to say the bar side of things was very well organised.

            I still haven’t contacted either Brinner or Ted – and don’t see much chance of doing either.  It’s pretty difficult to get about these days as the roads are rather deadly.  Still, we must keep trying, I suppose.

            I expect Ted’s getting himself in a state – or isn’t he the type***?  I wouldn’t know.

            Did I tell you I met a bloke called Gideon when I was on my 48hr?  He used to be an old mate of Eric and myself in the Lee-on-Solent days.  He’s been through the desert campaigns since then and is now an Army Lieutenant in the same Division as I am.  We had a long chat on old times over a whisky or three in the Officers’ Club.  Apparently quite a few of the originals were killed in the desert after they had left the Dorsets.  He’s the first bloke I’ve met from the old crowd & I was the first he’d met.

            I’m now writing this by candlelight as the lights have failed – hope they come on again before 7.30 ….

            Hope you got the magazine I sent you some ten days ago.  I don’t yet know how near that standard the German women keep, but the stuff looks OK by me.

            I’ve also sent off a rough sketch that ‘Junior’ made of me, when reading a little Shaw.  It was by candlelight – a tricky light to draw by – and was rather hurried.  He’s always wanted me to sit for a ¾ portrait in oils – which he hopes to get hung in the Academy**** – but I’ve always staved him off….In any case he’s sold his oils now which has relieved me intensely.  I could never sit still for hours on end looking at nothing in particular.  I might manage it if I could smoke, but that’s not ‘on’.

            Hope the weather isn’t too cruel for you, where you are in Cornwall.  I expect it can be pretty miserable at times.  Never mind – it’ll be over any Xmas now….

            I’ve had two long letters from Monica – cynical and disillusioned, and generally full of woe for her unhappy lot.  I knew at the time that her marriage could never be successful.  Her husband – although meaning well, is hopelessly dull, and seems to have no interest outside of her – which is fatal.

            She was soon bored with him – now she thinks him a fool.  Being a staunch Catholic she won’t divorce him – but plans a separation as soon as circumstances permit.  At present he’s in hospital in the North suffering from battle exhaustion – though she will have it that he’s OK.  There I’m sure she’s wrong as you have to be pretty clever to work that one! Anyhow, enough of Monica – I won’t reply. 

            I’ve just received ½ lb of Sobranie***** but don’t know who it came from a there’s nothing in the parcel in the form of a name or address.  It came just in time –as usual.

            I’ll send you the three little books I bought – if you’ll keep them for me.  It’s no good sending them home as mother always throws my books away when she gets a spring clean mood.  They’re practically valueless but it’s not so easy to get them these days.  I don’t know whether they’ll ever reach you or not.  I would keep them myself but I simply haven’t room to accumulate stuff – much to my regret!  As it is, I’m carrying an extra pack full of books and a radio….

            I’ve been reading Hulton’s new efforts ‘The Leader’***** *(allied to Lilliput, Picture Post, News Review and Housewife) which seems rather a fair effort.  It’s 3 pennies weekly and well worth reading.

            Strangely enough I’ve got some beer left from the dance. This wouldn’t surprise you if you knew what calibre the beer was.  The brewers call it “hop-less” – the boys - ‘hopeless’.  It’s a chemical synthetic stuff and you can drink something like 20 pints without mental troubles.  Of course there are other troubles – but we won’t deal with them here….

            I’m hoping my two mates go out this evening for their usual game of Bridge with the Burgomaster and his wife.  They’re a charming couple but their Bridge is deadly.  This will mean that I can listen to Eva in comfort and quiet.

            I seem to be rambling on without rhyme or reason so I’ll close here, Darling.  Let me know when/if you receive the mag. and portrait.  There’s nothing I can do about it if you don’t – but I should like to know.

                                    All my love, Chotie

                                                Dicker.

 

* Dick had seen Eva Turner in Turandot in Scotland in May 1944. 

**Harold Powell Lloyd was an operatic tenor and Roderick Lloyd, a bass.  Dick’s family were Welsh.

***Ted’s wife Margaret (Chotie’s sister) was due to have their first baby soon.

****Dick and Eric Kessler were based in Lee-on-Solent with the Dorset Regiment in January and February 1941.

****The Royal Academy of Arts – probably the Summer Exhibition.

*****Sobranie tobacco (and cigarettes).

******a weekly pictorial magazine published by the Hulton Press.

© Chotie Darling

 

 

The Belgian Liaison Officer , Capitaine Commandant B del Marmol, who had joined the Regiment on 7^th September 1944 left on 8^th November.  He had done particularly valuable work at Oolen (south-west of the Gheel Bridgehead), Oeffelt (south of Nijmegen) and Dreumel.  He was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for his bravery, zeal and efficiency.

(See  61st Battle Honour.)

 

 

Antwerp, Menuhin and Shaw- Tuesday 7th November 1944

                                                                                                                        As usual

Tuesday Nov 7^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    As I’ve forgotten what I wrote you in my last letter, I thought I’d better write you again.

            At the moment of writing this I’m listening to Mendelsohn’s Violin Concerto, which is being played by Menuhin and a very masterly performance it is*.  This probably accounts for my happy frame of mind.

            I’ve now settled down after my 48hrs leave which left me rather weak as you can well imagine.

            I had quite a happy time as there’s plenty doing there – shows, cinemas, night-clubs etc, etc, not to mention the Cathedral and several museums and art galleries.  Unhappily 48 hrs is all too short to really ‘do’ the town.  You need four or five days at least.

            I had the unenviable job of driving the party there in a three-tonner – a distance of about 120 miles each way on pretty grim roads.  However we made it – much to everyone’s surprise – including my own.

            The shops are fun and already very ‘Xmassy’ – though everything’s too dear for the local population.  Service men with plenty of money are lashing out as usual.

            Plenty of women’s services there – especially ATS.  Saw hundreds of them – and plenty of nurses, of course.

            Cafés are full of cream cakes, ice-cream and the inevitable acorn coffee.  Needless to say I made a complete pig of myself on this score.

            Spent a happy evening yesterday with the local Burgomaster** - sitting in front of his fire reading Shaw’s ‘Man and Superman’***.

            The countryside is very pleasant now – very autumnal with a pale wintry sun shining on the willows which line all the dykes.  I expect it’s very beautiful where you are – though it’ll be a bit nippy later on.  I had hoped to make the Black Forest**** for the Autumn….

            Must close here to get some work done.

                                    All my love, Darling

                                                            Dicker.

 

*see Yehudi Menuhin, the American (later British) violinist, playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor.

** the local chief magistrate.

***a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1903 on the theme of Don Juan.

****a wooded mountain range in south-western Germany.

© Chotie Darling

"First break since the 6th June" - Friday 3rd November 1944

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC November 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 3^rd – 9th          Place WINSSEN

‘The Regiment still remains at WINSSEN.  It has rained continuously since the beginning of the month so the unit’s first break since the 6^th June comes at a good time.  Despite the weather, many games of football and hockey have been played.

Place ZETTEN

In the Zetten area all is quiet, any aggressive intentions the enemy may have had in that area have apparently gone.’

 

 

Letter written on Friday 3rd November 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA.

Friday Nov 3^rd

Chotie Darling,

                                    Of all places to write you from I find myself in a palatial hotel in Antwerp – where I’m spending my 48 hrs leave.  I arrived here at about 3 pm yesterday having had to drive the party here myself in a three-tonner – no mean task in itself as it took about five hours.

            Couldn’t do much yesterday as, by the time I’d got things teed up it was dark and it’s pretty deadly finding your way about in a strange town in the dark.

            Had a walk round the shops this morning – but didn’t see anything worth buying.  I did eventually buy three little books – on Degas, Rembrandt & da Vinci respectively – very good.  I’ll send them on to you if you’ll keep them for me.

            It’s quite a pleasant town with plenty doing.  It’s now nearly mid-night and I’ve been around this evening – ‘bout a dozen night clubs cabaret shows, etc so you can well imagine I’ve pretty well had it.

            The two other officers I came with are pretty deadly – go for ENSA* Shows, etc so I went for the night-clubs (full of Yanks, Canucks**, Poles, ATS Canuck WAACs etc) and saw a few Belgian strip-tease acts, etc.  Aren’t I awful!

            The prices are murder! but to counteract this, drinks in the Officers’ Hotel I’m staying in are very cheap – five francs for a cognac against 60 outside, etc.

            Why is it, as soon as I get drunk I always feel like packing up and writing to you?  It’s always the same.  Must be some psychological reason for it.

            Must close here, Darling – will write you in the more sober light of tomorrow,

                                                            All my love

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*ENSA stood for the ‘Entertainments National Service Association’, which provided entertainment for the British Forces during World War 2.  It was popularly known as an acronym for ‘Every Night Something Awful’.

**Canadians

 © Chotie Darling

 

Chotie was now based at 6^th Hy (M)A.A. Practice Camp

at Cleve near Bude in Cornwall

RAF Cleave was an experimental and training establishment for anti-aircraft gunners on an exposed clifftop near Bude, near the northernmost point of Cornwall.

'B' Squadron's Assault Troop

On 23^rd October Eric writes: “Slack went away as he got hurt from last night’s do (see Eric’s diary for 22nd October) but I think he will be OK.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 24th     Place DRIEL

‘Last night was again quiet and today nothing was heard until 1345 hrs when two spandaus opened fire from 704747 and 704755.  They were engaged by our Mortars and silenced.

501* RCT (?) on our left sent a patrol across the NEDER RIJN tonight.’

*the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the US 101st Airborne (‘Screaming Eagles’).

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 25th     Place DRIEL

‘The enemy’s policy is still to be low during the day and confine his activities to mortaring and shelling only.  Today has been very quiet again though the inevitable movement started at last light. 

At 1935 hrs an enemy patrol worked its way behind our outpost at 707764.  It was then seen and engages by “B” Squadron assault troop with good results, and some hits were scored.  They were driven back over the railway line taking their casualties with them. 

Apart from Small Arms fire on the railway opposite 13 Troop and some good harassing fire on known enemy localities by 124 Forward Regiment the remainder of the night was peaceful.’

The action involving 'B' Squadron's Assault Troop (Eric Brewer's Troop) sounds remarkably like the event described by Eric in his diary for 22nd October. 

Jammed by the Boche - Sunday 22nd October 1944

POSTCARD Naarde Markt - Sunday 22^nd October 1944

Monday 22^nd (sic)

Chotie,

                        Still trying to get …id of these things!  I’ve had to cross the …lace name out on this …ne for security reasons.  Letter posted with this, and there’s …lenty more to come!

                                    Dick

 

Letter written on Sunday 22^nd 1944

61^st Recce Regt RACBLA.

Monday October 22 (sic)

Chotie Darling,

                                    Have just received your letter of the 18^th, which is pretty good going.

            Your hope that things aren’t going to badly is reasonably justified.  I’ve had three days’ rest – it’s been pretty deadly as I’m the only officer here, but it has been rest nevertheless.

            I go up to Squadron HQ tonight to take over duties of 2^nd in command as Ted goes away for 48hrs leave in Antwerp tomorrow.  It’s my turn next but I don’t know how things will turn out yet.

            Solomon*’s over here somewhere – he was playing in Eindhoven a fortnight ago, so with luck I might see him.

            Missed Pouishnoff** yesterday, when the programme was jammed by the Boche at the last moment.  Was I mad!  I’d waited all day to hear him.  We’re so near Germany that it’s easy for them to jam English stations.

            Glad to hear about your leave - might as well get all you can.

            Thanks for posting some tobacco Darling, it was certainly very welcome.

            Have been doing a little reading lately and at present am struggling through a massive tome entitled – ‘The Arts – Man’s Quest for Beauty’ by Rothenstein and Henry Wood**.  Quite a fine piece of work, though a little deadly in places.

            (They’ve just brought me in a cup of coffee which is made from acorns!  Surprisingly enough it’s considerably better than pukka coffee as made in England.) 

            This book includes Chapters on painting, drawing & design, Sculpture architecture, Music and Dramatic art, so it’s quite comprehensive!  I’ve only got as far as sculpture, so there’s a long way to go!

            Must close here to pack things for tonight.

                                                love

                                                            Dicker X.

 

*Solomon Cutner - a British pianist known simply as ‘Solomon’.

**’The Arts – Man’s Quest for Beauty’ by Sir William Rothenstein and Sir Henry Wood, published in 1935.

 © Chotie Darling

 

 

WAR DIARY of 61 Recce Regt RAC October 1944

– Lt Col P.H.A. Brownrigg

Date 22nd     Place DRIEL

'Normal patrolling was carried out last night without incident.  Today has been very quiet except for the usual spasmodic shelling of our forward area.  “B” Squadron relieved “C” during the night without incident.'

 

I’m not sure Eric Brewer would agree that the night of 22^nd October was ‘without incident’.  He wrote in his diary:

“On outpost tonight Gerry came behind us – a small patrol of roughly 10 men.  I noticed them and shouted “Halt, who goes there?” when they were 25 yards away and they were 10 yards away when they stopped.  I wasn’t half scared but they only opened up with Smisy (small arms?) and our Bren gun and grenades soon got rid of them.” 

(From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

Dick and ‘B’ Squadron were now on the front line,

east of Driel on the south bank of the Lower Rhine

until 28^th October 1944.

 

Rocking the Cradle - Saturday 21st October 1944

61^st Rece Regt RAC BLA

Saturday October 21^st

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m still resting, and still in the same place so I have once again ample opportunity for writing.

            They’ve got a baby here now – I don’t know where it came from but it looks about six months old to me.  It’s in the room where I’m writing this and it doesn’t seem to cry much.  I thought babies were always crying.  When this one starts I just rock the old pram and it stops.

            A really wonderful day today – strong wind but beautifully sunny.  Most of the trees have turned now so the countryside presents a lovely picture.

            I heard Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto the day before yesterday – by dint of sitting half-frozen in my armoured car.

            I see that Pouishnoff* is playing the Tchaikovsky Concerto tomorrow afternoon so I’ll have to get a grip on that.

            (I’ve just had to stop to rock the baby).

            The ground here is deadly with mud.  I’ve got five pairs of boots out here (a wise precaution – taken in England) and I wear them in rotation.  By the time I’ve got through them all the first pair are dry again….

            I’m the only Officer here at present so find things rather lonely.  All the rest are either at ‘Base’ or in the line.  Rather deadly for me.

            (I’m now rocking the pram with one hand and writing this with the other….)

            For want of something to do I compiled a gigantic list of poets and their respective works from Chaucer to Brooke**.  Rather staggering, the enormous number of poets we’ve had, far more than the rest of the world put together.  There’s only France to rival us, and they’re few in number compared with us.

            Must close here for lunch.

                        All my love, Darling                                                      

                                    Dicker.

*Leff Pouishnoff, a Ukrainian Pianist and composer who lived in Britain from 1921.

**Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet of the Thirteenth century best known for the Canterbury tales. Rupert Brooke was an English poet who died during World War 1 and is remembered for his idealistic war sonnets including ‘The Soldier’.

© Chotie Darling

 

Eric Postles explains how Dick had a radio to listen to music:  "We moved about the 'Island' extending the hold on the eastern end, holding the line patrols and manning observation posts (O.P.s) where we took compass readings when 'V' rockets were launched so that the RAF could attack the sites.  In one village we recced a warehouse full of Philips radios, packed ready for export to the Balkans.  We helped ourselves to them and I got two small sets.  But we had no electricity to operate them until we were in Germany where we could get the British and American forces radio network.  Military Police from Divisional HQ came and ordered us out of the warehouse.  We later heard they had emptied the place of sets and taken them to Divisional Headquarters." (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Much too flat - Monday 25th September 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA.

Sept 25^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Sorry I haven’t written to you for so long – but it’s simply been impossible, as we’ve been on the move all the time with practically no rest and plenty of work to be done.

            Was glad to hear you’re still alive and kicking(!) after so strenuous a time – and that you’ve had a welcome break in meeting those friends.  Scotland has her points I suppose, but I could never be enamoured with the country – altogether too bleak.

            The countryside we’re now in is very pleasant tho’ much too flat.  Most of the roads are made of red brick and this feature, coupled with the green moss which grows in between makes them very picturesque.  The houses also differ vastly from those in France, as they are all brightly painted and so neat as to present a doll’s house appearance.  The people are phlegmatic, stolid and less attractive than hitherto, being all of one type – blond and dull.  They are, however, honest as the day is long, industrious and clean.  Most of the townsfolk with some education speak English – very useful as my French is useless here.

            Hope you’ve been a good girl in Scotland.  From what I know of Scotland it must have been difficult….

            How much weight have you lost?  Not too much I hope; but still, I suppose you could always “recover” it before I come back…..

            I’ve been trying to read Pamela Frankan’s “I meet farm people” – an autobiography, between halts on the road.  Not very spectacular, and not comparable with ‘Micky’ Jacob’s or Ethel Mannin’s efforts in this line.*

            Was pleased to hear the ‘pants’ arrived safely from home.  Mother told me she sent them, but I entertained doubts as to their eventual arrival.  Don’t get encouraged to show them off will you?  I reckon I’ve got priority on them.  What do you think?

            Must close here, Darling, to censure about a hundred letters.

                        All my love, Chotie

                                    Dicker

*Pamela Frankan was a lesser known novelist than the English actress and author Naomi ‘Micky’ Jacob or the British novelist and travel writer Ethel Mannin.

© Chotie Darling

 

Eric Postles remembers their position as rather more perilous: "Afterwards we moved into a deserted Driel, occupying riverside houses.  We were under constant mortaring from the Germans on the other side of the river.  I remember we found bottled fruit in a cellar, which was a welcome change of diet.  The house we were in had a bath and we were able to soak in hot water.

From there we moved upstream into positions in a farmhouse by the Arnhem railway bridge, which after crossing the river passed down a high embankment.  This marked the front line with the Germans on the other side of the embankment.  One night they tunnelled under the embankment and got a patrol through into our positions so we called down artillery fire on them.  The first three salvos fell short before they got their range.  The last of the three fell in the orchard where Corporal Martindale and I were, blowing me over and stunning me.  He carried me into the farmhouse and it was found that I had a hole in my greatcoat where a piece of shrapnel had passed through.  Luckily it hit the compass in my trouser pocket putting it out of action but leaving me with no more than a few bruises."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

‘This latest Airborne effort’ - Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th September 1944

On 18^th September XXX Corps continued their advance, liberating Eindhoven, then linking up with the US 101^st Airborne Division and starting work on a Bailey Bridge* over the Son.  They were now 18 hours behind schedule.  (See Market Garden 1944-2014.)

82^nd Airborne had secured all its bridges except the Nijmegen road bridge where the Germans held firm.

Although more British airborne troops landed the Germans held their drop zone on Ginkel Heath (north-west of Arnhem), by the end of the afternoon so they could not be re-supplied.  Those airborne troops already landed were engaged in fierce fighting and gradually being surrounded.  Colonel Frost’s isolated troops on Arnhem bridge successfully stopped German vehicles from crossing.

*the British portable, pre-fabricated truss bridge invented during WW2 and developed in Christchurch, Dorset.

 

61^st Recce’s ‘A’ Squadron were involved in finding routes from Valkenswaard for the tanks and Roy Howard mentions that it was the Household Cavalry that first met up with 101^st Airborne Division at Woensel, between Eindhoven and Son. (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

Letter written on Monday 18^th and Tuesday 19^th September 1944

 61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA

Monday Sept 18^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letter received a couple of days ago.  There’s nothing much of any real interest to tell you – no current news, anyhow.

            We’ve been much luckier of late in getting into some towns instead of the old perpetual fields and orchards.  Have spent several days recently in or near a small town (Wimborne* size) and been able to get a harbour and several other necessities.

            There are plenty of pubs here, and although they are still called cafés, they correspond much more to our conception of a pub.  They also have the excellent idea of having the barbers inside the pub itself so that you can have a pint or two whilst waiting your turn.  Altogether a very happy solution to this queueing problem.

            A lot of my troop have bought scent and powder with enticing Paris labels – but personally I’ve avoided buying any as I don’t trust them.  One of my blokes bought three bottles which cost him 1000 f (£5) which is obviously Black Market stuff.  Maybe I’m sceptical – as usual.

            I’ve been trying to read my Mozart, which is pretty heavy going, being in French.  It’s an excellent book, however, so I’m persevering.  I also have a copy of ‘Gentlemen prefer Blondes**’ in French, which is quite amusing but less instructive.

            Have met a lot of Ted’s crowd*** but haven’t yet contacted him.

            Brinner is still at Base as far as I know – he’ll probably still be there when we get the final ‘cease firing’. 

             I imagine Johnny Jones is with this latest Airborne effort.  Did you hear anything of him when you were on leave?  I haven’t heard a thing.

            We now manage to get a better variety of food, than hitherto – eggs & tomatoes**** (hundreds of them) instead of the endless run of sausage-meat.  We also get a few mushrooms from time to time.  Must close here to do some work.

                                    All my love

                                                Darling

                                                            Dicker

Will write some more tonight.

 

Well, Darling, I couldn’t finish this letter last night because we moved during the evening.

I’ve found out where Brinner is but as he’s some 60 miles from me at the moment there seems no chance of contacting him. 

I’m afraid I can’t write any more as I have a full day ahead fitting new wireless sets to my cars.

                All my love Precious

                                                Dicker.

 

*a small town in Dorset.

**the American novel by Anita Loos published in 1925.

***the Guards Armoured Division.

****Uncle Ted told me he once had to hide out in a tomato field behind enemy lines and just lived on tomatoes for a couple of days - he couldn't bear to eat them after that (Chotie’s Daughter).

© Chotie Darling

Jan and Madeleine Gevaert - Friday 8th September 1944

 61^st Recce Regt RAC

BLA

Sept 8^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Once again a few more lines to let you know I’m still OK and a little of what’s going on at the moment.

            Hope you are enjoying yourself in Scotland* – I think you will so long as the weather’s reasonable – I certainly did.  That is, of course, provided the course isn’t too strenuous, though as you say, they usually start off fairly easily and gradually work up to more spectacular things.

            I’ve received your letter, written just before you left home – always rather a miserable business.

            I’ve been having a much more pleasant time lately – that is, pleasant as far as war can be of course.  The town** I mentioned in my last letter (where I had to hold the main bridge) turned out to be the best yet.

            The first person to great me was a chap of about 16 years of age, dressed (as they usually do here) in a plus four suit (or rather plus six) in overcheck with the inevitable ankle-socks.  He later introduced me to his sister (19) who turned out to be very charming.

            The girls dress amazingly well – they’ve saved all the best stuff to greet us.  Everything tends to tweeds and brogues, needless to say, and at least 75% wear knee-length white socks.  This is easily the most predominating feature of dress.  They never wear slacks – think that they are much too masculine.

            Clothes here are a fabulous price – you can’t buy women’s shoes (anything wearable) under 2000f. (£10) – though of course women do buy them. 

            I spent three days and two nights on the aforesaid bridge and knew everyone in the town after the first 12 hours.

            This girl and her brother (Jan and Madeleine Gervaert) were very, very pleasant and did everything possible to make things as comfortable as they could for us.  After I’d expressed an admiration for Balzac and Mozart, Madeleine brought me five of his works and Jan brought me an exceptionally good book on Mozart.  I’ve swopped addresses with them and hope to see them again after the war.  There were countless others of course, but they remain the predominant.

            Last night we had a little party in a country house where the officers of the squadron were invited.  It was a lovely place and luckily had no electric light, so we all sat round by the light of a large wood fire and some candles.  We drank, champagne, claret, Graves and Hock, and as I was the only one present who could speak French, I had the job of entertaining the daughter of the house – which I think I managed pretty well as she also had a taste for Balzac & Georges Sand, two of my favourite authors.

            The general countryside and towns here are much more like England than what we have previously visited.  And, of course, they have pubs here – honestly!  And, what’s more, they have some excellent beer – something like Stout.  There isn’t much of it though.

            I try to get as much conversation in French as possible as I won’t get the chance again.

            Well Darling must close here as there’s work to be done as usual.

            I don’t know when I’ll be able to write you again – things are rather fluid at the moment.

                        All my love, Chotie Darling,

                                                Dicker

P.S  Please excuse this wretched paper but I haven’t yet had a chance to replace the stuff I lost some time ago.  R.

 

*Chotie had started a PT course at No 2 PT School in Scotland on 30^th August, training to be an Instructor.

**Oudennarde/Audenarde, between Lille and Brussels.

© Chotie Darling

 Message (in French) from Madeleine Gevaert on her father's address card. The Gevaert family have a quarter in Oudenaarde named after them in honour of the textile business they developed in the town.

 

Although 50^th Division was still centred somewhere between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels their Battle for Gheel had begun.  In the early morning of 8^th September 69^th Brigade’s Green Howards crossed the Albert Canal in collapsible boats to establish a bridgehead by the blown road bridge to the town with the East Yorks.  That evening the 151^st Brigade’s Durham Light Infantry cross the Canal to the south-east near the village of Stelen.  A Bailey bridge is erected across the canal overnight.

 

Apparently in Stelen church war cemetery there is a large notice:

‘On the 8^th September 1944 began from here the Battle for Geel by 50^th Northumbrian Division.’

 

Eric Brewer’s diary entry for 8^th September reads:  “Shifted to the Albert Canal, guarding a bridge.  Gerry mortaring and shelling it; a few prisoners taken today.  C Squadron and the HQ surrounded but later on Gerry forced to retreat.  Altogether he put in 14 counter attacks today.  55 captured: two carriers, also crews.” (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

8^th September: The Belgium government returns from exile in London.

US forces liberate Liège in eastern Belgium and Canadian troops liberate Ostend on the Belgium coast, north of Lille.  In France Beaune and Chalon-sur-Saone in Burgundy are liberated.

Germany successfully launches V2 rockets for the first time, hitting London and Paris from the Netherlands.

 

Flowers all the way - Tuesday 5th September 1944

Sept 5^th 1944

Chotie Darling,

                                    Must apologise for the long gap in my correspondence but it’s been virtually impossible to write as we’ve been moving too fast for the outgoing mail to be collected.

            It’s impossible to describe the last 10 days – it’s simply been a case of flowers all the way.

            I got the job to guard two bridges in the middle of a large town* – and we were the first Allies in the town!  The welcome we had was amazing – and quite impossible to relate in writing.  We were already covered in flowers – we were soon to be covered with fruit and wine.

            The girls here (and there are many) are all very smart, despite the fact that a pair of women’s brogues (they call them “Swing”) cost upwards of £10 (2000 francs).  They’ve been living very badly for four years, but they had hidden wine and food for us, as they knew we’d arrive eventually.  I’ve got hundreds of addresses to visit after the war – quite hopeless to accept them all.

            I’m afraid this is the only ‘writing’ paper** I have as I lost all my other stuff in a bit of a scramble we had some time ago, and I haven’t been able to replenish them yet.

            All the ‘best’ people here speak French so I’m still OK on that score, though I’ll be scuppered soon, I imagine.

            There are some very charming girls here – one of whom presented me with the complete works of Balzac***, after I’d expressed my admiration for him.

 

Well, Darling it’s now evening and getting too dark to write.

            Had a very happy time ‘on guard’ with scores of civilians around to ask the usual barrage of questions.  My French is improving immensely and I hope to achieve fluency before the war is finally ended.

Must close here Darling – my only wish is that you were here with me.  I should get less conversation from the local girls though…..

 

                                                            Goodnight, my Darling

                                                                        Dicker

 

*Oudenaarde/ Audenarde on the Scheldt / Escaut Canal south of Ghent, liberated on 5^th September.  Dick received many visiting cards from here including those left in his diary: Monsieur & Madame Louis van Eycken of 10, Jules Lacroixstraat; Gaston Gevaert of 6 Meerschpoort, Bevere; Walter van Lantschoot-Colpaert of 45 Baarstraat and Monsieur André Torrelle of 98 Rue de Tournai.

**the letter is written on German Army accounting paper.

***a French novelist and playwright of the nineteenth century.

© Chotie Darling

 

Sandy Handley remembers Oudenaarde:

“The stretch of 35 miles where we held the line of the Escaut Canal, from Ghent to a bridge south of Oudenaarde, was bridges all along.  I remember our car was on one of these bridges in Oudenaarde and some of the residents here had got into a collaborator’s house and proceeded to smash up all the furniture.  As the enemy had almost left the town people went after the collaborators and smashed everything.  Earlier on we had seen some girls, who had been friendly with the Germans, having all their hair cut off. 

In some of the towns and villages the civilian population came out to cheer us on, they seemed really pleased to see us.  Several times a toddler was held up for us to kiss, it was quite moving some times.  It had to be seen to know what you felt like.  To see all those people clapping and cheering, I will always remember this.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Eric Brewer witnessed worse scenes:  "Still at Berchem. Saw the free Belgium people set a collaborator's house on fire, also cut their hair and took them away.  We took some SS back to RHQ and the villagers caught some more but before we knew it they had strung them up...Had tea in one of the local houses.  Also taken to dance by the people at night."

He wrote home: "I don’t think I shall Learn any more French or even see any more French people for a while as we have become all Belgian fans.  I don’t expect I shall have to tell you where I am but the buzz bombs are a decent way from us, I don’t mean in front but behind…

We have had a lot of offers to tea, dinner and supper or been asked to come in and have a drink. If we accepted a quarter of the offers I would always be drunk so what we generally do is say that 'we are full up or had plenty already' but sometimes they won't take that for an answer and we finish up being pulled in for a drink…

Your loving son

Eric XXXX"

(Extract from Eric Brewer’s letter and diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

50th Division was now centred on Brussels, while the Guards Armoured Division took a brief rest after their high speed advance to the city.

 

5^th September 1944: in France Lille, Poitiers and Saint Étienne are liberated.  Le Havre is heavily bombed by the Allies.

 Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourg governments in exile sign the London Customs Convention, the foundation of the Benelux economic union.

 Russia declares war on Bulgaria and Soviet forces enter the country.

Parties - Saturday 10th June 1944

Same Address

Saturday

Chotie Darling,

                                    I hardly know what to write about as I’ve had no mail for some time now – which cuts out that particular source of inspiration.

            I’m enclosing my remaining coupons – for what they’re worth.  If you’re pushed to find a use for them you might send Diller some (par Mary, if ever you should write….) and she could forward any surplus to Brinner.

            Weather here hasn’t been up to much for some time now – expect it’s the same with you, which has finally eliminated any further chance of swimming.

            Had a lot of parties lately – out every night since D day, but now, I steadfastly refuse to smoke whilst drinking which enable me to stay perfectly sober however much I take.  I drove the party back last night in a jeep.  I shall never know how I made it as about seven people in the back were trying to push me out.  Damn funny.

            Hope you’re “still” being a good little girl no C.B. and no ‘Roll me over’* episodes.  One of these fine days I’ll meet someone from your Battery and learn the real truth about you.

            The invasion show seems to be going OK though it’s early yet.  Anyhow that’s a subject I’d prefer to leave alone.

            Hope you got that book safely.  I should really have registered it but I hadn’t time.

            We had Gertrude Lawrence* at our camp last week – quite a good show.

            Been playing pontoon all the afternoon – lost steadily, and again early this evening.

            Heard anything of Eve lately?  Let me know any news won’t you?  I shall get about a hundred letters all at once pretty soon, I suppose.

            Must close here for dinner(?)

            All my love, Chotie Darling – hope to see you before very long.

                                                                        Dicker

 

*'Roll me over in the clover' was a very popular saucy song in 1944. 

** Gertrude Lawrence, a famous English musical comedy actress, had recently arrived back in Britain from the US and performed for the troops just before D day. She was also one of the first to entertain the Allied troops in France.

© Chotie Darling

Me again - Tuesday 6th June 1944

As usual

Tuesday 6^th June

Chotie Darling,

                                                I managed to get hold of a copy of ‘Me-again’ so I’m enclosing it with this letter.  Hope you enjoy it.

            Weather here has brightened up after a serious relapse of some five days or so which were pretty miserable.

            I’m up to my neck in this wretched audit board at the moment adding up masses & masses of figures, which never was my strong point as well you know.  They say things are sent to try us – and they’re not far wrong.

            I’ve also had to bust a couple of sergeants this morning for absence – and that’s not a very pleasant job either.

            Hope you got the cheque OK – I expect to get some mail before very long, so I’ll have to wait.

            Must close here, Darling, as I’m really rather busy as you can well imagine*.

                                    All my love, Chotie

                                                                                    Dicker

*Dick realised Chotie would know about the invasion by the time she received his letter

© Chotie Darling

Walking in the Woods - Monday 5th June 1944

As usual

Monday June 5^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    I’m afraid I can’t acknowledge receipt of any of your letters for the simple reason that I haven’t had any.  I can, however, still write to you – what little news there is to write.

            We’re still having quite a good time here*, all things considered, though there’s very little to do and time is apt to hang rather heavily at times.  Unfortunately the library here is practically non-existent, some fifty volumes only and these are almost always out.

            I seem to spend most of my spare time walking in the woods.  And what delightful woods they are!  Not the finicky little trees one meets too often, but massive oaks, quite the largest I’ve ever seen, their great boles casting grotesque shadows even at noon.  I expect to meet Rosalind and Touchstone or even the melancholy Jacques walking up the path towards me….**

            And these woods are full of wildlife.  Yesterday I saw pheasant, partridge, rabbits, squirrels and in the evening a baby fox-cub.

            I found an excellent swimming pool (open-air) some few miles from here, so I usually take the boys there whenever practicable.

            I have read a couple of books lately – Alfred Neumann’s ‘Life of Christina of Sweden’***, and Naomi Jacob’s ‘Me-again’.  The latter I heartily recommend.  I’d read the original ‘Me – a story of other people’ but this later autobiography is even better.  I’ll try to get you a copy and send it to you as soon as possible. ***

            I’m just waiting for an audit board to start – a miserable job this weather as it means sitting in a tent for 48 hrs doing nothing but check invoices, bills etc.

            I was going to see ‘Fanny by Gaslight’ but after reading James Agate’s criticism***** of it I decided to give it a miss.

            Must close here for this audit racket.

                                    All my love, Darling

                                                            Dicker

 

*Dick had moved to the Aldershot area at the end of May.

**characters from Shakespeare’s play ‘As you like it’, which is set in a romanticised version of Shakespeare’s local Forest of Arden in Warwickshire.

***Alfred Neumann was a German writer who became a US citizen after his books were banned by the Third Reich.

****Naomi Jacobs was an English author, actress and broadcaster. Her first memoir was called ‘Me: a chronicle about other people’.  Other volumes including 'Me - again' continued her autobiography.

*****The drama critic for the Sunday times.

© Chotie Darling

Ici Londres!

1^st June 1944 – hundreds of ‘personal messages’, conveying coded instructions, are sent by Radio Londres, the BBC radio broadcast from London to Nazi occupied France.  These transmissions, operated by the Free French Forces always began with “Ici Londres! Les Français parlent aux Français.*” This time Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony was also played, the first four notes corresponding to dot-dot-dot-dash – a morse ‘V’ for Victory.  The French Resistance now knew the invasion would be very soon. On 5^th June a recitation from the first verse of  Verlaine’s poem ‘Chanson d’Automne’ let them know it would be in the next 48 hours:  “Les sanglots longs des violons de l’automne blessent mon coeur d’une langeur monotone****” was the call to action. (See Ici Londres.)

*"Here's London! The French speaking to the French."

**’The long sobs of Autumn’s violins wound my heart with a monotonous languour'

 

1st June 1944 - Japanese forces in China begin their advance south from Wuchang in Hupeh to Changsa in Hunan, to attack the US air bases at Kweilin.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

We Anchor in Hope - Tuesday 30th May 1944

This letter was stamped with censor number 10199 instead of the 14529 Dick had been using in Nightingale Wood.

As usual

Tuesday 30^th May

Chotie Darling,

                                    Very many thanks for your letter.  Sorry I haven’t been able to write you before this, but I’ve been pretty busy as you can guess.  However, things are much easier now, and I have plenty of spare time.

            I’ve just been to the local baths to get things teed up for the boys this afternoon.  Envious?

            You seem to have enjoyed the ‘Fair’ ‘do’ – even though working under forced labour, as it were.

            The leave question is off I’m afraid – as I can’t get off at all at the moment – ‘we anchor in hope’, as the prophet has it.

            Diller sent me a film book cutting of ‘San Luis Rey’.  Akim Lamiroff is having a crack at Uncle Pio.  I also learned quite by chance that the book won the all nations Pulitzer Prize Novel of 1927, which doesn’t surprise me in the least.  I think Uncle Pio is one of the fullest-drawn characters in modern literature.  It was also filmed in the silent days with Lily Damita, etc*. 

            Haven’t had the time to read much recently – only Rutland Boughton’s ‘Bach’, which I found good if only because he places this extraordinary genius in his proper place in the history of music and avoids eulogising him to excess**.

            I’m afraid I forgot all about giving you the train fare on our last meeting so I’m enclosing a cheque which I hope will cover it OK.  I’m sorry I can’t send cash but I simply haven’t got it.

            Don’t seem to have had a letter for ages – but then I can’t grumble, being such a poor correspondent myself.

            No news from this end, of course.  The old security racket, again.

            Weather here has been really wonderful of late.  I’m beginning to get quite brown again.  I imagine I’ll get brown enough before I’ve finished this Summer.

            Well, Darling, I’d better dry up here.

            Hope you can cash the cheque without too much trouble.

                                    All my love, Darling

                                                            Dicker.

 

* ‘The Bridge of San Luis Rey’ – film made in 1944 starring Lynn Bari, Akim Tamiroff (as Uncle Pio) and Francis Lederer. A rope bridge over a gorge in the Peruvian Andes snaps, sending five people plunging to their deaths. A priest sets out to find out more about the life of each of the victims.  The 1929 film was directed by Charles Brabin and starred Lily Damita and Don Alvarado

*’Bach, The Master’ by the English composer Rutland Boughton, written in 1930.

© Chotie Darling

The Haunch town - Monday 15th May 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

APO

England

 

Monday 15^th May

Chotie Darling,

                                    Just a few lines to tee up the leave question.  I can get next Friday off from 2 o’clock in the afternoon until the same time Saturday afternoon ie. 24 hrs.  If this is any good to you will you write back at your earliest?  I imagine we could fix up somewhere to stay in the Haunch town*.  If something unexpected should turn up and cancel my pass I’ll write you at the earliest possible time.

            I’m just about up to my eyes in it at the moment, working from ‘first light’ until it’s dark – and writing this by candlelight in my tent.

            No news to tell you of course.  I was going to send you a copy of “San Luis Rey”, but I’ll keep it now and bring it along on Friday.

            Haven’t heard from Brinner yet – though it’s almost certain he’s at a depot somewhere.

            Must close here as I’m falling asleep.

                                                                                    All my love

                                                                                                            Dicker

PS Write instanta!

 

*Salisbury (The Haunch of Venison) 

© Chotie Darling

Catching fish - Tuesday 9th or Wednesday 10th May 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

APO

England

Wednesday 9^th (sic) May

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letter, which I didn’t receive until yesterday as the mail is pretty slow getting here.  It did get here however, and that’s the main thing.

            The Adjutant kindly condescended to give me the afternoon and evening off on Sunday last so I rushed out of camp helter-skelter and promptly hitch-hiked home.  It was a lovely day – very cold in the morning but coming out beautifully sunny later in the day.  On the whole I was very lucky and managed to make it in a few hours.  They were very surprised to see me, likewise Michael, who, naughty dog, had eaten a rabbit and a starling that morning!  I regret to say I slept most of the time there.

            How nice for Eric & Eve to have a baby son!  I feel almost envious – almost …. I must write him now, and tell him I think he’s awfully clever.

            As regards leave.  We all hope to get a day pass sometime during the next week, so just as soon as I know definitely when it will be, I’ll send a wire and just see if we can manage to meet at the ‘Haunch’* station.

            I’d forgotten all about ‘Love went a–Riding’** though I remember it well eno’ now.  I know I enjoyed it for its disparity from the common run of novels.

            Hope you came out of your inspection all right.  Sounded awful.

            I’ve managed to get rid of this Squadron Leader racket which I’ve had now for some ten days or so.

            Once again I find myself duty officer, which accounts for this letter, having been rushing about madly all day for the C.O.***  He’s quite cheerful tonight as he caught a fish in the local river, having been vainly trying for the past three weeks.  He bore it proudly into the mess at dinner as much as to say to all and sundry: “Look what a clever C.O. you’ve got!”  That stroke of luck should save us all from his usual bleak look for the next 48 hours.

            You seem to be doing nothing but dance these days.  What a life!  Hope you’re being a good little girl.

            Glad to hear you got the cheque OK, but you don’t mention your ability to cash it.  Is it all right?  Barclay’s are the best people.

            Must close here, Darling, to turn out the b_____ guard.

                                                            Love & kisses, precious

                                                                                    Dicker 

 

*The Haunch of Venison in Salisbury.  Co-incidentally the small bar there is said to have been used by Churchill and Eisenhower during the planning of the D-Day landings.

**A novel by Richard S. Blaker (the title is from a poem by Mary E. Coleridge).

***Lt-Col Sir William Mount Bart, TD (the former Prime Minister's maternal grandfather).  The local river was probably the Test, an important salmon river.

© Chotie Darling

 

11^th May 1944 – the Allies again attack the Gustav line in Italy in an attempt to capture Monte Cassino.  Finally, on 18^th May, after ferocious fighting, the Germans retreat from the stronghold and a troop of Polish cavalry erect the Polish flag on the summit. The Battle of Monte Cassino had lasted for four months and left 74,000 casualties. (See Monte Cassino Society.)

Chinese Nationalist forces cross the Salween River into Burma but are badly compromised by Japanese decoding of their communications.

 

12th May 1944 – the US Army Air Force begins attacking German synthetic oil plants (petrol, oil and lubricants produced from coal by IG Farben IG Farben) successfully halving oil production by the end of June 1944 (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

 

13th May – the Japanese U-gō campaign front retreats from Kohima in India.

Chotie's 'little circle' - Saturday 6th May 1944

Sorry no ink!

61^st Recce Regt RAC

APO

England

Dearest Chotie,

                                                Well I’m Orderly* Officer again, Darling so here goes.

            Received your letter this morning – and very welcome it was.  Seems ages since I’d heard from you.

            Was glad to hear you’d managed to get home – if only for a short while, and that your little circle are OK.  I bet you’re excited about your sister Margaret** – ‘fraid I haven’t any reciprocating news re Diller, and as far as I know Brinner isn’t likely to do anything in this particular line.  Though you never know with Brinner.  You’ll notice I’m keeping quiet about myself….

            There’s simply no news from this end at all.  The chances of getting a pass all very thin – too thin to entertain – at present anyhow.

            At the moment I’m engaged in the worst part of this Orderly Officer racket – viz. sitting in the Orderly Room (Tent) all the evening and sleeping there at night – during which time I have to pay the Guard a visit – usually at about three in the morning.  A particularly thankless job.

            I’ve been reading ‘The Bridge of San Luis Rey’ for the umpteenth time.  If you haven’t read it yet, I’ll send it on in my next.

            It’s been very hot here lately though we’ve had a few showers today which have freshened things all round.  I managed to take a party to the local baths (indoor) yesterday and had quite a good swim myself.

            I’ve got a little pub teed up here.  It’s about three to four miles away cross-country – there’s no other way of getting to it, and I try to get out there whenever I get time off.  It’s a very pleasant evening walk and the quality justifies the effort.  I’m still running the Squadron though I’ve got a grip on things now and manage to de-centralise most of the work in true Army fashion.

            There seems no chance of your leave starting again?  I haven’t heard a thing.  I’ve no desire to see ours start again as it only means postponing the attainment of our ultimate goal.

            I hope you’re still being a good girl, Darling.  I’m being very good myself as there exists no opportunity of being anything else….

            I think I’d better go to bed now, Darling as I have to be up with the proverbial lark. 

                                Wish you were here with me ….

                                                    Goodnight Chotie Dear

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*Orderly as a military term means a soldier assigned to attend and perform various tasks for a superior officer.

**Chotie’s elder sister Margaret was expecting her first child.

 © Chotie Darling

  Chotie's 'little circle':

 

 

That night Eric Brewer went absent without leave from midnight to 7.00am.  His service record shows he was caught out and fined three days’ pay, possibly by Dick (RW).

(Eric Brewer's Service Record, copyright of Derek Brewer and family)

 

7^th May 1944 – US Air Force launches a 1,500 bomber raid against Berlin. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

On 8^th May Eisenhower made the decision that D Day would be on 5^th June 1944.  The original target date in May had been shifted because of the need to provide sufficient landing craft.

9^th May 1944 –With the surrender of the remaining 25,000 German and Rumanian troops the Russians capture the Crimean city of Sevastopol, a major port on the Black Sea. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

Ghost Stories - Friday 21st April 1944

61^st Recce Regt RAC

APO.

England.

Friday 21^st April

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for a very welcome letter, and programmes enclosed.

            I’ve already broken the sad news about that wretched photograph*, and I’m enclosing it with this if only to get rid of it.

            You seem to be seeing quite a number of concerts – just one of those things which completely pass me by here.  Glad to see it was the old L.P.O.** who gave them.  They’re exceptionally good and very courageous as they’ve been fighting financial troubles ever since I’ve first heard of them.  There’s a very interesting book been written of their story – I believe by one of the ‘cellists, though the author and title eludes me for the moment. 

            I expect Benno*** was in good form – he’s playing better than ever these days.  I personally would place him among the first five pianists in the world, today.  He plays Rachmaninoff to perfection – certainly better than Sergei**** himself.  The last time I heard any of the Leonard overtures was in Folkestone some four or five months ago – in fact apart from leaves, I’ve heard very little music at all since.

            As regards leave, I expect I could get next Sunday (30^th?) off, when I could perhaps meet you in the neighbourhood of the ‘Haunch of Venison’*****.

            Isn’t there any chance of your getting your full leave?  That of course would be the ideal thing as I could meet you practically every evening.  We must try next weekend however, if nothing better offers.

            Having quite a peaceful time here, though I’m working pretty long hours.  The main advantage nowadays is that it’s not so cold when you get up in the morning. 

            Haven’t read much lately – only James’ ‘Ghost Stories of an Antiquary’† which I’ve read in bed in the middle of a wood – quite the right atmosphere.  Also Graham Greene’s ‘Brighton Rock’ and ‘Ministry of Fear’.  I think the opening chapters of his ‘England made me’ are some of the best stuff I’ve read in years.  I think in fact the only thing to beat them, is Gabriel Chevalier’s ‘Clochermerle’.  But as usual, I digress.

            They’ve got some beer in the bar now (mess) so life is all rosy once again.

            Have you heard from Eve yet?  Let me know all news of the dear little thing, won’t you?

            There was a film show in camp last night – Jane Eyre††, but as I wasn’t in the mood (I should say the Brontë  mood).  I went for a long walk among the hills and found some pukka Queen Anne Cottages, which more than made up for it.

                                                All my love Chotie

                                                                                    Dicker

RKWilliams

 

*see photograph on banner above. 

**The London Philharmonic Orchestra gave concerts all over the country during World War 2, depleted by the call-up and using instruments donated by the public following the destruction of its base (the Queen’s Hall) during the London Blitz in 1941.

***Benjamin Britten?? – the composer, conductor and pianist had returned to Britain as a conscientious objector in 1943.

****Sergei Rachmaninoff – Russian composer, pianist and conductor who lived in the US and Europe from 1918.

*****The Haunch of Venison at 1 Minster Street, Salisbury is an ancient inn dating from the 14^th Century.

†M.R.James’ first collection of ghost stories.

††The 1943 film of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, ‘Jane Eyre’, starred Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine.

© Chotie Darling

 

22^nd April 1944 – the Allies’ Western New Guinea campaign begins with amphibious landings on the northern coast of Japanese held New Guinea.  Although these were successful, fighting continued in Western New Guinea until the end of the war in the Pacific.

 

23^rd April 1944 – the harbour installations at Bristol (where Chotie was stationed) were again  targeted by the Luftwaffe as part of Operation Steinbock.  117 planes were sent but they missed their target - no bombs fell on the city, instead being scattered over Wessex; presumably with the Düppel anti-radar foil used to confuse the Allied radar defences.  (See The Baby Blitz, Bombing in the Bristol Area and Last venture over Bristol.)

 

25^th April 1944 – Luftwaffe commences a series of night attacks on Allied shipping concentrated at Portsmouth and Plymouth. (From Chronology of World War II.)

 

27^th April 1944 – Exercise Tiger, a rehearsal for the D Day landings using the west coast of Devon near Slapton Ley, resulted in tragedy when German E-boats attacked.  The operation was also marred by casualties from ‘friendly fire’. In all 946 were killed - mainly American Army troops preparing for the Normandy landings on Utah beach. (See Exercise Tiger.)

Lt. Col. Sir William Mount. (Bart) T.D. - Thursday 20th January 1944

Address as before

 Thursday

 Chotie Darling,

                                    Just a few more lines about nothing at all.

                                    They have a film show here every week – an army unit brings round the projector, etc and the show is held in a hall in the Castle.  I managed to sit through the first hour or so but couldn’t stick it any longer than that.  So accordingly I repaired to the pub and had the place to myself entirely, luckily.

            The place is usually cram full with RAF personnel and a contingent from the local Waaffery.  They’re an awful crowd.  Drunk most of the time and very childish.

            Can’t remember the film – I only saw about half of it.

            Just finished Graham Greene’s ‘England made me’ – very good.  Had a long letter from Monica this morning – full of woe as usual, complaining bitterly that I never answer her letters or something like that.  I only wrote a month ago – at Xmas.  In any case I gather that her husband’s the most jealous brute who resents her receiving any letters.  He’s the sort who write every day – poor fellow.

            I still haven’t had any pay but have borrowed 20 quid from the Squadron Leader to pay clothing and mess bills, etc.  He’s an extraordinary sort of man – a young Captain*, Oxford and peacetime Sandhurst – very clever.  An Historian, I believe.  The only one with any real aesthetic appreciation among the whole bunch.

            I never seem to get to bed these days – it’s past midnight now.  That’s the advantage of a small mess – you can monopolise the radio and fire after about eleven or so.  I usually stay down ‘till the early hours as I don’t get up until nearly eight in the morning, and I’m better off with less sleep, these days at any rate.

            More Beethoven – unusual at this time of night – or morning.  From Calais 2 which is very powerful here.

            I’ve had a REME** Lieutenant sleeping with me – (not literally) for the past few days.  He left this morning.  Only spoke about three words to me the whole time.  A Scotsman.  Now I have my room to myself again which means I spread my kit over the whole place.  Awful shambles.  I must need a wife, I’m thinking.

            Well, Darling I must get off to bed.  It’s 1-30 and the fire’s nearly out and the Beethoven’s finished.

            There’s going to be a terrific party on Sunday.  The Colonel’s inviting all the officers in the Regt.  I’m told that when Lt. Col. Sir William Mount. (Bart) T.D.*** throws a party – it’s some party.

            Must close here, Darling,

                                    all my love

                                                Dicker

 

*Captain Frank Harding of ‘B’ Squadron?  He published “War Echoes over Thirty Years” in 1970 including a number of poems about 61^st Recce.  (See ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Ron Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

**REME = Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

*** Territorial Decoration – for long service in the Territorial Army.

© Chotie Darling

 

21^st January 1944 – resumption of German air raids on London in the ‘Little Blitz’. Operation Steinbock, launched in retaliation for the Allied raids on German cities and for propaganda purposes targeted South-East England, particularly London as well as ports including Bristol (where Chotie was stationed), Cardiff and Hull.  The ‘Little Blitz’ continued until May and killed over 1,500 people.

22nd January 1944 – the Allies’ US Fifth Army land 36,000 men on the Tyrrhenian coast between Rome and Monte Cassino in Operation Shingle.  Initially successful, Anzio became one of the bloodiest WW2 battles in Western Europe.  The Germans counter-attacked and the Allies were then pinned down on the beachhead, under fire from German artillery, until the Gustav line was broken in May.  By then almost 10,000 men, Germans and Allies, had been killed.   (See Anzio landings.)

 

The Castle - Monday 10th January 1944

 2/Lt Williams RK

61^st Recce Regt

Home Forces

 

Monday Eve

Chotie Darling,

                                    Have a few hours to myself , so here goes.

                                    After my having been commissioned for some nine weeks, the adjutant has suddenly discovered that the Joining Certificate (which is the authority for issue of pay) was never sent off by the Orderly Room!  However, I have duly completed another which has now been sent off, and I can optimistically hope to see some solid cash within the next week or so.  I am now obliged to remain in the mess where I can get my beer on tick, but have to smoke cigarettes as they don’t stock tobacco.

            I don’t believe I’ve told you about the billets (?) we live in here.  All other ranks live in a castle, which overlooks some 20-30 miles of low-lying country*.  The Officers mess is a country house some 600 yds from the castle.  It’s quite large – some 6 or 7 bedrooms, and reasonably comfortable.  At the moment I have a room to myself owing to the temporary absence of my artist companion on a course.

            I came across a Chianti bottle on a scheme and this now takes pride of place on my table.  It’s green glass and holds a horse-chestnut twig which I trust will flower (?) in the spring.

            Have you found time to read that Claude Houghton yet?  Let me know what you think of it – if you think it’s lousy, say so…

            My drinking companion is on leave at the moment.  His name is Winzer and is known affectionately (?) as the ‘Duke’ by his troop.  His WAAF** (from the local waffery) consequently becomes ‘The Duchess’, or sometimes Mrs Simpson***, when the wags are feeling a little bitter.

            He’s quite a sound bloke on the whole but tends to drink himself to death – his gin bill over the Xmas week amounting to £15.  At least he’s not so completely dead as the remainder here.  They all try to give the impression that they’re God Almighty as regards music and the arts.  However, when ‘Junior’ (the artist) and I turned up we managed to shake them considerably.  They appear to be jumped-up bank clerks, etc. just spreading their wings a little.

            (I have to pause here for a wretched mess meeting – the mess is bankrupt at the moment.)

            Well we soon wound up the mess meeting.  The net result was that messing has been increased by 6d per member and a monthly mess subscription of one day’s pay has to be paid.  This will involve an extra 25 shillings per month as far as I’m concerned.

            I had a stroke of luck an hour or so ago.  Going through some old papers I came across a Post Office book with a quid balance so I repaired to the pub immediately after dinner, for a beer or four.

            Met the Duchess there, with a couple of Dutch Officers who it appears are both Barons.  Trust her to get a grip as soon as Jeff’s away.

            Don’t forget to give me all the dope on Eric’s present position, will you?  If I can get his next leave taped, I’ll make the effort to go up and see him - & Eve…When’s the baby expected, or has it come already?

            As for leave, as far as I’m concerned, I can’t get away for another eight weeks at least.  Perhaps only seven – though I could get a 48 any time now.  The only snag with this is that it’s such a devil of a way to travel.  However, we might well manage something in the next month or so – I could certainly do with a little relaxation – if you know what I mean.

            There’s going to be a colossal inspection by the Colonel on January 22^nd and everyone’s getting keyed up with plenty of gimping and you know what.

            I’m out patrolling at 3 o’clock tomorrow morning for a couple of hours.  Luckily there’s a full moon which makes things very much easier.  It’s a pity you’re not here – I could take you round….

            Well, Darling there doesn’t appear to be any news to tell you.  I had a ten-page epistle from Chunky but haven’t found time to reply yet.  Here’s hoping.  I should like to spend a day with him in town, but you never seem to get round to these things.

            I have to sleep in the castle tonight in an oak-beamed room with stone floor & walls.  Very romantic but bloody cold.  Why aren’t you here?  I reckon we could keep warm, at least….

            Must close here ‘Chotie’ to get some sleep in before this wretched patrol.

                                    All my love, Darling

                                                            be Good….

                                                                        Dicker

 

*Lympne Castle, overlooking Romney Marsh in SE Kent.

**WAAF = Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

***King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry Mrs Simpson, a divorcee.  They became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

© Chotie Darling 

The troops in the Castle were living a rather different life. 

Anthony Rampling remembers being served burnt rice pudding:

‘Everybody got up leaving leaving their rice pudding…the duty Officer caught me leaving mine and put me on a charge - a 252.   Later I was marched into the Officer in Command room (Major Johnson) – halt, salute.  “Why didn’t you eat your rice pudding?” “It was burnt Sir, everybody left it.” “Case dismissed.” Like a scene from Dads’ Army.’

 

10th January 1944 - Fascist Ministers responsible for Mussolini’s downfall are sentenced to death by firing squad by the Axis powers in northern Italy.  They include Mussolini’s son-in-law, the diarist Count Ciano.(See WW2-net Timelines.) 

Russia proposes moving the Polish border west to the 'Curzon line' proposed after World War 1. The Allies eventually agreed to this at the Yalta conference. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

 

14^th January 1944 – Soviet ‘Shock Troops’, secretly brought in to the Soviet bridgehead at Leningrad, attack the German encirclement to break the city’s siege. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

15^th January 1944 – the Australian Army takes Sio on the north coast of New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula, marking the culmination of the Huon Peninsula campaign. Since the landings at Lae in September 1943 the Allies had advanced north fighting the Japanese for possession of the coast guarding the straits that connect the Bismarck and Solomon Seas, between New Guinea and New Britain.

16th January 1944 – Dwight D Eisenhower of the US, having led Operation Torch and the Allied invasion of Italy, becomes Commander–in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Britain in preparation for Operation Overlord.

17^th January 1944 – Beginning of the Battle of Monte Cassino, one of the most important battles of World War 2 and probably the largest land battle in Europe. The mountains of Monte Cassino defended the Allies only remaining route to Rome and were a linchpin in the German’s Winter Line.  The Allies took four months and four major assaults to capture the high ground of Monte Cassino and a quarter of a million soldiers were left dead or wounded.  Initial failed attempts to cross the Garilgliano and Rapido rivers on 19^th January resulted in 2,000 casualties but succeeded in diverting German attention from the Anzio landings.

 

 

Improvisation - Sunday 2nd January 1944

Chotie Darling,

                                    At long last, I find myself with a little spare time, so will write you to let you know that I am still alive, after all. 

            First, Darling, I must thank you for sending the Sobranie at Xmas, which you shouldn’t have done, as you can’t really afford to do these things on private’s pay.  I certainly enjoyed it though.  It always smokes better coming from you….

            I’m also enclosing the book* I said I’d send which I hope you’ll find time to read and which I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

            It’s the first book I’ve read which bears out a theory I’ve entertained for some years, viz. that however long you live you will always come to regard your childhood as your happiest years.  This also served to show my lack of erudition in matters literary as the author quotes from three or four others who bear out this idea.  There will always be extenuating circumstances, however, which will give rise to cases contrary to the general rule – Dickens’ is an example – but these cases are isolated I’m sure.

            You probably think this is all rot…. – though personally I know I’m right.

            I’ve got all my camp kit now and am just starting to get organised.  We’ve got some furniture on loan in the mess and I managed to scrounge an old oak circular table for my own personal use.  Improvisation is the key note in this army , so I pinched two old bricks from the 16^th century cottage to use as book rests.  The mixture of matured oak and red brick gives my room a touch of the Tudor… Absolute rot…

            I share a room with a new arrival – a bloke I was at OCTU with.  He’s a portrait painter – knows everyone from Titian to Augustus John.  He’s now assault troop commander**…

            I still haven’t received notification that I’ve been credited with pay for November or December and, unless I win at pontoon tonight, I’ll never meet my mess-bill, severely swollen by the untimely advent of Xmas.

            Happily I’ve still a few quid in war savings, etc.  I keep fighting off ruin – even giving my batman my last five bob on Xmas Day.  I hope to become, comparatively, fabulously rich in the next few days, however, with two months’ pay, about £30-£35. 

        The major we had has now left us – left the army in fact and the Senior Subaltern is acting Squadron Leader – a very happy state of affairs.

            I haven’t had time to write either Diller or Brinner yet – expect they’ve written me off by now.

            Must close here, Darling, for dinner

                                                            All my love

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*by Claude Houghton

**Ronnie Jury (later Dick’s closest friend in the 61^st Recce.)

© Chotie Darling

 

3rd January 1944 - General Bernard Montgomery (‘Monty’ of El Alamein and the British Eighth Army) had left Italy at the end of December and now took command of the 21^st Army Group – British Second Army and First Canadian Army - to prepare for Operation Overlord, the D Day landings.  He immediately decided a wider assault front was needed and two more beaches were added to the west (Omaha and Utah, near the base of the Cherbourg Peninsula).

4th January 1944 – the US Army Air Force begin to re-supply resistance groups in France, Italy and the Low Countries in Operation Carpetbagger. (From Chronology of World War II.)

5th January 1944 – end of the Battle of Changde (in SE China’s Hunan province) with the Chinese repelling the Japanese invasion of the city, begun in November 1943.

In Front of the Fire - Friday 10th December 1943

“St Margarets”

Pagham

Friday

Chotie Darling,

                                                I’m sitting in front of the fire at home, writing this on nine days leave!  I’d just come back from a five days exercise, when I was told I’d been given a new troop (I only had the previous troop as a temporary measure) and that they were all going on leave the following morning so I’d better go with them.

            I spent the first day in London and I’m going up again for a few days tomorrow – so that I can get this business of ‘seeing the relatives’ over for once and all.

            Had quite a good time on the exercise, as I was not actively engaged – only umpiring, and on a motor bike,which gave me plenty of scope in getting about.  Had half an hour or so in Herne bay and saw Monica and baby.  She’s been under the doctor for treatment of some sort as she’s getting so fat.  The baby looks all right to me, but then I’m no judge of that sort of thing.  Her elder brother has just got married in Scotland so the whole family’s married now.  Didn’t see anyone else I knew as I had so little time there, though most of them are away anyhow.

            Spent one evening in Canterbury and had a little crawl by myself visiting the ‘Falstaff’, ‘Fleur-de-lis’ ‘Country’, ‘Shakespeare’ and ‘Three Carpenters’ , the five best known there.

            Spent one night on a AA Site and slept on a sofa in the Recreation Hut.  I don’t know whether it was mixed or not – if it was I was taking the helluva chance….these A/A women**….

            Hope to see a couple of lunch-time concerts at the National Gallery – only missed one this week by a few minutes.  Have heard a couple of Beethoven Symphonies this week which isn’t too bad.

            It must seem ages since I wrote you last.  Unfortunately I went on exercise with only about an hour’s notice which wasn’t even time to get a motorcycle or riding kit.  I borrowed breeches for this show and wore them the whole five days.  Either they were cut for a very thin bloke or they’d shrunk or something but they cut my legs to ribbons. Murder!

            How are you these days? – cold I expect…If it were not for the fact that I’m sitting in front of a fire I should probably have written half a page – or less.

            (Interlude for hot chocolate and cake….)

 

                ↑                     

            Space to denote passage of time.

Do you remember the Green Child’s  head on the mantelpiece – the one Diller got in Belgium?  Dad’s latest trick is to put a cigarette in its mouth.  Looks horrible!

            Incidentally I’ll send you some shekels for Xmas – it’s no use me trying to get anything – so that you can do some shopping or a show or something in Bristol.  I’ve had to give up coupons for the other ranks’ kit I’ve kept – 18 for 2 pairs of boots! etc so at the moment I don’t know how much I’m worth.  I will send some eventually. 

            I’m enclosing a book which I’ve been trying to get for the past year or more.  Tell me what you think of it.

                                    I’d better close here.

                                                All my love, Darling

                                                                        Dicker

 

* 'The Falstaff' and 'The Shakespeare' are still open, ‘the Country’ was probably 'The County Hotel' and is now the Abode Hotel , the ‘Three Carpenters was probably the 'Three Compasses' and is now the the Lady Luck and and the 'Fleur de Lis' is closed.

** Chotie was an AA (Anti-Aircraft) woman in the ATS - they were also known as Ack-Ack Girls.) The situation of the Ack-Ack Girls, often posted alongside men in mixed batteries, and some initial disciplinary issues, led to a loose reputation that may have been ill-founded (although some male officers might have taken advantage of their command).  American troops stationed in the UK referred to them as Co-ed Gun Girls.

© Chotie Darling

 

15th December 1943 – the first war crimes trial against Nazi defendants took place in Kharkov (Kharkiv) in the Ukraine. 15,000 bodies had been found in the nearby ravine of Drobytsky Yar following a massacre of Kharkov’s Jewish population two years earlier. The Soviet military tribunal found the three Germans and one Soviet collaborator guilty and they were quickly executed.

The Allies finally recognise Tito’s Communist Popular Liberation Committee, which had led resistance to the Nazis in Yugoslavia since 1942, as the future Yugoslavian government.  

The Battle of Arewe begins the Allies Campaign on New Britain, an island to the north-east of New Guinea.  This diverted Japanese troops from a major Allied landing on the SW tip of the island on 26^th December.  Rabaul, at the eastern tip of the New Britain, was Japan’s main military and naval base in the South Pacific and MacArthur’s campaign aimed to surround and disable the Japanese forces there. 

The Gentle Sex - Tuesday 28th September

 

Same Address

Tuesday 

My Darling,

                        Many thanks for your letter.  Was very glad to hear that you enjoyed your leave and were lucky enough to get the same time as Mary*. 

            Still, I expect you’re glad to be back …..I was home myself this weekend but felt so wretchedly ill, I did not really enjoy it.  I started on a pint at the Beach on Saturday and hadn’t the heart to finish it.

            Been very busy lately on schemes and will be on them nearly all the next month.  They’re not too bad in the summer but it’s getting just a wee bit nippy these days.  On top of this I’m Troop Sgt. for the week which all means added work.

            Found time to read D.L.Murray’s ‘Tale of Three Cities’ which I’ve always meant to read, and enjoyed immensely.  Have read virtually nothing else.  Saw ‘Gentle Sex’ and Col. Blimp** during past few weeks – I believe I told you.  Enjoyed Blimp but found Howard’s influence on ‘Gentle Sex’ just a little too much.  He always was hammy.

            Sorry to hear about your indisposition – hope it’s better by now.

            Everyone seems to be having a competition as to who can produce the most offspring.  News from HB < Herne Bay***.  Gives lurid details of further progress in this direction.  There are times when I think the world’s gone mad.  They’re no sooner married than the poor girl’s tied down for life, and in most cases before she’s even started to live!  I hope there’s enough money in circulation after this war to feed them all.

            Had a letter from Brinner with yours.  Full of his customary appalling language.  He’s met a soprano of ‘Tosca’**** fame.  It won’t last long.  Apparently the Austrian refugee affaire has closed down for good this time.

            I’d send you some denarii if I had any – but at the moment I’m bankrupt.

            Did you hear the Beethoven on Sunday pm?  Pouishnoff*****.

            I must close here for dinner – not that I shall eat any, but I have to attend anyhow.

                                                            love & kisses

                                                                                    Dicker

 

This letter was addressed to:

 W/242328 Pte Chalkley BE.

 ‘B’ Tp. ATS OF.C. 462 Hy (M) AA Bty RA

Markham, Easton in Gordano

Bristol

 

Maybe Chotie was back at Markham Camp when Dick sent her the postcard addressed to Portishead on 7^th September, or maybe she’d moved the short distance to Easton-in-Gordano since then.

 

*Chotie’s best friend Mary Dakin, who later married Geoffrey Thomas, gentleman.

**’Gentle Sex’ - a romantic comedy film about the ATS, directed and narrated by Leslie Howard, who had been killed in June 1943 and narrated by Leslie Howard. ’The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp’ - a comedy film derived from the satirical Colonel Blimp comic strip.

***Monica, Dick’s ex-girlfriend and Diller’s best friend, lived at Herne Bay.

****Giacomo Puccini’s opera ‘Tosca’ - the lead soprano has the eponymous title role, so Brinner’s new girl was presumably quite a singer.

*****Leff Pouishnoff, a Ukrainian pianist and composer.

© Chotie Darling

 

 

28^th September 1943 – Chotie visited the dentist at Bristol.

 Copy of Record

Dental Treatment Card – 28/9/43         Bristol

 

28^th September 1943 – two years after the shooting of nearly 34,000 Jews at the Babi Yar ravine near Kiev a number of the concentration camp prisoners now tasked with covering up evidence of the massacres there manage to escape.  By the autumn of 1943 at least 100,000 Jews, Roma and Communists had been murdered by the Nazis at Babi Yar.

 

29^th September 1943 – Marshal Badoglio, the new Italian leader meets General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allies Expeditionary Force to sign the armistice agreement aboard HMS Nelson in Valetta Harbour, Malta. (From Chronology of World War II.)

 

After Exercise Link in mid-September 1943 61st Division, including 61^st Recce, was relegated to a static role in home defence (Lower Establishment status – Higher Establishment Divisions were intended for employment overseas and combat.)  The Division was also a training formation and was intended to find suitable replacements for fighting formations:  “when the 61^st Division was relegated to Home Forces…we had to draft many of our best men away”. (Lt-Colonel P.H.A. Brownrigg’s account of ’A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ in ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’  by Ron Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

By October the 61^st Division had been assigned to anti-invasion duties in Kent.

Eric Postles writes:

“The regiment was responsible for patrolling the coast from New Romney to Battle.  Our squadron was stationed in Lympne Castle next to an RAF airfield.  We did day and night mobile patrols into Folkestone and Romney.  On a clear day you could see France from the castle tower and at night flashes from the German guns shelling the Dover area.  One night we watched as a night fighter shot down a German bomber in flames.  Our fighter planes took off and returned from France very low over the castle often returning damaged and sometimes with their rockets hanging down from the wings.  On our patrols we reported to the coastguards and coastal gun sites.  We often got a welcome cup of tea.”  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

 

1^st October 1943 – the Allies enter Naples. Much of the city had been wrecked by the Germans, including its historic aqueducts, in revenge for the Neapolitan resistance begun on 27^th September.

Britain’s 8^th Army on the Adriatic coast of Italy seizes the Foggia plain with its airfields vital for bombing southern Germany, Austria and the Ploesti oilfields.

1st October 1943 – the Germans begin to round up Jews in Denmark. However, their plans have been revealed in advance by a German naval attaché, Ferdinand Duckwitz, and most of the 7,500 Danish Jews were helped into hiding and then ferried to safety in Sweden by Danish citizens and the Resistance. 470 Danish Jews were deported to the Theresienstadt Ghetto in Czechoslovakia but relatively few Danish Jews (120) died during the Holocaust for a German occupied country. (From United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.)

 

2^nd October 1943 – heavy RAF raid on Munich, deep inside Germany. Germany’s third largest city was an important industrial centre and suffered 71 bombing attacks during the war. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

 

3^rd October 1943 – the Battle of Termoli commences the Allies’ attack on the Volturno line. This was a German defensive position stretching across Italy from Termoli on the Adriatic coast to the mouth of the Volturno River, north of Naples, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The line was breached by the British 8^th Army at Termoli on 6^th October and the US 5^th Army crossing the Volturno a week later. The Germans retreated back to the Barbara line. Both lines had been established to delay the Allied advance to the main German defensive position (known as ‘the Winter line’) protecting the access route to Rome at Cassino.

4th October 1943 – Corsica is liberated when the last of the Germans are evacuated from Bastia.

 

6th October 1943 – at a conference with high ranking Reich officials at Posen in Poland, Heinrich Himmler is frank about the Jewish ‘Final Solution’ for the first time, admitting that women and children as well as men were being killed so that “this people disappear from this earth”.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

Related articles

 

A Young Novel - 1st and 2nd September 1943

 

Same address

Wednesday (nearly Thursday)

My Darling Chotie,

                                                            It’s a long time since I’ve written to you at this time of night, but I find myself with two others operating a wireless for three days and nights and this being the first I thought it would give me a golden opportunity to send you a young novel – so here goes.

            The remainder of the troop are out on a three days exercise and we are maintaining contact with them the whole time.  The system, as it stands sounds quite fun but unfortunately we are not allowed to sleep as those on the exercise aren’t able to.

            This little discrepancy is, however, compensated by the fact that I get a weekend on Saturday, so things aren’t really too bad.  Diller will be home I believe so she’ll have a glorious chance to moan to her hearts content, an opportunity I know she won’t be slow to seize.

Came back from 48hr scheme yesterday, just about all in.  This wireless* is murder, it’s not only the mental tiredness you get, but also chronic headaches owing to the headphones which have to be worn continually.  I’ll spend the week-end in bed – lonely and cold ….

            We’ve managed to scrounge some cocoa and milk, also a shave, so we have hopes of something hot soon.

            Weather here is typical autumn – lots of mist and rain and last night a beautiful sunset, one of the best I’ve ever seen.  The trees – hundreds of them here are just beginning to turn – though it’s early yet.  It will be lovely by the time I leave – always presuming I don’t leave prematurely …

            We have a pretty sound wireless officer, one of the pleasant slavedriver type who works all hours from morn ’til night and expects the whole troop to do the same…Luckily he likes his pint and consequently we always find ourselves some hundred yards from the Duke of Wellington for lunch and he always stands the troop a pint apiece.  God knows how much it must cost him.

            I was talking to the publican who says that the present Duke (who lives in the neighbouring estate – Stratfield Saye) is quite a pleasant bloke – Captain in the Commandos in Sicily and always goes to the pub when on leave to play darts with the farmers.  Apparently he’s about 30**.

            Did I tell you that Dad went up to Purley*** to see all the relations?  It’s the first time he’s seen his father for about five years!  Awful isn’t it?  Apparently things have changed quite a bit.  Gramp now looks his years – he’s about 78, which he never has done before and has slowed up considerably.  Cyril (Dad’s brother) took him on a trip which included all the most dubious of London’s night clubs.

            They all expect me to go up (after Brian going, of course) but I still prefer to go home, or if possible come down to see you.  (I still owe you about a dozen spankings…****)

            However, he did see them, they were all very pleased, and that’s that – for another five years anyhow.

            Incidentally is there anything I can get you for your Birthday? I haven’t had a chance to get out for ages, and you can’t do anything on schemes.  Let me know – and if there’s no chance of my getting it, I’ll send you some shekels*****.

            The ATS are a better crowd than I thought, despite their being mostly Generals’ daughters.  The one I had (not literally….) yesterday did all the cooking for us – and did it very well – probably because they were scared of letting us do it, as they have to eat it as well.  I managed to get her a room in a farmhouse and she managed to get me half-a-dozen eggs so we had quite a happy time.  She comes from Kent of course – Pett’s Wood – about a mile from Orpington†.  We had several common friends.  I should say friends in common – there’s a subtle difference….

            I still haven’t had an FFI†† – you really must organise another meeting…See what you can do.  I always get atrociously rude this time of night – at the moment I’m thinking awful things.  I couldn’t even tell you… 

            That’s enough of this – I’d better do some wireless for an hour or two.

 

            Well, I’ve done some morse – over an hour in fact and have just been relieved.  Still feel the same.  Good thing I’m not in the Bristol area.

            Read Deeping’s ‘Two Black Sheep’ on the scheme and also “Fanny by Gaslight” again (Michael Sadleir) which I’ve always thought an awful lot of.  It’s the finest picture of Victorian England of the last ten years and heaven knows there have been enough books on that subject!  I’m sure Fanny would get the same hold on you as she has on me.

            Won ten bob on a little side bet last night.  Bill said it was Tchaikovsky’s ‘Casse Noisette’††† and I said it was ‘Eugen Onegin’ and Eugen Onegin it was.  Just as easy as that.  Wish money was always so procurable as that 10 bob.

            It’s now nearly 2 oclock and we’ve got the water on the boil for some luscious cocoa!  Jeez!  

            My two colleagues have just started to take an interest in things – now that there’s a chance of a hot drink!  One is that madman I told you about from Corfe Castle – incidentally his name’s Peter Collins (happy memories?) who still intends to live on Round Island after the war††††.  A genuine hermit’s life with just his wife.  Notice I say just!  This is where I should say “what more could a man want”… (after his pipe of course…Never mind Darling – you come second …)

            The other one’s an Oxford law student, pretty nearly broke.  Tennis champ of north of England.  Quite a good type.

            I’ve just had my COCOA(!) and, it’s good.  I’ve got a lovely warm feeling in my tummy which I definitely didn’t have before.

            Well, Chotie Darling I must close here as I have to go on the set again.  I’ll let you know how things went on the weekend and enumerate some of Diller’s moans.

                                    All my love, precious.

                                                Always thinking of you.

                                                                        Dicker

 

P.S.  You should read Napolean’s letters to Marie Louise and Josephine.  They’re good….

 

*Wireless – “not enough emphasis can be put on the importance of communication in battle situations”…Wireless operators needed high quality training “to pick up weak signals against a background of atmospherics and interference” known as ‘slush’. (From ‘Phantom at War’ by Andy & Sue Parlour, Cerberus 2003)

**The Duke of Wellington’s estate at Stratfield Saye near Basingstoke in Hampshire.   The 6th Duke of Wellington, Captain of No 2 Commando, was killed in action at Salerno on 16^th September 1943.  

***Purley, near Croydon, South London.

****Possibly referring to Chotie’s involvement with her officer at the Bristol camp earlier that year??

*****slang for cash. Chotie’s 20^th birthday was on 6^th September 1943.

†Dick was born in Orpington in Kent and spent his childhood there.

††the 'Free from Infection' inspection for venereal disease (presumably being used by Dick as a euphemism here).

†††Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ and not his opera ‘Eugene Onegin’.

††††an island in Poole Harbour.

Peter Collins was the name of one of Chotie’s early admirers:

“Peter Collins, the boss’s son, home from Blundell’s, a posh school in Devon, also took a fancy to me and given the chance, we would canoodle in the store room.  His mother was very kind to me and I was invited to stay at their lovely house in Talbot Woods for a weekend.  Peter had won a scholarship to Blundell’s for his brilliant piano playing and taught me about classical music - a love that has stayed with me all my life.” (From ‘Chotie’s Story’. See also F.W.Collins.)

© Chotie Darling

 

3^rd September 1943 – the Italian government, under Marshal Badoglio, signs a secret armistice with the Allies at Cassibile in Sicily.  In Operation Baytown, British and Canadian forces crossed the Messina Straits unopposed, landing at Reggio de Calabrio (the tip of Italy’s toe) in an unsuccessful attempt to draw German forces away from the main landing areas further north.

 

 

Swimming - 31st July 1943

By the end of July 1943 Chotie’s Royal Artillery Anti-Aircraft unit

had moved back to the Bristol area, this time to the north of the city

-      her address was

W/242328 Pte Chalkley

O’s FC ATS ‘B’ Tp

462 Hy (M) RA AA

Cribbs Causeway

Nr Henbury

Bristol.

 

 

 Letter written on Saturday 31st July 1943:

Same Address

Saturday

My Darling Chotie,

                                                Sorry, this will have to be in pencil but Chunky has pinched our only table and chair and is very inauspiciously writing to his wife.

                                    Received your two letters, for which many thanks.  I was surprised to see you are once again in the Bristol area.  If you remember, Eric was convalescent at Westbury for some months.  At any rate you’re a little nearer home, which I suppose is something, if not very much.

            As regards next week-end I’m afraid I won’t be able to get down before Saturday Evening, as our leave doesn’t start until the afternoon, and it’s a fair journey.

            I shall have to leave again on Monday afternoon as we change squadrons on that day and I’ll have about six months accumulation of kit to move to the New Buildings, which are some half mile or so.

            Been swimming all the afternoon at the ‘Blue Pool’, the nearest baths (apart from the college baths) and am now beginning to get brown.  I’m already pretty browned off as they’re chucking out Recce cadets right and left as the corps is already too full.  The trouble is that in most cases they’re not even giving infantry commissions!  So I’ll probably be RtU’d* in the near future.

            These things run in cycles – one minute they’re clamouring for officers and the next they’re full up.

            Read Linklater’s short stories entitled “God likes them plain”, which are very good.  Haven’t had time to read anything else.  Heard from Diller (still browned off) but haven’t heard from Brinner, needless to say.

            Swam in an inter-squadron competition and managed to win my event the net result being we won the whole show easily.  Rather funny really, and that’s the first swimming event I’ve been in.  On the 28^th** too!  Hell of a fluke – the other 3 were U.S.***

            I’ll close here Darling, as I’ve exhausted my mediocre letter-writing talents.

                                                                        All my love, Darling

                                                                        (until Saturday)

                                                                                    Dicker

 

*RTU – Returned to Unit

**Dick’s 22^nd birthday on 28^th July.

***Slang for useless?

© Chotie Darling

 

Dick's future comrades in 61st Reconnaissance Regiment were still in the Chilterns:

“Every Saturday morning we had a 10 mile run/march/route march after which we could go out.  I sometimes went down to London, Tring or Berkhamsted to see a film.  We did troop exercises on the Common and Ashridge Golf Course.”  (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

This photo of B Squadron's Assault Troop, including Anthony Rampling, was taken in August 1943 (Tony is third from the left at the back):

 Eric Brewer joined the Assault Troop soon after this photo was taken and continued to fight in the Assault Troop until December 1944.

 

1^st August 1943 – Japan proclaims an independent State of Burma, led by Ba Maw. He declares war on Britain and United States while Aung San, head of the Burma Defence Army, begins negotiations with the communist and socialist parties. By November 1943 Aung San is making plans with the British to turn his forces against the Japanese occupants. (From Chronology of World War II and Wikipedia.)

1st August 1943 - American bombers attack the Ploesti oilfields of Romania from North Africa in Operation Tidal Wave but suffer devastating losses.  The Germans had broken their codes and were ready for them. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

2^nd August 1943 – more than 300 prisoners escape from the Treblinka extermination camp in Poland  in a break out organised by the Jewish inmates - although two thirds were eventually captured and killed.  The bodies of the thousands who had been gassed or shot at Treblinka were being exhumed from the mass graves and burnt, removing the evidence of genocide.  Deportation of Jews from the ghettos to Treblinka had ceased in May 1943 and the camp was to be dismantled.  All the remaining prisoners in the camp were killed. (From United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and WW2-net Timelines.)

2^nd August 1943 – a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands rams a US Torpedo boat, which catches fire.  The commander, J F Kennedy dives in to rescues his crew from the burning oil.  Abandoning ship after 12 hours clinging to the upturned hull he helps them reach the isolated Plum Pudding Island and then Olasana Island, which has coconuts but no water. On 8^th August they were found and rescued with the assistance of local islanders who were coast watchers and a message written on coconut shell. JFK kept the shell on his desk in the Oval Office when he became President of the Unites States.

 

3^rd August 1943 – the Russians launch Operation Rumyantsev, a vast offensive south of Kursk taking Belgorad on 5^th August.  North of Kursk Soviet forces reclaim Orel, following the German retreat.  (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

5^th August 1943 – US troops at last take the airfield of Munda on New Georgia, in the Solomon Islands, from the Japanese.

6^th August 1943 – American destroyers in the Solomon Islands sink 3 Japanese destroyers carrying 900 troops in a night-time ambush.

6^th August 1943 – German troops pour into Italy as Italian and German government leaders meet near Venice. 

Moonlight - Monday 28th? and Tuesday 29th? June

Address as before

Monday

Darling Chotie,

                                                I’m now sitting by my window attired in only a greatcoat writing this by the moonlight, as I’ve had another insomnia attack.

            Many thanks for your letter which I got this morning.  Always cheers me up to hear from you Chotie Dear.  (At present I’m thinking things quite alien to the nature of a future Officer (perhaps!) and Gentleman).  Must be the moon or sumpin’.

            Arrived back from Battle Camp in Snowdonia on Saturday and spent remainder of weekend in bed recuperating!  Did I need some kip!  Santa Maria – I could have slept for a fortnight…

            Apart from one day – which was really wonderful – it rained incessantly the whole time we were there, including the attack on Snowdon’s lofty peak – during the ascent of which you nearly lost your future husband - …  The trouble was I got lost of course and ended up in the helluva mist about to crawl over a 1000ft precipice. Tork about larf …

            (Please excuse paper – must get that in somewhere).

            Get my leave in three weeks’ time – chance of changing it – nil…

            (Chunky’s just asked me “Am I nuts?”  He’s in a sort of stupor which lasts from when he goes to bed ‘til about 10 am the following morning!)

            How’s life with the ATS?  Diller gets posted somewhere soon I suppose.  She’ll probably make Brighton.  She always liked jam on it…

            Read ‘The postman always rings twice’* (James Cain) and a couple of Naomi Jacobs’ amongst other things.  Don’t get much time these days.

            Won 30-/- on way to Wales at pontoon and lost it coming back.  Spent very little there happily.

            Came third in OCTU Sports mile.  Time of 4m 58s.  Not too bad for an old man.

            (The moon is shining through the old oak tree outside our window – looks lovely…  ‘Spect Montgomery or Alexander thought the same thirty years back!).

            My man woke me on Sunday morn. at 10 with steaming hot coffee….what an Army.  After the Dorsets! 

    How’s Eric and Eve – still in their Eden I suppose.  (That’s pretty horrible…) 

    This greatcoat doesn’t provide an awful lot of warmth over my nakedness.  Wish you were here instead of Chunky.  Bet you could find ways and means to warm me up… (Don’t tell me…).

            Spent an hour in the library with the Britannica this evening.  Very enlightening.  They’ve got everything ‘cept Vogue and Harper’s … even got some works on sailing!  No kid…

            Better leave this now as I’m getting a bit chilly and there’s no Chotie….

 

It’s now Tuesday afternoon which is virtually free so I’ll go on again here.

            I’ve been down to the pool for a swim which was excellent as it’s a lovely afternoon.  Unhappily we have to work again this evening which is rather a blow.  On top of this I’m on fire piquet this evening at 10 o’clock which rather ruins any effort to read or write.  Do you remember this time three long years ago?  Seems ages since I joined this man’s army – much too long in fact.**  Hope you never have to do three years …. Darling, I’d even marry you to spare you that….

            Most of us swim in a state of nudity here much to the delight(?) of the Sandhurst ATS.

            I’ll send this wretched epistle to your home address as I suppose you’ll be on leave by now.  Have a good time, Darling, but don’t stay in bed after noon, will you?

            Can’t think of any more to scrawl so will close here,

                                                                        lots of love Precious

                                                                                                Dicker

P.S.  Best wishes to Rosemary.***

P2S. Go easy on Security, Darling.  ‘Bty’ movement, etc. x

 

*’The postman always rings twice’ was James M.Cain’s first novel, published in 1934.  A violent and sensual crime story it was banned in Canada and Boston but inspired a number of films.

Naomi Jacobs was a romantic novelist very popular at the time.  She was a suffragette and her books tackle a number of progressive issues.

**Dick joined up in June 1940 - see Joining Up. 

***Rosemary was Chotie’s cousin who appeared to be staying with her family in Parkstone. 

© Chotie Darling

 

29^th June 1943 – the RAF bombing of Cologne leaves 4,377 dead.

30^th June 1943 – General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, launches Operation Cartwheel against Rabaul, Japan’s major forward base in the South Pacific. Instead of capturing Rabaul (on the north tip of New Britain, an island in New Guinea’s Bismarck Archipelago) the combined American, Australian and New Zealand forces established a ring of airfields and naval bases around it, initially landing on New Guinea near Lae and the two islands of Kiriwina and Woodlark.  Cut off from supplies and under continual air attack Rabaul is useless by the end of the year. 

On the same day 10,000 US troops were landed on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, north-west of Guadalcanal. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

July 1943 – meat rationing in Britain was extended to include sausages.

2nd July 1943 – on New Georgia, an island in the centre of the Solomon Islands, fierce fighting begins in the Battle of Munda as the Americans attempt to take the Japanese base and airfield for Operation Cartwheel.

3^rd July 1943 – the RAF carry out another heavy night raid on Cologne killing hundreds of civilians. The June/July bombings of Cologne killed 4,337 people and destroyed much of the ancient city including the famous cathedral. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 
5^th July 1943 – the Germans launch Operation Citadel, a major offensive on a 200 mile front in a pincer movement around the Russian city of Kursk, south of Moscow.  It was an obvious move since the Russian front line now bulged out around the city.  The Soviets secretly prepared a strong defence so the attackers were heavily outnumbered - the Russians assembled nearly 2 million men and the Germans 780,000.   After major losses on both sides (one of the largest tank battles in history was fought at Prokhorovka, south of Kursk) the Russian counter-offensive brought a decisive Soviet victory by the end of July. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

 

9^th July 1943 – Operation Husky commences with the deployment of airborne troops landing in Sicily as the Allies begin fighting on a surprise second front in Europe.  By nightfall on 10th July 2,600 Allied ships had landed 80,000 men - Montgomery's British 8th Army on the SE corner of the island and Patton's US 7th Army on the south coast near Gela.   Dick’s unit of one year earlier, 1st Airlanding Brigade, were to play a critical role in the assault, spearheading the British forces.  However, strong winds blew many of the aircraft off course and of the 1,730 men who set out, 326 were drowned and total losses in taking Syracuse were 605 - a third of the whole brigade.  They also suffered from the terrible incidents of 'friendly fire' associated with the invasion.  50^th Division, who Dick was to fight with in NW Europe, successfully landed on the South East coast of Italy with the British 8^th Army.  Invasion of the island continued with landings and advances by British, US and Canadian troops.   The British took the town of Syracuse on 12th July and the next day British paratroopers and the Durham Light Infantry secured the critical Primasole Bridge, south of Catania.

 

16^th July 1943 – Roosevelt and Churchill issue a statement calling for Italian surrender and the overthrow of Mussolini.

19th July 1943 – Hitler summons Mussolini to a conference on 19^th July to stiffen his resolve in resisting the Allies but news that the US Airforce had bombed Rome arrives during the meeting.  Hitler begins preparations for the German forces to invade Italy.