Dear Jean:

Today is wet and cold, but the wet is welcome after about 6 weeks of glorious weather, clear and bright. With the double summer time, the days are long, and when it is fine, one can get out for a good long ramble after supper. The gardens were very dry through, and the rain seems to be a good steady one, so it will do a lot of good. I had expected Axel Kinnear to come up to have lunch with me today, but he phoned at the last minute that duties had interfered with his plans. However, he is going to come up as soon as he can, he is only about 1 hour away by trains which run about every hour.

Your letter of the 29th March came, so it filled a gap, the one for 5 April is still to come. Oh yes, your airgraph of the 20 April arrived also, so it brings me ahead pretty well. It was certainly fine of Mr Hinks to write you I have dropped him a note and thanked him. Will probably be seeing him one of these days. He is a grand old man, and a great scholar.

Hope Dorothy is feeling fit again, and that everything goes well for her. I am now farther away than ever from her father's home, so don't know when I shall be able to look him up. I will miss the Haywards, as they have moved down into Sussex, whereas they used to be quite close. Mrs H wrote me a short note recently and they seem to like their new locality, they are very busy getting the new home arranged, sometime I may take a week end, and go down to see them, and Dorothy's father.
Bert Hammond came up the other afternoon, but had to go back that night. He went up to Morris for afternoon tea with the old lady, Ecila being away for the day. However he may be moving up into our vicinity in the near future. Mrs M has not been so well lately, and has been persuaded to stay in bed a couple of days. I walked up there last night, and she is bright and cheerful, and on the mend. She had a little book of circus pictures to send to Mary. She is saving the collars on the two shirts you sent, she is a very clever needle woman, and loves it, so if there is anything I need fixed up she is always delighted to take it on. I might decide to walk up later tonight, in spite of the rain, to hear Churchill who is speaking at 9 o'clock. The radio in our mess is not behaving at all, so we have been unable to get anything. In some ways, it is a blessing, as so often in a mess, someone or other wants to have the thing blahing away all the time. However, there are occasions when it is really wanted.

We keep busy, that helps a lot. One thing, our army commander takes a special interest in air survey, and that helps. It is hard to anticipate events, but I feel that the summer this year may bring almost anything. The engagement of the Jap fleet in the Coral Sea during the week seems to be a real victory for Uncle Sam, although the papers seem to be very restrained both here and in the US. I have been reading Rauschnigg's book "Hitler Speaks", and although it is pre-war, it certainly brings out Hitler as a diabolical monster. His real aims are brought to light, as far back as 1932. The book covers the period when I was in Germany, and after, so is especially interesting to me. According to Raushnigg, "Mein Kampf" was just a lot of eye was for the masses, his real aims and policies, known only to the inner circle, were far more far-reaching, and sinister.

The countryside is very beautiful now. I have discovered a lot of fine walks in the vicinity, which I didn't seem to know about when we were here before. It only takes a couple of minutes to get clear of the rather crowded little village, and into lovely country where there are a lot of foot paths, so that you can get away from the automobile traffic.

Love,

Ger.