October 15, 1940
Received a large mail this morning, including letters from Audrey, Connie, Phyllis, and Mother and it was certainly nice to get them and the various accounts of your daily doings makes very pleasant reading. I want to take time here to compliment Audrey on her lovely penmanship, it really was an improvement over previous efforts and decidedly a step in the right direction, as good writing is essential in hospital work.
The parcel of cigs sent by Audrey arrived yesterday and letter of Dad’s the day before and, as today is pay-day, I can consider myself one of the chosen few in spite of the war. I’m glad that your old peg leg is better as I know how painful it must have been. Thanks for the sound advice concerning the female of the species, especially as to Dad’s contribution of how to tell their age by their molars. I think I told you in a previous letter that I am driving the Major again so I won’t go into that. I do think I forgot to mention the fact that my host has a billiard table in the house and that we spend many pleasant hours together in the evenings.
Well, Fall is here in earnest with the cold frosty mornings and rainy foggy days. We had a clothing parade yesterday and each received a smart new overcoat and a second serge uniform, which will smarten us up tremendously. We hear planes (enemy) roaring around us every night but few bombs are actually dropped. The R.A.F. have proved their superiority during daylight raids but, as yet, the military authorities have no satisfactory means with which to contend with the night raids. The searchlights and the A.A. fire keep the brutes at a great height but doesn’t effectively stop them, as they don’t seem to care where the bombs fall, just as long as they land in England, night after night, and be able to do nothing about it.
I am glad you liked the picture the “he” chorus girl on the beach, as I sent the negative along with the others to you last week. The first time I put on those trunks I felt as though I was parading in my birthday suit, but soon felt quite well dressed, as everyone wore a similar costume. I am sending more postcards of the holiday camp in a separate envelope which should prove interesting. There doesn’t seem to be any limit to the British credulity does there? That little episode of General de Gaulle’s at Dakar gave me a sweet pain in the neck. I had hoped that our days of hopeless blundering had finally come to an end, but this only makes one wonder.
Well, so much for that little outburst and so to finish this rambling narrative. I hope you don’t mind my bad habit of rambling back and forth from one idea to another, but when I write home I just let my pen run wild. I rather expected you would end up with another terrier on your hands, from the glowing reports I have seen in the Journal, the duck are very plentiful this year. I hope you are able to bag a few and won’t mind my joining you in spirit, even if I can’t be there in person when the time comes to eat them. Speaking of wild game reminds me of a dinner I had here the other day, consisting chiefly of an over-hung hare. The host and hostess seemed to enjoy it and the maid had a good laugh watching me try to swallow a little, as she didn’t care for it any more than I did.
Well, I think I have pretty well covered the news from this end, so will close for now.
