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Date: November 29th 1943
To
Mother & Dad - (Wilhelmina & John Gray)
From
Hampton Gray
Letter

RH Gray Lt., RCNVR.
Box 517,
℅ F.M.O., Kilindini,
B.E.A.
Nov. 29/43

Dear Mother and Dad.

The mail is still bad but I have had one airgraph dated Nov. 8 which is quite good and better time than usual. I use these for my regular weekly letters however because you can get so much more on them – I had another A.M.L.C. as well dated Oct. 27. They were both good and had lots of news. I was glad to hear that the new allotment had started as it should, presumably the end of September. Once they start taking it off I never miss it and as you say, Mother, it will be more use to me later on than it is now. – You tell me you had a letter from Dr. McLanders too with my commission. It is always good to hear that people have arrived home safely. It was decent of him to write – So you are at last having the floors done. They have been needing it for a long time. What else have you done. Will I know the place when I get home. – By the time this arrives the Christmas and New Year season will be over and you will be able to relax a bit, Dad. Tell me if you had a good Christmas trade. It always used to be so important how Christmas business turned out. But you were glad when it was over and I expect you are this time as well. – Leigh seems to be having a tough time. It seems amazing to think that both of them are in the thick of it and I have never even had a smell of action yet. Still that is not what counts. I suppose if I was not here someone else would have to be. – There is very little of interest to tell you this week. Yesterday Roy Cowan, Rob Collings and I went sailing in a little dinghy which Rob has rented. We started about 1:30 and took about three hours to get where we were going tacking against the tide and wind. We went a little too far and when we started back we found that the tide had turned and was now against us and the wind had dropped so instead of a nice fast easy sail back we again took about three hours. Still it was enjoyable. I got nicely sunburnt and we were able to get away from everything for an afternoon. Outside of that it has been as dull as usual. – Thanks for the film Mother. That is just what I wanted. I hope it gets here. I am going to try and write a whole bunch of airgraphs tonight instead of Christmas cards. I have great trouble as a matter of fact writing anything. This climate dulls you. I will close now sending all my love to you.

Your son
Hampton.

Original Scans

Original Scans

Page 1 of WWII letter of 1943-11-29 from Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, VC, DSC