[?]marked?

204 Sqdn.
West Africa Forces
10/5/45

[?]er:

[?] Victory at last! Isn’t it [?] ow quickly Germany folded [?] the end. Everybody seemed [?] l the surrender was coming in [?] last days and I was a bit sorry that it wasn’t Churchill himself who gave us the first news of the unconditional surrender. It would have been much more dramatic and our celebration more spontaneous. as it was we started the night before V-day and had quite a party. Result was all the glasses were broken putting an enforced curb on our drinking. However taking it all round the CO is surprised and pleased there was not more damage. On V night we had a spectacular fire work display with rockets, thunder flashes and very cartridges. It was really quite alarming particularly the latter because we were grouped all around the football field where these things were landing and when the ball of fire hits the ground it bounces violently about forty feet along in any direction and then may suddenly cut back on its path. You really don’t know where they are going. Afterwards there was a bonfire started off with flares which lit up the whole place, and later fed by the cane fence which was in front of the officers’ mess. People were jumping wildly over the fire but no one seemed to get burnt. It was amazing. Someone started a fire near the bomb dump some miles away but this did no damage other than to consume a few native huts.

The next afternoon, yesterday, we went into town to see a football game—England and Wales vs Scotland and Ireland. The first half was very good but as the players tired it became ragged and rough. Actually we do get a very good brand of football here with several of Britain’s best kicking around. There is a game every afternoon on the station. During half time a native band put on quite a surprisingly good exhibition. They looked very smart in white sailor tropical get up and red fez’s and did some intricate slow marching. At one time they appeared to be in a hopeless mix up but came out with colours flying and were rewarded with a burst of applause from the audience.

The weather has been grand here. There were two bad days when we were away one of which kept us at the other station. We were beginning to wonder even then is we should be back in time for V day.

Of course we are all wondering what is going to happen now and how long we will stay here.

With love from
Tony.

[Editor’s note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]