大象传媒

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7th. 1st June 1944. Monday, 8.30 pm. Returned to UK December 1943 Training with 11th Armoured Division.To France June 6 1944.
My dear darling,
I wonder if you鈥檙e observant? Did you notice the post-mark? Yes, Eve, I think it will somewhere around Stafford.

Frank and I were just finishing tea when a chap came to us, and said to me 鈥淵ou are on a nice trip tomorrow, Alb, you are coming with me and a driver in a truck to fetch the colonel鈥檚 new staff car.鈥�
Phew, knock me down with a feather please.

I saw the L/Cpl who was going and he gave me all he knew.
It appears the destination is secret until 8.0 am tomorrow. I have to report to the main office at that time and pick up my marching orders. If it鈥檚 true then I have to wangle to get in early, do my business, then borrow a truck and come home for the night. I do hope I can manage it..
If I can鈥檛 get home, Eve, I shall post this letter, you will at least have the pleasant thought I was so near.

If you鈥檙e half as excited as me, then all your passengers are travelling free. .
What a break though. There鈥檚 a big Generals鈥� inspection on Wednesday and tomorrow they鈥檙e all on a rehearsal. I am hoping to be away from it.
I鈥檝e got everything packed up except my bed, I can be off in half an hour after I get up.

I do hope I can get home. I鈥檒l do my very best, rest assured.
If I鈥檓 not home, you鈥檒l know I鈥檓 too far away or we鈥檝e got in very late, or we鈥檝e been ordered back right away. I鈥檒l close here and pray hard.

All my love, yours ever, Alb. xxxxxxxx.

June 18 1944. Sunday. (Letter form, first from France) 3RTR, APO, England..
Dear Mother and Dad,
Take no notice of the address. I don鈥檛 know when they will change it. We鈥檙e in France anyway, and it鈥檚 not too bad, certainly not bad enough to worry about. I thought they wouldn鈥檛 get me abroad again without leave ,
and here we are. Still it may be our last, when Jerry鈥檚 finished. We had a good crossing, the old boat swayed a lot, but I鈥檓 used to it now. We travelled about 20,000 miles on the old sea, so it鈥檚 trained me a little.

What do you think of our letters? It鈥檚 like the MEF, isn鈥檛 it, except we don鈥檛 need stamps. Now don鈥檛 worry about me going short of anything. There鈥檚 a bit of organisation around here. I鈥檝e had more chocolate since I came here than I鈥檝e had since I鈥檝e been in England.
Well, Mother, I must be off. I鈥檓 OK and don鈥檛 worry.
Cheerio, all my love, Alb. xxxx.

July 5 1944. Very faint photocopy; airmail paper. BWEF.
Dear Mother and Dad,
I鈥檓 a bit late in writing this week, but really it鈥檚 been a bit too exciting at times and I couldn鈥檛 concentrate. I received your letter some days ago. I think the mail has quickened up a lot now.
Today is our first fine day in ages. I鈥檝e never known it rain so much. I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 the gun fire that causes it.
Eve sent me 100 Craven A, they came very quick and just when I needed them. I was on my last few.
I鈥檓 OK for a month now. Eve is sending me some more in the near future. They should last me the duration when they come. I鈥檓 all right for food and almost daily whilst we鈥檙e in this particular spot, we go down the farm and get a gallon of milk; of course we boil it first.
I get lots of choc too, a bar a day in our rations. This army is much better than the Middle East. We never saw choc from one year to another, and then had to suffer those horrible V cigs for years, whereas here we get all the leading brands gratis, 7 a day per man. I鈥檓 keeping fine, will write again soon. Cheerio, God bless you all. Yours with love, Alb. xxx.

August 4 1944. Friday 8.0 pm. BLA.
Dear Dad,
I鈥檓 just catching up with my mail. I鈥檝e had scores of letters recently and often no chance of answering them, but things are quieter today. The weather is perfect today, just typical Isle of Man weather. I hope it continues. It will make or break our advances. The other week it rained when we were on the south-east of Caen and taking the supplies up to the tanks we were bogged several times, once for half an hour; then five minutes after we got out, a shell landed a few yards off the spot.
He shells quite a bit, but we send about 60 over for every one he does. A couple of secs ago he sent a batch of 鈥渕oaning minnies鈥�; the multi-barrelled mortars, if you remember them. And our 5.5s and 7.2s have just gone to town on them, a quick 100 rounds, just to tickle his backside.
I鈥檝e been to see an ENSA show, and it鈥檚 the nearest any show has been to the front line. We were just out of shelling range and, as for his aircraft, well it doesn鈥檛 exist in the daytime. So we were quite safe and ready to enjoy ourselves. It鈥檚 been a good show indeed and I admire them.
How鈥檚 Norman Richardson getting along? Before he joined up with me at Tidworth he worked at one of the cheap Ultra Radio Repairs in Hanley. He used to tell us in the barrack room at Tidworth he worked as much out of office or work hours than I earned during work hours. I鈥檓 putting you on your guard for fear he suggests repairing your radiogram. I鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e packing one of your jobs in. Its far too much; to cope with the shop alone is one man鈥檚 job. I suppose you鈥檒l be happy when you take your last takings in.
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I鈥檝e just received your July 30 News of the World, July 29 Sentinel and the book, Tunisia. They鈥檝e come very quickly and thanks a lot. But I think I鈥檝e told Mother not to send any, because we get them the day they鈥檙e published. It鈥檚 all right sending books and the local.
I had Mr High鈥檚 farewell letter yesterday. I hear he鈥檚 retiring, doctor鈥檚 orders. He鈥檚 been working too hard. I鈥檝e often how he鈥檚 managed to write so many letters and do his job at the same time. He says he鈥檚 written some 60,000 letters since the war broke out. It must be a record I鈥檓 sure. I haven鈥檛 seen a single person I know yet. Alf Hyton, by the way, is in another unit, the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. The unit is in our Brigade but it鈥檚 rare I see a chap belonging to it. I don鈥檛 roam around much, there鈥檚 too many mines and booby traps for my liking and apart from that the unit may move during my absence. I prefer to stay put.
Well there鈥檚 not much news I can give you. The papers and wireless are up to the minute so we can鈥檛 comment on the war situation.
I鈥檓 going on fine and finding it much better than the old desert.
I hope old Joe gets to Berlin soon. He鈥檚 sure to be there first. Then we may hope to be home by Xmas. I must be off for a bit of supper now. Cheerio, love to all Alb

End of August 1944. Letter starts at p 5.
Well, Eve, I reckon this will reach you for your birthday, and I may not have a chance to write again for a few days, so here鈥檚 wishing you a very happy birthday.. I鈥檓 sure it will be our last birthday apart and let鈥檚 pray we shall be able to celebrate our wedding anniversary, even if it鈥檚 only a week鈥檚 leave. I to hope and pray it will end on Oct 29th.
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I鈥檝e given all my choc and sweets away to the kids along the way, they are so pleased and happy. I was asking one Mother how long it was since they had any choc, she says three years. I get more pleasure out of it than eating it myself.
We鈥檙e in the buzz-bomb country and we asked a woman this morning if she had seen them. She aid Yes, they come from over our right as we face northwards towards Belgium. She鈥檚 heard scores go over until we arrived. Now it appears those launching sites are finished, and soon we shall finish them all off. We鈥檙e near to Dieppe. I knew weeks ago it would fall our lot to fix the buzz-bomb areas up. I鈥檓 glad though, when I think that they鈥檙e gradually going and soon our England will be free again.
We鈥檙e off again in 20 mins, Eve, so I鈥檒l have to leave you. I鈥檓 sorry, Eve, but it鈥檚 all for a good cause. Tra, Eve. Sat. 11 am.
Stopped again, Eve. We鈥檙e near the Belgian border. We had a tremendous welcome coming through Amiens. We by-passed Arras and I saw a very big war cemetery of the last war, it was beautifully kept. There were 1,500 graves in it, and all about 1916 they died. Yes, Eve, we are in the last war country, and names such as Somme, Arras, Amiens, Picardy, Cambrai, Flanders and Armentieres are all around us. I hope we shall be in Germany and Berlin.

We鈥檝e had a wonderful reception from everyone and everywhere. The Maquis are simply terrific. They鈥檙e rounding up Jerries all over the place.

How鈥檚 the buzz-bomb trade now? I suppose it鈥檚 nearly over. The Canadians have captured Dieppe and all the other places are cut off. Well, Eve, I鈥檒l post this before we run into another day.
Happy birthday, my darling. It鈥檚 the last one apart, Cheerio, Eve dear. All my true love. God bless you always.
Yours ever, Alb. xxx.

September 30 1944. Sat, 5.0 pm. 84th. Same again BLA.
Hello Eve dear,
I wish the weather would clear up, it鈥檚 rained all day again.
I had 2 letters last night, one off Mother and your 89th. I feel certain that鈥檚 2 89ths you鈥檝e sent me. I wonder how many more. It is two, Eve. I鈥檝e just looked up your last letter but one.. You haven鈥檛 noticed that you鈥檝e written 2 89s. Ha - you must be in love.
Do you know I have got quite a lot to write about, but most important, I got half a loaf this morning and over my logman鈥檚 fire I did myself quite a lot of toast. It was delicious. It鈥檚 the first I鈥檝e had for many months, the last time I was home for certain.

I鈥檓 glad you鈥檝e had up to my 81 letter, Eve, but I鈥檓 worried that there鈥檚 only 2 now on the way. I shall have to work the old pen a bit harder.
I want every written word to be yours. I always think that I鈥檓 wasting valuable time if I鈥檓 writing to anyone else.
There鈥檚 some Yankee artillery in the next field and I鈥檝e been across to speak to them. The first question they asked, how far is Jerry away. I said 鈥淟et鈥檚 see er 5, 6, 6000 yds away鈥�. 鈥淥h, my goodness鈥� they said. They thought I was going to say 5, 6 or more miles away.
They鈥檙e new fellows and yesterday was their first day of action. They are quite decent chaps too and the expressions they use make me roll with laughing. You know, they always wear their tin hats and they said 鈥淚 can鈥檛 weigh you lads up. You stroll about in your little black berets even around these parts. Are you ever afraid of Jerry pushing some dirt over?鈥� I said 鈥淲e put them on when the time comes鈥�.
They refer to guns going off as 鈥渄oors slamming鈥�. It鈥檚 quite right too, they do sound like doors. And one fellow says 鈥淵ou fellows, when you hear these doors slamming, it鈥檚 time you were earthbound.鈥� They are new to the game and don鈥檛 compare with us for food, canteen, pay days, and such things as a bivouac or sheet to make a tent, or dixie or kettle to boil a good brew. They鈥檝e been across here 3 times for a kettle of boiling water. They鈥檝e no petrol stove either, no bread, and they looked pretty raw when I went across this morning. It was raining and they were just standing in it trying to make chips with some fresh spuds we gave them on a tiny bit of fire. I guess we have learnt by experience through the years.

I guess you鈥檙e at Ramsdoor. Hoi, Ramsgate. Have a good time, Eve.
Cheerio, darling. God bless you always. I am yours for ever. All my love, Eve. Xxx.

October 5 1944. Thursday 5.30. 86th letter. BLA.
My dear Eve,
Sorry I couldn鈥檛 write yesterday. We鈥檙e so busy when we rest. Ha, don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 a joke. The word 鈥渞est鈥� means we鈥檙e not in contact with the enemy, and this is the 3rd day too. I only thought it was going to be 48 hours.
I hear from an ardent admirer of Lord Haw-Haw that the Jerries call this Division 鈥淐hurchill鈥檚 Butchers鈥�, so we鈥檝e all attached our bulls to zip fasteners, for fear we get in the 鈥渂ag鈥�. Then we can zip them off before Jerry leads us to the slaughter. Cute, hey?
So you don鈥檛 know where we are. Well, we left the Antwerp area weeks ago and 6 miles on my right is Germany. Now you don鈥檛 know whether it鈥檚 France, Belgium or Holland.
Yes, Eve, the war is hard slogging now. Old Jerry is bound to fight like a demon on his own ground, but if he has any sense, he will realise he can鈥檛 possibly win. We鈥檒l just have to keep at it and hope for the best.
They鈥檙e long nights now, Eve, it goes dark before 7.0 pm, and somehow there seems little to do but go to bed.
It鈥檚 a proper farmyard round here, pigs, and one has just had 10 nippers. They鈥檙e really beautiful and silky. I鈥檝e picked one up but the mother didn鈥檛 seem to like it. There鈥檚 cows, hens, dogs and everything. There seems no shortage of food, but of course it鈥檚 in the country and folks are almost independent of industry.
.
I heard Monty has said again we shall be home by Christmas. I really don鈥檛 know how he will do it, and if he does he will be the finest man in the world. I鈥檓 just hearing the 6 o鈥檆lock news and it said a thousand Fortresses went out again. They came over us and what a height. All we could see was vapour trails high up in the sky.
Evie, I do love you. I wish I was home. I wish there was some definite date of me coming home if only they would say 鈥淓very man who has done 5 years service can get out鈥�. I wouldn鈥檛 mind that, it鈥檚 only 6 months to go and we could plan on it.
Well, Eve, only short, but better than nothing, isn鈥檛 it?. Don鈥檛 worry. Cheerio, God bless you, precious. All my love, yours ever, Albie, misty.

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