大象传媒

March 9 1943. Airgraph. MEF.
Dear Mother and Dad,
If I told you of all the mail I鈥檝e just had, I would fill a letter, but here鈥檚 a brief outline of what鈥檚 just come in. A 6d air letter off Mrs Loake from Cottingham (Mkt Harborough), one off Auntie Ethel. Two letters from the padre down distant Cairo. A 6d letter off Levi. Two 6d letters off you and three 1.3 letters off you. One 6d letter off Eve and two 1.3 letters off Eve. What a haul, isn鈥檛 it?
The dates go back to December 17 and are as recent as 2 weeks ago. One of yours and one of Eve鈥檚 bare 25 February on them. Then you ask how quick they are. I find they average 3 weeks, and as you see, as low as 2 weeks.
Well, Mother, you certainly send me lots of news. Arthur Moore is most startling, downright disgusting. I had to read it out to my mates. He wants putting right out here with a load of petrol or ammunition, replenishing tanks under shell fire. He would know what he鈥檚 been missing for 3陆 years.
I鈥檓 glad you had a fair Christmas. We didn鈥檛 do bad, as you already know. I was interested in your mention of the XII Lancers. I鈥檝e never met the 鈥渏okers鈥�, but I guess they鈥檙e knocking around somewhere behind the spearhead, as are most units who are mentioned on the wireless.
You ask how I like Tunisia. Well, it鈥檚 much better than anything we鈥檝e seen since Greece. There鈥檚 lots of green, trees, and more of an English atmosphere, but even so it falls far short of dear old Blighty. There鈥檚 no place like home.
We have changed to francs now. A few weeks ago it was British military money and Italian lire. I guess we will get used to it soon. I鈥檓 fully better again, not a thing wrong with me, thank goodness. My mate was hit yesterday with a bit of bomb shrapnel, right on his forehead, but as luck would happen, it hit his cap badge and he only sustained a nasty cut. He鈥檚 up and about, nothing to write home about, he says. We鈥檙e all OK, and will soon have it over over here.
Cheerio. Love to you all. Alb. Xxx.

May 7 1943. MEF.
Dear Mother and Dad,
At last the writing mood has caught up with me. Perhaps it鈥檚 because of the good news. The news tonight is much better than the weather. It鈥檚 pouring with rain but quite warm, while I hear we鈥檙e entering Tunis on the 7 o鈥檆lock news.
Maybe I can explain and answer a few questions you have asked in previous letters. Regarding the time: we hear your 9 o鈥檆lock news at 8 o鈥檆lock, while actually it is 7 Greenwich time because you have two hours on for Summer Time.
No parcels have arrived yet, but bags of papers all very old, mostly December, and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e had one of this year鈥檚 yet. But we get the Egyptian papers regularly and the Tripoli Times.
As I have already told you, I鈥檝e seen Arthur Pickin and apart from Harry Burton I haven鈥檛 seen anyone else I know yet.
This past 6 months, or since El Alamein, I haven鈥檛 written to anyone else but you and Eve. I shall have to get down to business as soon as this effort is over, which won鈥檛 be long now.
I think we shall be on the move very soon. I鈥檒l bet Old jerry is packing his bag tonight down this end. He鈥檚 certainly held us a bit, but there鈥檚 been a reason for it I can assure you. It will be very interesting to know what the 8th Army did do around here; perhaps the secret will be divulged in a few months time.
When I came through Susa or Souse, whichever way it鈥檚 spelt, I met the first elements of the American 5th Army. I鈥檝e seen the Yanks before, but not in the real battle outfit, with their tin hats, guns, etc. I remember seeing them last year in May or June, just as the battle was getting under way, around Knightsbridge and the Devil鈥檚 Cauldron. You would have laughed if you had seen them, only three tanks with their full crews and the first tank drew up, a Yank sitting on the turret with a ukulele and bags of singing coming from inside the tank. The Yank asks us 鈥渨here鈥檚 this shooting Gunnery, Tankie? We want to catch up with this guy Rommel.鈥� He duly got his answer with a jerk of the thumb. 鈥淛ust over the ridge, Pardner, you鈥檒l get all the shooting you want.鈥�
I had a good impression of them at the time, but from what I鈥檝e seen of them up here, they seem to be very careful. Even when I went 40 miles behind the front, I saw them wearing their tin hats, as if expecting trouble, but Jerry鈥檚 planes have vanished weeks ago, except for odd ones.
I鈥檓 just listening to the news which you are listening to (your 9.0 news); it鈥檚 8.0 here. I鈥檒l bet you鈥檙e excited, talk about a Dunkirk! It will be a massacre and I鈥檓 thinking we鈥檒l have to get mobile if we鈥檙e to be in at the 鈥渒ill鈥�. But still we will be there-abouts in due course, and to think that with a bit of luck, it will all be over and almost forgotten by the time you get this.
I started off answering questions and went right off the subject, because I couldn鈥檛 think what all the questions were which you had previously asked. But I remember you asking what was wrong with my hands and arms.
Well, it started at Alamein. I was unfortunate enough to get a few knocks and bruises when a plague of flies was in the locality, and the flies, breeding on dead bodies and filth of a battlefield, carried all kinds of disease which I must have picked up. So there it is in a nutshell. And not being able to keep the old hands out of water and petrol all the time, and not being able to have daily dressing long enough to see them completely better, I was troubled with them until recently. I may as well tell the truth. I still have sores and bandages on, and I have almost given up the idea of them getting better this side of Blighty. But don鈥檛 worry, I鈥檓 not at all worried myself.
You ask also, 鈥淲ho is my mate Lofty?鈥� surely I have told you all about him many a time. I went on leave with him after we came back from Greece. Also after the November 鈥淒o鈥� of 1941/42 and May/June 鈥淒o鈥� last year, and I鈥檝e always gone out in the evenings with him. Now say you鈥檝e never heard me mention him.
His name is Jack Marsden, comes from Halifax where he has a newsagents business of his own, handed to him from his retired dad., Retired Dad, Dad. He must have made a bit. Runs a 12 HP Morris too. Very rich these newsagent men. But we鈥檙e running away from the subject again. His Mum and Dad are too old to run a lively newsagents; they are in the region of 70 and, to make matters worse, his Ma is an invalid. She has been for many years. Jack is the only child, so I reckon they deserve to retire and yet the war has ruined their lives too. It means that his Dad has had to keep the business going until Jack comes back, and also look after a sick, wife so it鈥檚 pretty tough on them.
Did I ever tell you I saw the Desert Victory film? I think I did, it was shown to us some time ago as an open air show, just behind the battle front. Aren鈥檛 we getting saucy, having an open air show right under Jerry鈥檚 nose? You can see how the tables have turned.
Well, Mother, I will be off to bed. Good night. Love to you all. Yours ever, Alb. Xxx.

May 23 1943. Airmail MEF.
Dear Mother and Dad,
I鈥檝e just had a pile of Sentinels, City Times, Thompson鈥檚 and a Titbits, about 28 papers altogether, all January鈥檚, and a few letters, including one from Rev High dated Nov 12th. I think this letter must have gone round the World before it reached me. I feel mad about it, because it was meant to be a Christmas 1942 letter; but still, it鈥檚 an exception, all other mail comes very quick.
I guess you heard Gen Monty鈥檚 speech in the Air the other day and there must be no doubt about you expecting me home soon, or even while there鈥檚 a war on. I think it was meant for you all at home, just to warn you, not to expect any 8th Army chaps home. I wasn鈥檛 expecting to come home, only just hoping, so it鈥檚 no real disappointment. I believe we shall have to see the war over before we see home again. Then I may be able to claim a record, that of having less leave for amount of service than any other British soldier.
Well, Mother, your parcel has not arrived yet, neither has Clarice鈥檚 PO. It鈥檚 almost a waste of time, isn鈥檛 it. I found some wonderful stuff in a Jerry Red Cross outfit. It smells like Johnson鈥檚 Oils and acts like it. But still I鈥檓 not clear of sores. I鈥檝e given it up,. I think the lack of greens and fresh food must influence it.
We should have moved a few days ago, but we鈥檙e still here in the same place I wrote your last letter. Plenty of spit and polish, parades, PT and what-not, just for a reward I guess. But still, it鈥檚 just how the Army works. If one wants a bit of comfort or pleasure, one must get it off our own 鈥渂at鈥�.
Well, Mother, there鈥檚 no news from this end now, it doesn鈥檛 mean I stop writing altogether, on the contrary, I shall write more when I get settled in our new area which won鈥檛 be long I hope.
Remember me to all at Etruria. Love to you all, yours ever, Alb. xxx.

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