大象传媒

Typed copy of letter written just before embarkation to the Middle East
31 October 1940.
Letter written in pencil, now rather faded.
(Thursday)
Dear Mother and Dad,
- I've just had your letter. Yes I had the previous one, where you .told me about going to Arley and Brum. I'm writing this in the guard room, I'm on a 24 hour guard once again. I shall come off at 4 o鈥檆lock this afternoon. No doubt you know about the bad news I told Eveline to tell you. It鈥檚 pretty tough with so short notice. We should move from here either tonight or early in the morning. I don't know where we meet the boat or how long we have to wait for it, It's all secret. I've tried and tried again to get even a short 24 hour leave, but the officers are adamant. I had an interview with the C O (Captain Kent) yesterday dinner, but he wouldn't give in. I asked for just a few hours and promised to come back by the first train this morning, and still the answer was No. Worse luck I was on guard at 4 o鈥檆lock yesterday afternoon, or I may have come home for a few hours on my own account and risked the consequences. There's four prisoners here that took seven days leave on their own and all they have got is fourteen days in the guard room. Their jobs are better than ours, they have no guard to do and very little work. I only knew I was going on Tuesday dinner and the rest of the day was spent in getting topee and other tropical kit. I had a great rush to pack my big kit bag ready for dispatch by Tuesday afternoon . All our kit bags have gone to the dock now. I was too upset to write or phone on Tuesday but I wrote to Eveline yesterday, and told her the bad news. I couldn't phone because I was on guard last night. I hope she has the letter by now. As regards the parcel you鈥檙e sending, it will probably find me sometime. I've never lost any letters or parcels since I've been in the army. In a sense I'm glad you're sending the parcel because I don't suppose I'll see home again until the end of the war. I hardly know what to say. As for myself I am not worried about going abroad, it鈥檚 you and Eveline that worry me. I've done my utmost to get home ever since I've been in the army, but somehow leave never comes my way, and I don't much care for taking leave on my own although quite a lot have done so, and got away with it. Some haven鈥檛 come back yet and that鈥檚 why I'm going abroad to take their place. That鈥檚 what angers me, there鈥檚 no end of absentees, mostly single chaps who don't care a toss, and we have to suffer. It may turn out all 0K in the long run, we never know what fate has in store for us There鈥檚 a parade at four o鈥檆lock to give us the information we need but it will be too late to tell you in this letter, so I will write you again,, as soon as I can, maybe from the place we embark. I don't know how long we will have to wait for the boat, maybe we go straight on, maybe we will have to wait a few days. It's no use you writing again until I get somewhere in the East. It will be months I suppose, but I will write to you as often as I can and don't worry, I'm OK and feeling fine. Well Mum its three twenty now and I must write to Eveline before four o鈥檆lock. The post goes down the village at four forty five so I will have to put a move on. I will have to close now and I will write again before I embark, Maybe I'll write more than once but that will remain to be seen. Remember me to Aunty Ethel and everybody else. I'm sorry I cannot see them all before l go, or even write. So we will have to wait for the armistice or dare I mention leave. Good afternoon Mam and Dad and Levi, God bless you all and keep you all safe. Tra and good luck from your loving son Albert. x x x
Now don't worry. I'll look after myself and do my duty. Try to make Eveline happy and comfy, then all my worries will be over Cheerio Alb.

December 1940. Friday. Censored
Dearest Eve,
This is the first letter I have written for a week. It鈥檚 just a week tonight that we set foot on this ship and land is as far off as ever. It seems impossible to sail for weeks and never see any land. I suppose we will awaken one day and find ourselves near to our destination. I don鈥檛 know where it will be; even if I did I shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to tell, so I will have a lot to say when I come home.
On Monday I was seasick and it lasted until Thursday. It鈥檚 only today that I鈥檝e started to smoke and eat properly. I feel a thousand times better now, but on Tues and Wed I was really ill. I never ate, drank or smoked either days. I never read any orders, books or anything. All I wanted to do was to lie in my hammock. I was wondering how long it would last, but yesterday I was on the mend and now all鈥檚 well. I am eating and smoking as I always do.
Yes, Ev, we have hammocks to sleep in. They鈥檙e really comfy too, and you should see how they all swing as the boat rolls along.
I had a pleasant surprise when I got on the boat. I saw chaps coming from the canteen with 50s cigs and I wondered why. They鈥檙e duty free. I get 50 Gold flake for 1/8 and in Civvy Street they鈥檙e 3/9. Woodbines are less than half the usual price and so is tobacco.
It鈥檚 a lovely boat, just like a big hotel with a ballroom and bank, a hospital, laundry, printer鈥檚 shop, etc, etc. The food is excellent too; we have dinner at night and in the afternoon we have a light tea. There鈥檚 plenty of good fresh varieties of food.
It鈥檚 rather strange, duck, but as you will know, we鈥檙e a long way from England and as I鈥檓 writing this it鈥檚 8.30 pm, while you at home are going to bed. It will be 10.30 pm. Just 2 hours behind you. We get the news 3 times a day and your 9 pm news comes through at 7 pm. The news today seems very good about the Greeks pushing old Musso out of Albania. I鈥檓 very pleased about this. I wish I was there to do a spot of pushing. I shall do someday, I hope, and I shall keep on pushing my way home, right through Germany and France, straight to Trent Vale and you.
I wonder what has happened to my parcel. If it does get sent on it will be almost Easter before I get it. I have given it up for lost and I want you never to send any parcels or money to me. I can manage quite all right. I don鈥檛 know how long it takes for a letter or parcel to reach me, but it will be in the region of two months, maybe more, so it鈥檚 not worth-while sending anything except letters, and even letters will take a long time, so I should send one every other week. It鈥檚 no use sending more than that because they will all be delivered in a batch.
I鈥檓 all right for mates, although none are from Stoke. One is from Manchester, 2 from Brum and a young Welsh lad from Holyhead. I鈥檝e promised to go and see him as soon as the war鈥檚 over, and take you, and we can have a weekend there sometime.
I went on deck just after tea and it was getting dark and the night was lovely. It was warm and the sea was calm, for once in a while. We may see land on Monday and I think this letter will get posted then. I do hope you get it before Christmas. It seems so strange to be writing a Christmas letter in the warm sunshine. Let鈥檚 hope it will be the only one.
Here is my postal address. I鈥檝e just got it off our officer. -
No 7909285, Tpr Shore A E,
1st Line Reinforcements,
3rd Bn, Royal Tank Regt,
c/o APO 725.
I believe, I鈥檝e given you an address very similar. Well, this is the correct one.
I will have to close now, Eve, I hope you are getting over the big shock and doing your best to be happy. This is the last lap, Ev. The next time I see you, it will be all over. Good night, darling. God bless you and keep you safe and happy. A merry Christmas to you and Mum, Pop and Kathy. From you ever true and loving hubby, Alb. I love you. Xxx.

Date censored 1940. Sat.
Dear Mother and Dad,
At last I feel like writing. I was seasick soon after the boat got into the Atlantic and yesterday was my best day. I got better all at once. Today I鈥檓 as fit as a fiddle. It鈥檚 awful to be seasick properly. I thought I knew what it was when I went across to Cherbourg last year, but that was nothing. I couldn鈥檛 eat or drink or smoke for a couple of days and I didn鈥檛 want to write or read. All I was fit for was to lie in my hammock, hoping for the best. All bad things come to an end some day, thank goodness.
I get my fags cheaper now. A 50 Gold Flake costs me 1/8 and Players are the same price. Woods are 3d for 10 and tobacco is very cheap too. It鈥檚 a cheap life in this respect, although Cadbury鈥檚 choc is 6d a 录 lb block, but it鈥檚 made in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Perhaps that鈥檚 why.
The boat is a real luxury boat. There鈥檚 a big ballroom, an open air swimming pool, laundry, bank, and what not; also a good wireless service. We get all the news three times a day, but at a different time than you. We鈥檙e two hours behind. Our news comes at 7 pm, the same news that you hear at 9 pm. It seems such a funny world now what with the time and the weather. You are probably going about with your top coats on, and I am sitting on deck in the warm sunshine, just like a summer鈥檚 day.
I believe we call at a port on Monday and this letter will be posted then. I hope you get it before Christmas, you should do, and after this one, it will take 8 to 10 weeks for every other one. I forgot to tell you about the address, that鈥檚 the one at the beginning of this letter. APO means Army Post Office and 725 is our allotted number. That address will find us anywhere.
I should like to tell you lots of things about the convoy, where we鈥檙e calling on Monday and where we think we鈥檙e going, but I鈥檓 afraid we鈥檒l have to wait until the war鈥檚 over.
As regards that parcel you sent me, there鈥檚 a chance that it may be sent on to me, but it will probably be Easter when I get it, so in future don鈥檛 ever send me any parcels or money. I can easily manage on my pay. If I do get very low in money and find I can鈥檛 get along very comfortable, I鈥檒l let you know, but as far as I can see, I鈥檒l be OK for a month or two yet and maybe for ever.
We have first class food and dine like gentlemen. A light tea in the afternoon with a good dinner at night. There鈥檚 plenty of entertainment too, some good lectures given by officers and in another place there runs the old Housy-housy school, while in the big mess room there鈥檚 a little dance band and a few singers. We have a church and chapel service. It鈥檚 like being in a little town.
I have a few good pals here, one from Manchester, two from Brum and a Welsh lad from Holyhead. The poor Welsh lad has only had one leave from Tidworth and that was last Easter. He鈥檚 never had any other leave at all. He鈥檚 about as unfortunate as me; but we鈥檙e on the last lap now. The next time we see England, will be for ever. The news on the wireless seems very good. I hope it will get more and more encouraging every day.
I was hoping to see Uncle Ted before he got married, but I can鈥檛 now, and you will no doubt have told him why. I must have been one of the most unlucky ones as regards leave. Everybody seems to have had an embarkation leave. We can鈥檛 alter that now, so we鈥檒l have to do our best and forget about it.
There鈥檚 very little to say now that would pass the censor, so I will have to close. I鈥檓 keeping fit and having a good time.
Remember me to Uncle Ted and family, Uncle Bill and family, Auntie Polly and Uncle Bill, Auntie Ethel and family and everyone else. Wish them a merry Christmas and I hope you all have one and a much brighter new Year.
Good night, Mother, Dad, Levi. Good luck to you all and God keep you all safe.
Your loving son,
Albert. Xxx.

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