大象传媒

May 18 1940. Sat 4.0 Tidworth.
Dear Mum and Dad, I鈥檓 afraid I am neglecting you, but I hope you鈥檒l understand. You see Eveline likes a long letter and I鈥檓 not a very fast writer so someone has to suffer.
It鈥檚 a bad job about our leave; they cancelled it when Holland was invaded and up to now it hasn鈥檛 been resumed so if things don鈥檛 alter you won鈥檛 see me on Friday. The lads are going crazy for fear it won鈥檛 come through. We shall all be very very disappointed, but we can鈥檛 alter things, so we will just hope for the best.
Eveline sent me a big parcel on Wed, and in it was a pipe and tobacco, so I鈥檓 a pipe smoker now. I told her time and time again not to send food or anything but she seemed to think I was starving, so she sent me a lot of stuff. It was all very nice, but there was too many for it, that鈥檚 the only drawback here. Everyone looks on and expects something, and when there鈥檚 17 of us it soon goes.
Hope you鈥檙e having the same weather as us. It鈥檚 lovely here and there鈥檚 tons of lilac out.
How鈥檚 the fag and tobacco trade? I have never heard anyone grumble about the increase here, and there鈥檚 just as many smokes as ever. It鈥檚 surprising isn鈥檛 it?
Did you know that Sam Hough鈥檚 wife had had a baby and Jack Lloyd鈥檚 wife too?
How鈥檚 Levi going on as regards keeping out of the Army? If he should have to join tell him to go in the RAOC, that鈥檚 the Ordnance Corps. They attend to repairs to vehicles, fetch food, clothing and pretty general knock-abouts. They鈥檙e a non-combatant force, but he would have to have qualifications, such as driving, maintenance, repairs etc. I know he can鈥檛 do anything like that, but he could say he could, because they would teach him.
Remember me to all. Auntie Ethel and Uncle Sam sent me half a dozen stamps on Tuesday, so just thank them, will you, before it is too late.
I am quite well and all right for money. Cheerio and all the best, hoping you鈥檙e all well, love from Albert. xxx.

20.5.40 Monday 8.0
No 7909285 Trooper Shore A E
B Sqn 26 Sqn 53 Lt Tank Training Regt
Mooltan Bks Tidworth
Dear Mum and Dad,
I had your letter today. Thanks for the 10/-, its certainly very good of you, don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 broke though. I鈥檝e still got the other one and the 拢1 that I came away with and the original 4/- postal order, so I鈥檓 not doing too bad am I?
Uncle Sam sent me some stamps and he said in his letter if you鈥檙e short of anything, tell him so, because if I was anything like him, he was sending home for something every day or so. I鈥檓 hoping not to trouble anyone quite that much.
It鈥檚 very good of Levi鈥檚 to offer to come and meet me, I wish I could make the necessary arrangements, but up to now there鈥檚 no news at all about leave. Although the draft leave has been resumed this weekend, also WATS leave. We have WATS in our barracks you know, they do the cooking and cleaning about the cookhouse.
One of our chaps went to ask the sergeants about leave, and he said he would ask the Sgt Major. I don鈥檛 know how he鈥檚 gone on, but we鈥檙e hoping for good news tomorrow.
I鈥檝e just had a Grecian haircut, that Greek鈥檚 cut about a dozen chaps鈥� hair tonight and they鈥檝e all given him 2d or 3d, so he doesn鈥檛 do too bad and he helps the regimental barber at times, but he鈥檒l never make a soldier.
I went to the pictures on Saturday night and what a show for 6d. We saw Thunder Afloat, Secrets Out, Our Gang, Mickey Mouse, News Adverts and the sales interval; we had our money鈥檚 worth didn鈥檛 we?
One of our chaps nearly broke his neck at gym the other day. He was doing a diving somersault and dived on his head. They rushed him to hospital for X-rays and was later taken to a big military hospital. He will probably be away for a few months.
What made Levi join up? Anyway it鈥檚 a good idea if he can get a good job, same as Jack Cashmore. Does he ever ask about me? Tell him I鈥檓 going on all right if he does.
Well thanks again for the 10/-, I hope I have to use this weekend. I must close now. Remember me to all. Cheerio.
Your loving son
Albert. X x x Good night Mum, Dad and Levi.

1940. Tidworth.
Dear Mum and Dad,
We have just been double inoculated this afternoon, and we should have been vaccinated too, but I suppose they鈥檙e saving that for when we go on leave. It didn鈥檛 hurt at the time, but we鈥檙e for it tomorrow because they have given us 48 hours off duty and they don鈥檛 do those things for nothing.
I am getting quite a good cross-country runner now. We went about 3 miles this morning with only shorts and pumps on and I was 5th out of 35. I couldn鈥檛 have done it at all about a fortnight ago.
The corporal鈥檚 come round now; he鈥檚 told us why he doesn鈥檛 get too familiar and why he has to curse us occasionally. Now he鈥檚 like an old pal and you鈥檇 be surprised how different the atmosphere is. At the same time he congratulated us on keeping the room very nice and clean and said what a good job we made of cleaning that infantryman鈥檚 full equipment. He now offers to help us with cleaning etc, and if we play up to him, he鈥檒l do the same for us.
Sat Morn. They鈥檝e stopped all leave from here now owing to the situation, but I suppose it will be normal again in a short time. They soon get flustered.
My arm is hurting a bit now, but the others are pegging out. One chap has gone off eating and is still in bed. 2 had to fall out of parade this morning and the rest are nearly all asleep, but it will soon go better we hope.
If you鈥檙e having the same weather as we are, you鈥檙e having it very nice. We haven鈥檛 seen a cloud for a week, but it鈥檚 not too nice for drilling. It tortures us; the square鈥檚 blazing white and the sergeants often ill tempered. In 5 or 6 weeks though we shall pass off the square and get on with driving and maintenance etc.
Well, I鈥檓 getting on all right now, apart from the arm, and hope to be with you very soon. So here鈥檚 saying goodbye. Remember me to Uncle Sam and family, Mr Chip and all the others. With love from Albert. Xxx.

May 23 1940. Thursday. Tidworth.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I had your letter today. It鈥檚 the first day we鈥檝e had any rain and it didn鈥檛 half come down, it was a real thunderstorm.
I鈥檝e never seen so many aeroplanes. There鈥檚 always one in sight all the day round. They鈥檙e as common as motor cars down Etruria Road. We鈥檝e had several air raid warnings and 2 were real ones. Once 4 incendiary bombs were dropped near Salisbury. I don鈥檛 know whether you read about it ten days ago. And one this afternoon, we don鈥檛 know the result of it yet.
We have to carry our respirators and steel helmets everywhere we go, even to the lav across the square, so they won鈥檛 catch us unawares.
I suppose Eveline has told you about the leave, it鈥檚 hopeless this weekend, but there鈥檚 a rumour that we鈥檙e to be vaccinated tomorrow, and it takes about a week to come on. We may have about 4 days off next weekend so we鈥檙e hoping we鈥檙e going to be vaccinated tomorrow, then we can apply for sick leave.
You know Miss Price鈥檚, Husband (Miss Price of Hubanks), well, he鈥檚 gone to Oswestry in the Artillery. I鈥檓 palling out with a chap from Penkhull, his wife works at Swinnerton鈥檚 Pot works, Clough Street, and we got talking and she knows Eveline. They have worked together so I think Eveline is going to visit her soon.
Don鈥檛 send Craven As yet, I鈥檒l see what next weekend says, thanks all the same.
I鈥檒l bet you know about Mr Rutter going down to see our wireless; he鈥檚 found two fused valves and recommends Alcocks to fix it, but Eveline has made a deal with a chap from Trent Vale, and he鈥檚 going to fix it just for the cost of the two valves, also a new condenser. He鈥檚 doing the job and giving us the condenser free, so it鈥檚 a real bargain. I think it鈥檚 done by now.
I heard off Arthur Pickin鈥檚 wife a fortnight ago, and he鈥檚 fed up. I can鈥檛 imagine him in the Infantry though, but for all that he鈥檚 lucky to be so near to home. He had a short weekend soon after he joined.
I see Tommy Hayes hasn鈥檛 gone yet. There鈥檚 a mystery about him. I think he鈥檚 been exempt, but he never said so.
Harry Knapper鈥檚 gone, hasn鈥檛 he. I suppose he鈥檚 in the Infantry.
The Rutter family are on 鈥減ins鈥� now, well, we鈥檙e all in the same boat and at our barracks they鈥檙e all in the 20s to 25s, so we get on all right.
I haven鈥檛 heard off Jimmy Daniels yet, but I鈥檓 not worried.
Yesterday we were that bad on the square that the Sergeant said he would have us for an hour from 7 until 8, but he cancelled it on the last minute. Weren鈥檛 we relieved. Now today we were just the opposite and he was actually pleased with us.
There鈥檚 a chap among us from Coventry and he does so remind me of Arley, just the same dialect, 鈥淚 ainter coming鈥� and all that. Also a PMT conductor, just the image of Sidney Howard, he鈥檚 a jolly chap and keeps us all alive.
Remember me to Mr Rutter and family, Mr Chip and all. I鈥檒l try to write to Jack Cash soon but I won鈥檛 promise. I鈥檓 going on all right for money and food so don鈥檛 worry. I shall have to close now so cheerio and all the best.
Love to Mum, Dad and Levi, your loving son, Albert. Bye bye, xxx.

May 24 1940 Friday dinner
this letter is faded along the folds and therefore difficult to read.
Dear Eva,
I was upset when I had your letter this morning, but I was hoping you would have mine and it would lessen the shock. I hope you didn鈥檛 stop up until late I bet you did. Eve, perhaps God has better plans for us. I have faith that everything will turn all right in the end. I have another disappointment for you, I don鈥檛 like to tell you but I must.
We鈥檙e on PAD or (Passive Air Defence), the same as ARP but a different title, this means that from Tuesday (May 28th) until next Tuesday (June 4th) that we鈥檙e all confined to Barracks so it positively rules the leave out for next weekend. Eve, I know it鈥檚 terribly hard, it鈥檚 almost unbearable for both of us. Don鈥檛 worry, Eve Darling, we鈥檙e both healthy and not happy really, but we鈥檙e looking forward to getting together again in our little home with some little kiddies, eh?
Friday night 9.0 pm. Reg and I have just been to the pictures to see The Stars Look Down, it was a great picture about coal-mining and a Pit Disaster, we quite forgot about the war until a flash come on the screen calling three squads out at once, to be ready for off in about 陆 an hour . So I鈥檓 lucky aren鈥檛 I?
It鈥檚 funny about that letter that was undone, I always securely stick it, its evident it was not tampered with or you would have said so. I can鈥檛 think what I crossed out, I haven鈥檛 the faintest idea, but when I see the letter I鈥檒l explain, you seem very concerned, but I assure you there no need for it.
We鈥檝e had another good day on the square, some more medals, also an air raid test at 4.30 this morning we all had to dash downstairs and sit there for an hour and when we got back it was pretty useless to go back to bed again so e lay on top.
We鈥檙e being inoculated again tomorrow, wish it was WACs, it will only be slight because we鈥檙e not excused duty at all. Don鈥檛 worry about it.
I wonder whether your Dad wakened at 4.10 this morning. I鈥檓 very curious because I did, and right away thought about him and said a little prayer for him, then dropped of asleep again as quick as anything. I wear my watch in bed that鈥檚 how I knew the time, It鈥檚 quite true and I felt as if your Dad wakened and said a prayer for me.
I鈥檝e changed my mind about children, you found that out haven鈥檛 you. I mean it darling more than I can ever tell you won鈥檛 it be nice to have a nice little girl made out of us two, I want a girl first because they鈥檙e nicer than boys.
Well, Eve, it鈥檚 nearly lights out, so I鈥檒l wish you good night and God keep us all safe. Good night Eve darling, lots of love and thousands of kisses. X x x x x
Good morning, Darling, it鈥檚 only 11.0 and Reg and I have been up the NAAFI for an hour to have a cup of tea and a cake 2d altogether. It鈥檚 been a treat so far, on Friday afternoon we had two lectures then finished at 3.45, this morning we had parade at 9.0 and 3/4 hour at PT, then finished at 10.0, this afternoon we have a mild inoculation, it鈥檚 nothing really. You see they could have given us leave quite easily, but the War Office said no so that鈥檚 that.
I had your letter this morning, I鈥檓 ever so glad you鈥檙e 鈥減ally鈥� with Mum and Dad, keep it up, dear, it will stop you from worrying a little, and I see you鈥檝e been to Arley, this is a surprised and I鈥檓 pleased you鈥檝e enjoyed it. What did you have in The Shoulder of Mutton? You lovely darling, I bet it was grapefruit or some other highly intoxicating drink, you rogue, drinking during my absence. I鈥檒l let you off though, I love and trust you my dear.
Here鈥檚 a god joke now. You know that Greek? by the way his name is Constantiza George Christa Adoula, we call him 鈥淐hris鈥� to save a lot of time. Well the Corporal brought a bucket of whitewash and a brush and told him to go and white wash the Last Post, of course he asked quite seriously where it was, and he was told near the guard room. It was a scream. I don鈥檛 suppose you like that for a joke, I know you don鈥檛, but it was the first we have ever had and no-one was hurt in any way at all , Chris took it all right and was not offended in any way, so everybody was happy and cheerful. I think you know what the Last Post is, just in case, it鈥檚 a Bugle call.
Eve, I think I should get a job soon if I was you, or you won鈥檛 have a chance later on, the Government will send you where they want you to do what they say. I know you won鈥檛 want that neither will I, so do your best, dearest one, and the best of luck, I鈥檒l pray for you. Heavenly Father, take care of my dear one. See that she鈥檚 always happy and keep her safe.

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