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Extracts from Arthur’s Letters to his wife, Gladys, January — February1945

22-1-45 I can quite well understand that you like to keep my letters until the work of the day is at an end before reading them because I feel just the same about your letters which are far too precious to be sandwiched between my work though sometimes one has no suitable oasis in which to give the letters the undivided attention which they deserve. Tonight for instance I’m on guard one hour hence and have been busy all day. However I keep your more recent letters to read over several times though it’s against the rules to keep letters on one’s person whilst we are in action; consequently I have to destroy them from time to time but always have several recent ones with me.

Well darling should you be afraid of reading this letter in case it contains bad news re February leave your fears are groundless as the draw is still undecided but will certainly take place during the next day or so…

Yes the news is grand dear and it won’t surprise me if the Russians are soon in Berlin; this terrific drive is greatly speeding up the end of the war which I still maintain isn’t far away — so far as Europe is concerned…

In my yesterday’s letter I told you that I am billeted with a very decent, friendly family. Well yesterday we were with them in the afternoon for a while and they absolutely insisted upon us sharing their meal viz., steak, potatoes and an unknown vegetable as well as vegetable soup. This we enjoyed of course but felt guilty at accepting since I’m sure they were using the whole week’s ration. It’s just the same in all the billets — everybody insists upon sharing their food with us.

Since writing the above a day has elapsed and it is now Wednesday night. I did my guard last night and returned to a hot cup of coffee which the lady had prepared for me. Then she made about 30 pancakes which we ate with jam and afterwards had some excellent chocolate pudding made with my cocoa and milk, with chocolate to finish the meal also made from my cocoa… I felt full to bursting point afterwards I can assure you. Another service this obliging lady does for us is to do our washing — we provide the soap of course.

I have heard that the draw for leaves definitely takes place tomorrow so you will soon learn the result darling.

Today I hear the Russians are only 115 miles from Berlin which is marvellous news…

Well dear I am very anxious for tomorrow so that I shall know the result of the draw which I shall at once communicate to you — especially if it’s good news.

26-1-45 Before I write about anything else I will tell you the good news that my name has been drawn for February leave; the date for which my name was drawn is 23rd Feb., that is to say, I ought to be in England on that day. However Jimmy Naismith has been drawn for the 25th Feb., and this would mean that two of us would be away at the same time leaving a very depleted staff to man the C.P., and, consequently, I may be home sooner in February than the date given above. Of this I shall inform you more precisely shortly darling. Needless to say I am delighted …

As a matter of fact on the day upon which I had the good fortune to be drawn for leave I was away from the unit and you can guess how anxious I was to get back and learn the news, though somewhat fearful in case I should hear bad news. And now I want the days intervening to fly past …

By the way, coming back again to the subject of my leave, I am particularly lucky to be drawn because the allotment for the battery in February was only 20 and there were 160 names in the hat of people eligible.

Well dear I am still in the same comfortable billet from which I wrote my last letter. Last night we were invited by our hosts to a supper comprising a dish of stewed rabbit and potatoes, coffee and a tin of plums which we brought from the canteen. Then we sat by their fire talking until bedtime. I had told the lady that in England cosmetics are scarce and she insisted upon getting a box of Pompeian powder for you as a souvenir from Belgium and is going to get some foundation cream also next week. This present I shall bring home with me next month. Of course we’ve given them one or two things which are short here and they are grateful. We’ve given Henri a number of cigarettes and shaving sticks, blades etc., and his wife some toilet soap as well as chocolate for their son Freddie. All these things we have in plenty and can well afford to give them away.

The people in this village have had a bad time during the war. As well as having their share of flying bombs they suffer many privations. For instance they’ve had no coal for a year and their only fuel in this bitter weather is wood poached from the trees in the neighbourhood or from the ruins of the bombed buildings. In order to make us coffee the other night Henri chopped up one of his chairs for fuel. They have scarcely any soap and adults may only use soft soap, toilet soap being reserved for babies. Henri works in a garage and occasionally manages to obtain a few pounds of coke.

We bought Freddie a toy jeep and some books recently and he is awfully pleased with them and takes the jeep even to bed with him.

Recently I went to a theatre in a city nearby — it was a show put on by ENSA, but far superior to their usual shows… I very much enjoyed the show and the tea and sandwiches afterwards provided in a hotel.

The weather here is unchanged and we’ve had several more falls of snow. The roads are treacherous being like glass and the local people use sleighs.

There is the usual dog in this house — a small, brown puppy who delights in biting at any object including one’s trousers but he’s too small to do any damage.

The news from Russia becomes better day by day. I hear that East Prussia is completely cut off and 200,000 Germans are contained in the bag and I hope the Red Army manages to capture or write them off. Have you heard that the Germans are now sending many of their V-weapons against the Russians? I do hope this will relieve the situation in London and the rest of the country where I know a lot of these terrible things are falling daily.

I’m so glad that I’ve been able to give you good news in this letter my dear and am now counting the days as they pass. Though it’s now Saturday I can give you no more news relating to the date of my leave but … it will definitely be in February sweetheart — there is now no doubt of that…

29-1-45 I have some more good news to communicate darling which is that, in view of the circumstances which I explained in my previous letter. My leave has been put forward and is now due to begin on the 7th February on which date I expect to be in England …

I was indeed pleased with the icing and marzipan on the cake dear. As a matter of fact I shared it with ten people as it’s an unwritten rule here that we share everything in the way of eatables.

The news from the Russian front continues to be marvellous doesn’t it. I haven’t heard the ´óÏó´«Ã½ recently nor seen any newspapers but, according to local griff, the Russians are only about 70 miles from Berlin. I can’t see the war lasting much longer if the Red Army reaches the German capital.

It’s still cold here and more snow has fallen. Last night I was on guard from 1 — 3 o’clock and it needed a tremendous effort to get out of the blankets. A constant procession of flying bombs passed overhead during the night — dozens I should think — but none came down here.

31-1-45 Here begins my last letter to you prior to my leave because if I write any letters after this date it is unlikely that you would receive them before the 7th Feb., on which day I shall be with you…

I am most glad to hear that Marian is flourishing these days. Is she pleased that I am coming home I wonder. Probably she won’t know me now.

The news really is marvellous from the Russian front isn’t it dear and I shan’t be surprised to hear soon that the Red Army is fighting in Berlin. In that city conditions are terrible apparently and the dreadful weather makes their situation worse. If only the Russians can keep up their advance for a month or so longer I think the enemy must capitulate.

I wonder if you have yet had my letter informing you about the leave. Only six more days to go and I shall be on my way home… I am counting the days as they go by but they seem to pass so slowly.

Arthur had 9 days home leave in February.

23-2-45 I arrived safely back at the battery about midday yesterday darling and found the C.P. were living under canvas in a forest. The weather was sunny and mild so it was quite enjoyable under the fir trees and, of course, our stoves were ablaze so that we didn’t feel cold in the evening when the sun had set and the temperature dropped.

Well my dear, as you can imagine, I feel extremely sad and miss you terribly. I keep reliving those wonderful 9 days when I was able to forget the war and the kind of existence we lead here… It was a terrible moment when I left you on the station and began my long journey away from all that makes life worth living.

On Victoria Station I passed many B.L.A. men just home on leave and envied them. I had a comfortable seat in the train which had a canteen in one of the coaches and, though I wasn’t hungry, I was glad of a cup of tea. Arrived at Down at about 1 o’clock on Tuesday morning and we stopped for the night at a barracks there where a meal was provided on arrival and afterwards to bed for four hours sleep. In the morning rose at 6, had breakfast and changed my English money into Dutch. Embarked at about 10 in the morning and reached Calais by midday. As my train did not leave until 9 p.m. I had time to go to a cinema in the camp and afterwards wandered around the town but it’s very uninteresting and badly mauled the train journey onwards was most uncomfortable though we had a break when tea and sausage rolls were supplied at a station about half way to my destination — a most welcome break too. I kept dozing whilst on the train and dropping off my seat since there are no arm rests on these wretched coaches. After a further journey by road — and what roads they were — I was put down at our supply depot where I had to await transport from the unit. That night I spent in the one undamaged room of a house but it had no windows and I had but one blanket and shivered in consequence.

Well that ended my unhappy journey from my beloved wife as the following morning I reached the battery.

Well darling wife it’s no use either of us being depressed as we realised the time would fly past as indeed it has. We must keep cheerful darling and look forward to the early end of the war …

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