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Extracts from Arthur’s Letters to his wife, Gladys, July -August 1944

12-7-44 Thanks for your long letter of 7th July received today. I know you haven’t had time to write often so don’t let that worry you dearest. I’m beginning to understand how bad it is in London again as I’ve seen in the papers that the children are being evacuated again and some fellows just arrived from England have spoken about the damage. Also we are concentrating our bombing attacks on the flying bomb installations. Although you say nothing about it I know it’s bad and am very anxious.

From your account of the reaction of the public to the invasion it appears that everyone is taking it very calmly on the whole which seems strange in view of the fact that for so many years it’s been in most people’s minds. There was a lot of excitement in the camp where I was when we heard the news and everybody was amazingly bucked; in fact, I’ve never seen fellows in such high spirits and they were glad to get away from the camp and en route to France.

I heard over the wireless that the Russians are only 60 miles away from the frontier of East Prussia which is very good news.

Yes the women here do one’s washing but I don’t bother to send them mine. In Sicily the women were most eager to earn a packet of biscuits or equal by this means and sent round for the washing, afterwards delivering it, but out here they’re well fed and don’t seem particularly keen to do these tasks.

18-7-44 I have received the parcel containing a book, newspapers and shaving soap — thank you for these things.

Things are happening on this front and we’ve made some useful gains, including the remainder of Caen, after a terrific air bombardment. Naturally we’ve been pretty busy during the last day or so. Luckily the weather has changed and the fine weather has favoured the Allied planes — you will have seen in the papers that 44,400 Allied planes were over this front this morning.

Hope you haven’t been worried by the flying bombs recently. Don’t overlook what I have said about evacuating London. There is no reason why you should stay, and, according to the papers, the Government are willing to assist in the evacuation of people who are not needed in London. It would only be for a matter of a few months dear, so please see what you can do.

19-7-44 How are you and Marian my darling? I do hope that all is well at home sweetheart and that you aren’t having too bad a time though I realise that these flying bombs are terribly frightening. Therefore I would like you to go away from London for a few months until the trouble is over as I think it will be soon. It could be arranged for you and Marian to evacuate, as according to the papers I’ve been reading, the Government will make arrangements to send out of London mothers with young babies so please look into the possibilities of such a move — I am awfully worried about you darling…

You must try not to add to your anxieties by worrying about me because I’m getting along very nicely and am perfectly well and conditions generally are good. Everybody is extremely cheerful since we know very well that we are on top here and have wonderful air support. The Germans are again on the run along most of the front and it’s only a matter of time now to complete the job. Then we’ll look around for a house to settle down in and bring up Marian and we’ll have as many dogs as you want.

You may be interested to know that at this point I had to interrupt my letter to perform my part in a bombardment of a German position.

The food question is still very satisfactory here and we regularly have about a slice of bread per day. Also the cherries are ripe and very tasty they are. I’ve now got plenty of soap, books, newspapers and tobacco but am short of notepaper… have just received a number of newspapers dated yesterday.

There are many geraniums growing in the gardens and window boxes of the farm houses here — red and pink ones — and they look very fine…We have a lot of young chicks running around and they are also investigating the cookhouse. If a plate of food is placed before them they immediately begin eating from it — they like especially biscuits and cheese. Also there are piglets, calves, lambs and young horses — you’d like to see them I know.

Note the new address B.L.A. i.e. British Liberation Army.

21-7-44 After two days of very fine weather it’s turned to rain again and has rained for about 12 hours continuously. The ground is in a terrible state. It’s a great pity that the weather has been so bad since the invasion because it’s definitely put the brake on things and it’s particularly a handicap to our air force.

There are rumours going the rounds that Hitler has had some trouble at a meeting and fighting broke out in which he and Himmler were injured. If true it’s good news but I’m not banking on it. If indeed the German people are turning against Hitler the war should soon be over.

We’ve made some useful advances in the last few days but this wretched weather is slowing things up again.

Well it’s nearly six weeks since I came to France: it seems a very long time ago since I left England and ages since I saw you last. However it’s that much nearer to the day when I shall return home again which is the best way to view the position don’t you think dear. I don’t think that day is so very far away now. The Nazis are in a very awkward situation and there’s no solution for them. These flying bombs, as you say, seem to be a last, desperate resort which will avail them nothing though it’s inflicting such terror and hardship on the people at home.

24-7-44 I was very pleased to receive your letter of 16th July today and extremely relieved to know that all is well because it’s the first letter I’ve had for 7 days and I was very worried in consequence. Apparently the bad weather must have interfered with the mails since you also were kept waiting dearest. The weather has been the worst yet in Normandy and it’s rained days on end making the ground in a horrible state. I see that the American press is criticising us for the slowness of the advance out here but they can’t understand the conditions existing when they do so because the going is frightfully difficult in such a climate. Excepting the first fortnight of the campaign the weather has been against us almost the whole of the time and it’s difficult enough for the gunners but must be worse for tanks and infantry. Gunpits become bogged so that it’s next to impossible to move the guns. Luckily it’s now drying up and has been quite pleasant today. If it continues our troubles will be over and we shall be able to exploit our gains south of Caen and elsewhere.

We’re in xxxxxxxxx [words obliterated by the censor] position and have a very pleasant location in the meadows of a farm with cows grazing all around us. There are farm buildings nearby and, occasionally, the sound of bells from the village church can be heard, striking a peaceful note. During quiet periods one can imagine this to be a dairy farm in England as the country is very similar with the same hedgerows separating the meadows but the buildings are different being solidly constructed of stone, very plain but strong.

The wireless is on and broadcasting some light music to which you probably are also listening. The cows have just caused some consternation by nibbling at the camouflage of leaves and branches which I took so much trouble in creating around the command post. We should be able to get plenty of milk on this farm as some women have just been milking the cows. Butter can’t be obtained now though because it’s required for the reserve being built up to feed the French people as we liberate them. A sign of the better weather is the sound of our aircraft passing overhead, a sound which we’ve missed for several days past.

The Nazis have been dropping some amusing pamphlets around this neighbourhood which make it clear that we and they are, beneath the surface, the best of pals and our common enemy the terrible reds so I suppose we shall soon be expected to come to their rescue.

Yes, all the news is excellent and the Allies are closing in so no wonder the Nazis try to divert us with these foolish pamphlets. The reports of unrest and struggle within Germany, though vague, are very interesting and encouraging and I hope the rift widens. Is this the herald of a political collapse in Germany I wonder? It’s reminiscent of the events which terminated the last war isn’t it dearest?

I’ve just got my supper, tea with cows’ milk, biscuits and spam. We usually get a snack at supper time in addition to the usual three meals since rations are fairly abundant. Soon we shall be on ordinary U.K. rations as we can now bring over fresh food supplies apparently.

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