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Extracts from Arthur Allvey’s Letters to his Wife, Gladys, May — June 1944

2-5-44 Judging by the roar in the sky, which never ceases for many minutes, the raids are becoming heavier than ever and I hope they produce the desired results, namely the softening up of the Nazis anti-invasion defences.

5-5-44 I regret that you will have been without letters for the past week but this is owing to the fact that we’ve been moved to a new position and, although I wrote you a letter on Tuesday last in addition to Monday’s post card, it’s very doubtful whether it’s been dispatched yet since all the officers have been busy and have probably neglected censoring mail for the time being. I trust that you have not been worrying my dear as there is nothing to worry about as I’m still in England.

Well I came to this place on Wednesday with the advance party and in some respects it’s superior to the other place from which we’ve just been evacuated. There are three large cinemas, five canteens and every other shop is a restaurant but probably most of them no longer open. Also there are reviews and boxing exhibitions at the Town Hall so we are not short of entertainment. Also with the weather so pleasant and the light evenings it’s nice to walk along the front after tea if not on duty. I had nothing to do the day I arrived so walked around on a reconnaissance of the place and found out all the places of entertainment and refreshment as is my wont on reaching a new destination.

I’ve had another change in my position in the battery being now in the battery command post; there’s little difference in the work of the two command posts but, as the battery controls the two troops, there’s more work to do and a larger staff. I don’t know the people very well yet but they seem to be decent chaps and I expect I shall get on alright with them.

We are again billeted in houses but the billets this aren’t so good as before: however they’re comfortable enough.

If only I could get home on a leave but there seems no prospect of this. the subject is becoming a complex with the fellows and is daily spoken of and conjectured about, but gradually we are becoming resigned to the idea of no leave. Still it’s a bitter disappointment to everybody and is responsible for a feeling of apathy — we’d all been so confident that a leave would be granted after the Redesdale exercise and had been banking on it. However, if it’s going to shorten the war I shan’t grumble as it’s high time we began the task.

9-5-44 Hope you are quite well … I am perfectly fit I’m glad to say.

I arrived back at my billet last night from the exercise I warned you about and in consequence of which I have been unable to write to you for several days, and was extremely glad to get in and enjoy a good nights rest on my straw palliase after a few nights on the hard, unyielding ground. When I regularly slept on the ground I became accustomed to it and eventually slept there as comfortably as in a feather bed but, now that I’ve lost the habit and grown more accustomed to sleeping under cover on straw mattresses, I can no longer lie down on any chance piece of ground and not notice the boulders and stumps of bush which inevitably manage to find their way under the ground sheet and insinuate themselves into the small of one’s back. There’s one advantage of sleeping out though which is that one wakes up so fresh whereas, sleeping in a small room with blackouts up it becomes so stuffy.

Well I had a pretty busy time on the exercise and on both nights was working until 1 o’clock in the morning… The countryside was again delightful, so fresh with the light green tints of spring and bluebells growing all around us.

Arthur did get a leave in May.

22-5-44 I arrived back here in good time on Saturday night and had a good leave though the time was so short. I was very sorry to leave you so quickly darling but it was nice to get home even for so short a period and to know that you are well.

Yesterday the weather was beautiful here and I could have been so much better employed at home as there was nothing whatsoever to do here. Bill and I went for a long walk in the afternoon, returning for tea and playing table tennis in the canteen.

Today I’m on guard duty until 5 p.m. tomorrow and it’s awfully boring wondering about keeping an eye on the vehicles. I’m on duty every 2 hours in 6 but when off patrol duty have to guard the prisoners. We’ve managed to fix up a wireless so there’s some music and we get all the news. I’m taking this opportunity of writing to you whilst I’m not on the prowl although there’s very little to write about dearest.

25-5-44 I am still employed much as usual and am still at the same place. There is very little work to do here and so I have plenty of time to explore the neighbourhood…However I mustn’t grumble at this inaction as the time may come when I shall wish for such a quiet, restful place.

I’ve just been to Woolworths to get some [razor] blades and I was told that they were selling as many as you liked to buy but only managed to get four. You won’t forget, when you happen to be at the chemists, to obtain any blades that are to be had will you dearest. They’re very difficult to obtain these days and our ration is only 1 a week from the NAAFI — when they have any, that’s to say.

5-6-44 We’ve now exchanged our billets for canvas tents and it’s not so comfortable in the latter of course but in this weather it’s not too bad. In our tent we are rather lucky as one of the fellows has a wireless set and we have the news and plenty of music. We’ve just heard of the fall of Rome which is good news isn’t it darling.

11-6-44 I’m sorry that I’ve been unable to write to you for several days darling but one can only occasionally have letters censored these days so it’s no use writing so frequently since the letters can only be handed in at the times stipulated.

I hope that you are well and not worrying about me sweetheart because I’m perfectly well — so please don’t be anxious sweetheart.

I’m afraid my dear that I cannot tell you anything about my movements now nor what I am doing so that unfortunately my letters are likely to contain very little of interest nowadays but I hope you will understand why they are so short.

According to the news we are doing very well in France and the war shouldn’t last so very long now. Needless to say I am looking forward very much to the happy day when I shall be out of the army and we can make a home for ourselves again…

13-6-44 in my previous letter I could not tell you this but can now say that I am in France and everything is going along fine. I cannot tell you anything about my movements of course at this juncture, but try not to be anxious about me darling: I shall be alright rest assured.

I’m getting plenty of food and NAAFI supplies are already reaching us so I have sufficient tobacco and so on.

I’m afraid darling that my letters are going to be rather uninteresting for a time because there’s so little I can tell you about my activities owing to security reasons.

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