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Extracts from Arthur Allvey’s letters to his wife, Gladys, January — February 1945

25-2-45 I’m so sorry that you felt so unhappy darling but I felt, and feel the same. Despite the misery of separation I am glad that I had this leave and was very happy — it was well worth another bitter parting to have those wonderful 9 days …

There isn’t much in the way of news which I can communicate dearest. All is going well out here and the war is on its last legs.

My surmise as to the place to which I should return was a correct one. There are a few civilians in evidence but they appear to be quite happy with their present lot.

We are feeding well here and had a chicken for supper last night and pig chops for dinner today — the animals don’t live long here when our battery is in the vicinity. Also there is plenty of fuel for the fires.

As I passed through Holland on my way back I found that country in a very flooded condition and people had to use boats and rafts to travel to and from their houses many of which are entirely isolated on islands or even partially submerged.

27-2-45 This is only a short letter to let you know that all is well with me darling … There’s really very little to tell you about these days dearest as life is most uninteresting — it seems even more wearisome when viewed against the background of those 9 wonderful days — so long ago it now seems — since I was with you my dear.

It has been a dull day but without rain. I am hoping some fine weather is on the way as it it badly needed to enable us to get this wretched war finished. The weather hasn’t been very favourable to operations recently but despite this some good progress has been made.

At present the C.P. is situated in a cellar and we are fairly comfortable…

Well darling I do hope that you are feeling more cheerful now … How I long to be back there with you dearest wife — I was so happy. It’s so awfully depressing here but I’m sure it won’t be for much longer now so we must be patient…

Last night I dreampt that I was with you and Marian who was then in the pram and she was laughing out loud…

There are quite a number of animals around us that wander about at large now they have nobody to attend to them. There are some sheep that wander forlornly in the fields and amid the ruins here and there a few cows. Just recently however one or two civilians have appeared to take care of these animals.

7-3-45 I yearn for the day when we can really begin our married life with the war behind us and peaceful times ahead. Ah well dear I don’t think we shall have to wait long now as the war is drawing to a close. When will the foolish Germans realise that they’re doomed unless they throw off the Nazi yoke; their towns and cities are being reduced to rubble everywhere by aerial and land bombardment and the whole of Germany will be a ruin unless they quickly capitulate. Today I was watching a batch of their prisoners being marched to the rear areas and they were a pitiful crew; despite the arctic climate — it’s been snowing again — few of them had greatcoats and their clothes were extremely thin. I know because I’ve had an opportunity to try on their uniform having found them discarded at various places. I’ve seen a good many German prisoners at various times and places and their condition seems to have considerably deteriorated recently and some of them seem merely to be schoolboys.

Though it’s very cold here again and we are in the open and living under canvas at the moment I am perfectly warm sitting by a stove in a canvas, rectangular structure such s one sometimes finds in the streets when the repair gangs are working on the roads. It is in this place that we sleep except when on duty in the C.P. which is also a canvas shelter built as an extension to the rear of a vehicle in which the wireless set is installed. It’s pretty cold in the C.P. however where we have no heat and must keep the sides open to allow in the light.

Do you remember when, one Easter holiday years ago, we went hiking — we had some very happy days out in the country didn’t we … there are so many happy memories of those wonderful days and I often reminisce and consider how fortunate I am to have had such happiness… There’s no doubt about it Gladys we’ve been exceptionally lucky in having already had as much happiness in a short time as many people have in a whole lifetime.

After the war we’ll have such fun …

As usual there’s not a lot that I can tell you about current events dearest but you read all about the war in the papers and, doubtless, won’t wish to hear about the war in my letters. Suffice it to say that the situation is very encouraging …

We have plenty of brew stakes, i.e., tea, with milk and sugar, and I have my cocoa still so we have frequent warm drinks. Also the canteen sometimes brings up Bovril and Oxo too.

The weather remains bad —c old and dull — and it’s very miserable and depressing generally. The mud is about two feet thick and the roads are in a frightful state.

I’m always dreaming — when asleep I mean — of being at home with you.

In this position we found a number of pairs of Wellington boots one of which pairs I am wearing and they are very welcome in view of the state of the ground.

I do hope that you are getting plenty of fuel at home now so that you can have nice big fires which you will certainly need if it’s as cold in London as it is here.

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