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Extracts from Arthur’s Letters to his wife, Gladys, January 1945

3-1-45 I have three letters of yours to reply to darling, Nos. 15, 16, and 17 for which I thank you.

Yes, it’s a pity I had no luck in the draw for January leave but I’m hoping to be more fortunate when February leaves are drawn. In any case I always have it to look forward to darling though I was disappointed… However, the leaves have definitely begun and some of our fellows are already at home or on the way.

I don’t agree with you that lack of news relating to military operations necessarily portends bad news dear, and, as you will know now, not only have the Nazis been stopped in their southern push but they have put themselves into rather a hazardous position. During our rapid advance through France and Belgium the news published was always several days behind our actual movements; for instance, I remember hearing the ´óÏó´«Ã½ broadcast that our advance forces were in Amiens when were miles beyond that place.

I’ve got plenty of soap both washing and toilet. Recently it’s been difficult to get a bath and I’ve not had one for several weeks now. Consequently I’ve not changed my clothes and haven’t had any washing to do.

I’m pleased to learn that the Customs and Excise people have settled your first claim for damages and hope you will obtain the balance as easily. Certainly I agree to your arranging with the Coop for the repairs to our furniture at mum’s place.

It’s been very wintry here during the past few days and the ground has been hard as iron with the frost and most treacherous to walk on…

Things are now going very nicely for us and I hope the news will have dispersed your gloom sweetheart. You have no occasion for anxiety dearest — everything will be alright.

6-1-45 I received your note written on New Year’s Eve thanks darling. I also hope that this year will be a happier one for us all and I’m sure we shall see peace in Europe before long the next New Year’s Eve. …

I trust you are not feeling depressed any longer… The position out here is quite sound and you need not be anxious dear — the Nazis have chewed off more than they can swallow and are suffering heavy losses.

The weather is still very severe and the snow is several inches deep whilst the roads are very slippery…

I’m now in quite a decent billet as the C.P. is situated in a large stone house perched on the summit of a hill and, on a plain at the foot of the hill, our guns stand out clearly against the dazzling whiteness of the snow. Around them the gunners huddle over their fire braziers when not feeding them with shells destined for the Bosch. I am particularly thankful to be off the guns and in Battery H.Q. in such weather as this as I know how uncomfortable it is for the unfortunate gunners. However, when they are not actually serving the guns they manage to make quite comfortable dugouts for themselves with their stoves inside and a pipe protruding through the roof to carry away the smoke. Naturally it’s difficult to make these dugouts waterproof but they have plenty of experience and usually succeed. The gunners work in shifts and when their shift is not working they are accommodated wherever possible and practical in buildings. However, theirs is a hard, toilsome job and I’m not at all sorry to have left it although, in a different sort of way, our work is more arduous and we are constantly on duty.

We have a little white dog here — though he’s a dirty grey actually but would be white if washed. He has the shape and features of a Scotch terrier and I think you would like him.

7-1-44 Last night I received your letters Nos. 18 & 19 and 2 January thanks darling, so you will see that the A.P.O. is improving and I expect that now they have recovered from the Christmas rush deliveries will be normal again.

No, I didn’t feel sheepish when the officers brought me my tea. As a matter of fact we treat the officers just as one of ourselves and they like it. We have in the C.P. two of the best officers I’ve ever known and they ‘muck in’ (to use an army expression) just like the ordinary gunners.

I’ver just heard that I have an increase in pay of 3d a day which is retrospective as from July since I have been mustered as a technical assistant and thus become classified as a tradesman. This increase means that I shall have another 45/- or so added to my credit and soon I shall send you some more money.

The weather is still as bad as ever — in fact it’s colder still today and the sky is grey so I think we shall have more snow. We’re lucky though and have a nice stove so we’re quite warm.

9-1-45 I hope you are quite well darling… I am quite fit my dear except for an attack of indigestion. I refrained from eating until tonight and have taken a pill which our medical orderly gave me. I didn’t have to go sick as it’s only a small thing but the medical orderly is attached to the C.P. and, being something of a novice at medicine, is only too pleased to ‘practise’ on us and in the case of minor ailments we usually humour him.

I should not have eaten pancakes at a late hour as I did. You see Jimmy Naismith, one of my colleagues in the C.P., is something of a cook and likes sometimes to dish up an alfresco meal. Well last night he obtained three eggs, milk, flour and sultanas with which he made what he called Scotch pancakes, adding to the mixture some lime juice crystals to give it a lemon flavour, and, when the pancakes were fried, they were covered with jam and rolled in the usual fashion. They were marvellous pancakes and I couldn’t resist eating two but it was a great mistake and I suffered for it. However I’m feeling alright now darling…

The weather continues as bad and the ground is still snow covered… It’s a picturesque but also a desolate panorama that is spread below us as we gaze from our hilltop across the plains and fir woods to the hills beyond.

We are at present quartered in quite a mansion — a large, grey stone building with spacious rooms tastefully papered — the landscape generally is similar to that of Yorkshire.

There’s a quaint old chap acting as caretaker who is most obliging and provides us with milk and last night gave us a large basket of apples. He is very pleased to exchange American troops for British and considers the former very dirty and untidy by comparison. He recalls when our troops were here in 1940.

13-1-45 I haven’t had an opportunity to write to you during the last few days darling as I have been so busy. I hope that you haven’t been anxious but everything is alright dear.

The weather here is colder yet and the temperature out of doors was 4 degrees this morning. Snow lies 6 inches thick on the ground and there are drifts several feet thick in places. Of course we are on a fairly high altitude and the country is very hilly so the scenery is most beautiful. We are now in a small village of ramshackle farm buildings in one of which our C.P. is situated. The room next door is a stable and the horse that lives there was kicking all night — no doubt it was cold, I know I was as even with the stove burning all night the room never became really warm and we slept on a stone tiled floor, wet from the snow which we carried in with us.

The leave draw has not taken place yet — I am anxious for it to be drawn as all the time I’m waiting for the results I’m on tenterhooks. I do hope that I draw a place for February leave.

The war news is quite satisfactory isn’t it. I’m very pleased to see that arrangements have been made for an armistice in Greece — this is most encouraging. Also the Russians are doing nicely in Hungary and the Germans are retreating on the southern front in Belgium.

Today it’s a little brighter with some sunshine and so one again hears the roar of aircraft, a sound which has been lacking recently owing to the bad weather conditions.

There is a nice little dog here which I know you would like. It’s really a puppy, a liver and white coloured dog, somewhat like a spaniel but not a thoroughbred. It licks up all the remnants of food left on our plates. There’s a fat, sleek cat also that appears occasionally.

Well I’m hoping to have a letter from you this evening if Bing manages to collect any from the depot.

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