大象传媒

HMS Barham 鈥� Last Two Months

The following are extracts from censored letters written from the Barham by my father, Surgeon-Commander E.R.Sorley, RN. These letters were written after Barham had been back in the Mediterranean about a month after returning from repairs at Durban, South Africa.

Airgraph 鈥� 23rd September 1941:

鈥淛ust after sending off an airgraph to you yesterday, I got a whacking big all sea-route mail with six letters from you, dating from the end of June to 17th July. August is still a silent month, but I鈥檓 hoping for an airmail this week. I had a letter, too, from 鈥淢en Only鈥� accepting my short story(1) for publication 鈥渁t a later date鈥� - I can鈥檛 therefore tell you when it will appear in print. They haven鈥檛 paid me yet, either, but I expect a cheque will come(2). We are having an E.N.S.A. concert party on board today again, which should bring a spot of romance into our monastic lives.鈥�

Notes: (1) 鈥淎 Tangled Web鈥� (2) 拢3:3:0 was received after the Barham was sunk

30th September, 1941: Alexandria

鈥淚 am very well. I am playing tennis today, and cricket tomorrow. Life here is more than tolerable, or at least I make it so, even if influences try to depress me. I hear that old Sloane is being relieved from Singapore - after only 1 1/2 years. What an extraordinary thing! He must have asked for relief. Well, well people don鈥檛 know when they are well off, do they? I count the Singapore time as pre-eminently the most colourful and stimulating of my life, beauty, work, worry, leisure and love rubbed shoulders there, and made a lifetime of three years for which I shall always be grateful.鈥�

Airgraph 鈥� 1st 0ctober, 1941

鈥淗ere I am, poring over your airgraph with a microscope - not really - the typescript comes out very well, and you achieved more words on the sheet than I can aspire to with this honest right hand. Yes, please, do use the airgraph regularly. It is fairly prompt, and by typing you can get quite a lot of chit-chat through to me. Your message of today - the first for over 2 months - has cheered me up tremendously. I have also tonight your cable saying 鈥淎ll well鈥�. It is dated 27.7. - but that must be a misprint for 27.9. I don鈥檛 know what happened to my cable from Durban. So glad that Peter Glason has made contact, and delivered the leatherwork. He is a nice boy. You don鈥檛 say whether you have got the leather bags for the children; they left Durban 3 weeks before P.G. I am thrilled to know that you and Davie are pleased with your presents. I have heard indirectly that your perfume arrived, too. Remember, I look forward to one airgraph a week at least. I was amused that Graeme was so keen to know if I looked older. Maybe I do, as I鈥檒l be forty at the end of next week.鈥�

Airgraph - 6th October, 1941:

鈥淚 was delighted to get your cable of 2nd October today, telling of the arrival of a parcel for Graeme and Dansie. That must be the first of the two 鈥済oodie鈥� consignments from Durban. You haven鈥檛 mentioned receipt of the small leather bags for the children. I hope that they have not gone astray - they left Durban on 26th June. To-day, I also got two sea-mail letters of 4th and 7th August. It must be a blow to her. Graeme seems very thrilled about his school. As you say, it is difficult to assess the value of schools from hearsay, but I鈥檓 sure you won鈥檛 be wrong in sending G. in January.

My darling Graeme and Dansie, I hope you enjoyed the chocolate and the sweets. I wish I could send you more. Thank you, Graeme, for your letter in which you had printed the name of your new school so well. Dans, my dear, I hope you will have a nice 6th birthday, and that my little present will arrive in time.鈥�

6th October: 1941: Alexandria

鈥淲e are leading a comparatively quiet life at the moment; the air raids have been absent from the scene for almost 14 days. Can it be that the enemy is short of petrol and oil? That is one popular theory, and quite a likely one. The Russian resistance has been a terrible blow to Hitler, and without being complacent, I think it is right to say that the outlook has never been better. It is ridiculous to say that the war will be over by Christmas or Easter, as many here are saying - but provided the Germans meet with defeat in Russia, I should say the chances of a finish towards the end of 1942 are fairly good. Even so, it will take all our energies and all our courage and involve us in still some grievous losses.

Hitlerism is like a cancer, which cannot be cured for certain except by exportation of the foul tissue and much healthy tissue as well, so we must accept with resolute hearts the cutting away of many good and true men and women and children, so that the operation of the Great Surgeon may leave a clear uninfestering result. The Russians have surprised everybody, and they must have a fervid love of their country, which provokes the highest praise and makes one think that Communism is perhaps not such an evil thing as we thought. I hope that after the war Russia can co-operate with us without their systems of thinking being forced on our people, or vice-versa. John Davy arrived out this way a few days ago. He is to be the P.M.O. of the local Hospital (Naval Section). I haven鈥檛 met him yet but hope to on Friday when I am having lunch at the Hospital. I am still Squadron Medical officer (5/- per day) - an office which does not carry much extra work with it, although I have to consult with old Greeson(2) from time to time - and incidentally find him very easy and friendly. In a recent report he has given me quite a boost on the transfusion business, having quoted much of my writings on the subject.鈥�

Note: (2) Senior Fleet Medical Officer

To be continued

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