大象传媒

Air Letter addressed -: S/152035
Cpl. McNicol A.
R.A.S.C
M.I. Photo Section
G.H.Q.
M.E.F.

Postmarked 2.00pm 23.11.1943
Hounslow
Received 28.11.1943 Cost 6d.

(1) 21.11.1943
Baas,

Just up from five days in bed -- influenza; and after going three years without a day off for illness! Well, I suppose you will get this at or near Christmas; another one! 鈥� the last one!? 鈥� in Africa. I revert to your last letter, and find it certainly covers some ground. In early paragraph which contains the sentence 鈥業 suppose things are pretty normal over there鈥� 鈥� catches my eye. This is in juxtaposition to your observation 鈥榳ell Jack鈥檚 married now鈥� 鈥� and it would seem that you reason that because two people can still get married things must be normal. Well things are pretty normal 鈥� but only in their abnormality. We still have the 鈥榖lackout鈥�, we still get our rations and we still get enemy raids 鈥� if light ones. Travel is restricted last buses run about nine, o, clock in towns, at which time cinemas turn out finally. The week during which I last wrote to you, we had the siren and gun fire on five out of the seven nights. A fortnight ago, I spent half hour in the loft at 31 patching up the shrapnel broken tiles. Last weekend we had over three hundred casualties under five miles away 鈥� there would have been more, had it been, say the start of the boat race! As I left St. Pancreas last weekend the sirens were wailing, and gunfire could be heard. The Tube shelters had already been filling up. We, travelling to Midlands without lights, and just before my destination the train we stopped, whilst a plane could be heard overhead. A few seconds later a tremendous red flash went up on our left. We proceeded -------------------------------- And what do we get to eat? Well this is the women鈥檚 department, which all men avoid like the plague, but the following is very near the situation.

Weekly rations, per person. (If, and when available);
Butter 2ozs / Bacon 4ozs / (Salt plenty(To this is added monthly)
Margarine 4ozs / Sugar 8ozs / (Flour plenty(per person)
Lard 2ozs / Milk 2 pints / (Coffee plenty(Jam/Marmalade 16ozs)
Cheese 3ozs / Meat 1s/2d worth / (All at premium (1 pkt dried eggs= 12 eggs)
Tea 2ozs / Bread ad lib / (prices( 1 egg (hen))

The above is the basic ration. We are in addition, allowed a number of 鈥榩oints鈥�.

(2)
(20 per person monthly) To allow for varying tastes, these are expendable as follows, (and when available);
Rice 16ozs 4 pts / Sardines 6 pts / Dried fruit 陆 lb 6pts
Syrup 16ozs 8 pts / Salmon 20 pts / Sausage meat 1lb 11 pts
Tinned milk 4 pts / Cereals 3 pts / Spam 12ozs 11 pts

You will observe from this that if you buy a tin of salmon for tea it nearly clears you for the month.
Coal 1cwt per house weekly.
Soap/ soap flakes. 1lb allowed monthly against each ration book.
Vegetables. Plentiful in season but expensive;
Sprouts 6d lb
Cabbage 5d lb
Cauliflower 5d lb
Beans 8d to 1/6d lb
White grapes 30/ - lb Peaches 8/6 lb Pears 1/- each
Oranges when available 2lbs for children up to five, sold on production of childs ration book. After one week available to all (Personally have had two oranges in three years).

The weekly sweets / choc. Ration is 3ozs/ choc. Pre war price
Sweets doubled
Whilst on rationing; Clothes; 20 coupons to last 4 months.
Suit 21 coupons / Pants 3 coupons
Hanky 录 鈥� / Vest 3 鈥�
Shoes 9 鈥� / Shirt 5 鈥�
鈥� (childs) 2 鈥� / Raincoat 18 鈥�
Costume 18 鈥� / Socks 2 鈥�
All other materials need coupons.

Well, Baas, I hope you can sort this out. I鈥檝e just had flu remember!
Wally.

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