My Dear Bessie (45 page)

25 April 1946

Darling I Am Soon To Meet,

Well, I have made the first move, and am now writing from Lammie Transit Camp, a few miles from Naples. So far I have only been here an hour, got my meal ticket, a tent number, and have secured a bed. I am with eight others, all Class ‘B', most builders. My original estimate of ‘home sometime week beginning May 5th' still seems good, but it looks as though it will be towards the end of the week.

I don't want to have breakfast any morning, dear. I want us to stop in bed till ten o'clock as we did at 27, and then have a slice of bread and jam. I want to be in bed with you, not only in sleepy understanding and greeting of the night, but in happy realisation of hailing the new day. Oh, to kiss your dear dear lips again, to speak and be spoken unto. My dearest, I love you with all my
heart and mind. My strength is yours, for all of it derives from you, rests with you.

I love you.

Chris

27 April 1946

My Dear Wife,

I have just heard a rumour, pretty authentic, that Derby beat our team after extra time. Hard luck. How pleased my Dad would have been at the result. There will be many sad hearts in London tonight, and I expect a lot of money changed hands.

Did you see the Grand National on the films? I thought it was a real scandal, like a blood sport, to expect those horses to do so much. Only six finished the course, and at least one had to be shot.

28.4.46 Sunday today, and all being well we shall get away from here tomorrow. So this is our last Sunday in Italy. There is a faint chance I may actually be landing in England next Sunday, which would suit me very well. I shall be happier when I get away from Naples, and actually get on my way to you.

What do you think of the idea of advertising my boots, shirts, battle dress at reasonable prices, and for the equivalent number of
coupons? Would we get any takers? If so, I am all for it, as it would very conveniently dispose of them.

I shall only send short notes from now, I think. I am tired today and want the hours to rush till tomorrow night when we leave Naples. Then, every mile will bring me nearer to you, to home, to life. Dearest, this is a strain, this waiting, isn't it? By the time I get to you, I shall be really washed out.

My Wife, I love you.

Chris

29 April 1946

Dear One,

And now it is Monday.

It is 8.30 and the list of those who are leaving today goes up at 10.30, so I have two hours to fret away before knowing the best or the worst. No one knows beforehand, and our computations are based on hope rather than knowledge.

I have just been to the office to enquire about pay (and unsuccessfully), and heard that 42 of the 53 ‘B' Releases here are leaving tonight. I am almost certain to be in this lot, so thank goodness I shall at last be travelling in the direction I want to go. Tonight and tomorrow night I shall be sleeping on the floor of the
railway truck, dirty, uncomfortable – and HAPPY. I have a lot to go through before I see you again, my dear, but providing I keep moving, I shan't mind. It's hanging around which is terrible. Like you now, having to hang around, doing nothing special.

The list is up, and I am on it. Hurrah! Away at last. I shall soon be having my final shower before leaving here, a late shave so that I need not shave on the journey. I shall be getting a little bag with my rations in it, and putting my kitbag out to be collected. And then an early tea, to wait two hours at the station before the train goes. I know the routine well. I have imagined myself doing this for a long time.

I am on my way; to our life together, to the place you bring, the coolness you mean; to the security of your bosom and the warmth of YOU.

I LOVE YOU.

Chris

1 May 1946

My Darling, I am yours.

I am starting this note in what for some is the Eternal City – after having taken eleven hours to get here. I have just had my breakfast, egg and bacon, a slight wash, and am ready for the next stop half
a dozen hours later. 150 miles in 11 hours is hardly speeding, but why worry, every mile is one mile nearer my darling wife, my lovely Bessie.

We are hoping not to spend too long at Milan, as from May 2nd troop trains do not go through Switzerland, but use Austria instead. This may mean we shall be hurried through Milan, or maybe we shall be sent on to Bologna and thence to Austria. In any case, I really think that within a week I should be home (that is, on the Wednesday).

Unless there are fogs in the Channel or some blooming thing, I shall be with you in seven days, I think. That still seems a long, long way off, but, my dear and lovely one, it will soon pass. When you get this, with any luck, I shall be arriving in Calais (if that is where they send us).

I'll get into whatever clothes you put out, and be transformed quickly. I hope you have a nice lot of jobs wanting doing – that is something I badly want to do – any jobs you might otherwise have had to do yourself. Tomorrow – MILAN!

And now it is tomorrow. I am at Milan, and scribbling quickly to possibly catch the day's post before I go to breakfast. It is only 7 a.m., so anything may happen today.

Darling, Darling, I love you.

Chris

4 May 1946

DOVER

My Very Own Dear One,

My boat arrived here at about three o'clock today. We leave here at 8 o'clock in the morning for our Depot. I expect to arrive at Thirsk at 8 p.m. Sunday. If they get speeding on Monday (that is ‘today' for you, my dear dear reader), perhaps I may be home for Tuesday. I don't know. We can only hope for the best.

Although tomorrow night I shall be 200 miles away, tonight, my dear one, I shall be only fifty from you, and at last on the same ‘lump' of land. That really is progress! I feel sad and anguished that I didn't get to you today, but the Army doesn't consider people.

Everyone here looks fresh and healthy, and well-fed. There is a good deal of bomb and (presumably) shell damage, and little seems to have been done to mend it.

Darling, I love you so much. Perhaps you've got my telegram by now and know I am near you. Darling, tonight we will be able to go to sleep knowing each other's location more than we have done for months. I shall like that.

Lovely, warm woman, I am not very far away.

Dearest, I love you.

Chris

5 May 1946, Posted 7 May

Dearest,

I have now arrived at Thirsk, waiting an hour at the station in a bitterly cold wind.

I am very sorry I raised your hopes with my ‘possibly Tuesday' – now it seems ‘possibly Thursday'. I fret at the delay, as you must do. But I am afraid we must both be as good as possible. PLEASE don't try meeting me at the station, or anything like that, I might be on any train or may come a different way. I shall come as soon as I can.

The food we have eaten in England so far has been plentiful – cheese, sausages, margarine, bread, and also wholesomely cooked. There is hot and cold water in the taps here, and after going to the lavatory one pulls a plug. Home comforts!

Will continue this tomorrow, when I sincerely hope I shall have much more to say of my date of arrival. Am going to bed now. My darling, soon, soon, soon, I shall be going to bed with you.

I hope these last letters of mine are not getting on your nerves. I know they have many defects. But somehow, I do want to keep on writing, saying something, to keep in contact. If I knew earlier what I know now, I could have asked you to write me here. Oh why must there be this final maddening delay?

WIFE, WOMAN, BESSIE, I love you.

Chris

6 May 1946, Posted 7 May

My Darling, Wonderful Wife,

It should be Wednesday morning when you get this. WITHIN TWENTY FOUR HOURS YOU WILL BE IN MY ARMS. I have heard definitely today that I shall be out of the Army Wednesday night, so, my dearest, that will be your last night of alone-ness, and today your last day without me to make demands on you, in person. LOVELY, ISN'T IT?

Put the alarm clock on for 6.30 when you go to bed tonight (Wednesday), as I shall be along as early as that. WE SHALL BREAKFAST TOGETHER TOMORROW (Thursday) MORNING (I hope you sleep well tonight!).