1021 Docks Operating Coy., R.E. C.M.F.
No. 133

Dearest Heart,

A letter yesterday you good person and good person the postie too to bring it to our field so far from you and anyone else almost. It was written on my birthday, which was quick coming. A nice letter indeed full of news of Things; I’ve a lot more material, for three or four and am getting more like the chance of writing them. Bertha wrote yesterday too all about her theatre, wanting very much another play and saying not to let Bill Hughes and Co. have my plays as she is running two companies after the war and sending them down south, and wants mine to do then, and will pay again and more – a spot of bidding being set up! I’ll see if we can sit in the opening of a tent here away from all things like that and do one. I’ll try hard I will.

As usual I have made a civilian contact, a good thing as it helps me to get the real insight into these foreign parts and the history of these days, a family of farmers, in a communal way, three families all interrelated, where they give me good wine, and I provide coffee and they talk and ask things after we have got unshy which reveal a great deal and help me to understand something of this tangle. Its very peaceful and peasantish.  Its the only farm for miles, and they have three cows, great white animals with long horns, and one horse. Its very feudal and unlike anything else. Not the class I knew in the South, but hard working Lloydish folk. Comic somehow. I mouse along in the evening for an hour in the gloaming, overlooking the camp, and mouse back for Staff parade after Lights Out, not that we have any lights.

Made a proverb today please note down and remember, I like it. “The black sheep bleats the loudest”.  Perhaps not.  And from a letter I censored. “Don’t mind what Pa says. I never do.   He’s getting old and miserable”.  Poor Pa!  Will Richard ever write that his pa is getting old and miserable, check any tendency you see, I pray you.

This climate is well-might perfect. Sun all day, but not the burning oppressive heat of Sicily or Tripoli, clean fresh sun, and always a little sea breeze playing up our long shallow valley between the tents and through my Company office, a marquee running fore and aft.    But two days ago we had a thunder storm and torrents of rain and many holes were full of water with kit floating sadly in it, and all tents wet.    But being campaigners, the men soon had things out to dry, the sun and wind came, and now everyone is fully efficient and clean and tidy and dry. A good show.

This is wonderfully healthy life, we are all sun burned and clear eyed and bleached haired and with simple army field rations, biscuits and plain good food, and early to bed, we are all very elastic and lively. Very. I shouldn’t wonder, but I do.

Good about you doing the farming when Marjorie’s Betty was dehydrated at the hospital with Blood confusions. I bet the cows and sheep liked it. You have a flair for it, farm fingers. You shall have your cow and your geese and your ducks and a sheep, yes a sheep, we’ll have a black sheep.  Bleats louder.

So Dickie’s vocabulary includes Gee Gee, Duzza-duzza and diggle diggle diggle.    Bless us all.  Rather basic, isn’t it? I feel rather basic, too.    Oh dear

Yes, eleven years older than you, a very father indeed for Dickie, little does he know.    I wish I had a Lanave of you to go and look at from time to time. Oh, have you sent May her Lanave, I expect you’ve done what I’d have done, postponed the problem, but Peter sort of hankers. Bless the man.

Breakers in the cove this afternoon and after rather an administrative morning and amid a busy afternoon I upped and went down to the cove, picking up one Enzo on the way, a grandson of the padrone and an English looking eleven year old and we shed our clothes and leapt and rolled and splashed and were tossed about in the breakers and it was very good with much sea weed, Peter turned up, and stood watching and a breaker overtook him and he came in, once he was soaked.    This is not a hard life. Our job goes well too and the hardest part is over.    Like Sicily, it eases as the time passes.

Have not the books and things I have sent you embarrassed you from the point of view of space?  If so get rid of a lot of those useless ones we have so seldom used. A good clear out is wise from time to time, keeping the best and getting the quality improved all the time. Also raiment and garments of mine can go too to make room, be ruthless. Like Allan. (Joke RUTH-less)(Ruth)His girl.  see the joke?

Now for an evening parade in the sunshine, slanting across the little hills, low and rich and so soft in the evening light.