Half past four on a nutty sunny Sunday, in the library, – and thinking of you. High Tea is being prepared & we’re just in from a walk. Bertha’s an excellent companion, & so very kind, but I’m spoiled for a walk companion, by you. You put everyone else in the shade, all other people are so inadequate.

                         I wrote to you yesterday morning at the camp. After that the Education Officer came with an A.T.S. driver in a Utility. A lean enthusiastic Scotsman. We discussed our problems & then he had lunch with us & the A.T.S. girl went to the Sergeants mess. After lunch more business until at 3o/c he took the Major, Peter & myself into Glasgow with him. – one up for the A.E.C. in Glasgow the Old Man was marvellous – full of jest, naivète, willingness to please & be pleased, thrilled by shop windows & snorty about American poise ! We had tea first, – he paid – & then shopped – toothpaste, torch etc. Then I pooh-poohed their assurance that it was hopeless to try to get into the pictures, led them to the Paramount, called on St Anthony, applied at the Box Office & got three seats at 3/- for “The First of The Few” It started five minutes after we got settled. Exceptionally good. Brilliant production, wit & very sincere pathos, magnificent aerial photography & all Spitfires – Spitfires all the way. Do go if you can get to it.

                        After that we had very large very thick & very tender beef steaks at the Strand & 3 pints of beer & so – home, by train to Bishopston & truck to the camp, & a drink in the mess & so to bed. A happy Saturday. The Major going out with Peter & I. To weigh us up ? Young company ? Why ? Anyhow he did.

                        This morning was Sunday & we all paraded at 9o/c, & the Major took the parade. We marched 3 miles to Langbank like this :-
                       Church was simple & short & they marched away to camp & I got into a bus that came along, descend at Glasgow, bussed to Caldergrove & here I am. In five minutes, because it’s five to seven now, I’ll put your call down hopefully. There’s the usual hours delay, but three times this week they said that and then, when I enquired after the call two hours after its been three hours delay, & I’ve cancelled the call. I hope is not like that this time!

                        This week must try to get some writing done. Such a happy family Mess     that one hesitates about clearing off – at first anyhow. You can let me have any cheques that come if it’s inconvenient to pay them in yourself.

                        When & if you send a parcel, could use put my tankard, the pint one, in ? Useful here ! And please don’t put the worst construction on that request.

10-10-42 This is a guessed date!

 
Me at the table
Two sentries asleep.
One on his beat with flashing Bayonet
The Junior Guard Commander is also asleep.
A sleepy scene, but at a roar from the sentry & one from me they’d soon be up & out.  Very fierce.
But the sun shines on an avenue of lime trees : And I could be at Comfortable Caldergrove.
But duty must be done.

My Dearest,

                        So you see from the above where I am.  At the guard room table.  I’m a bit troubled about the letter I wrote to you on Friday at Caldergrove.  I can’t find it, & maybe I left it there & they posted it or maybe not.  If it was not posted there’ll be a gap !  I worked there from 8 to 1.30, at “The Adventure” The new play for the C.T.  & had an interlude where I wrote to you.  Only a chittery chattery letter.  The news was of Fridays activities – M.T lectures all the morning, water supply all the afternoon & P.T. to finish with.  Then a hectic rush for a shower, a change, pay parade, tea & a General Meeting wherein the Committee’s proposals were discussed & eventually confirmed, Bob Frechville & I getting our way & riding the vocative meeting by putting artfully worded propositions.  All goes out. In the evening I tried hard at our play & did ten pages, which were a good start.  I’m going again on Tuesday if it’s possible to do it again, & this time to forge ahead & do a lot.  It a full length successor to The Queen & Mr. Shakespeare, a nice bright sea salted tale about a boy who runs away to sea.  The conditions restraining it are that it must be very clear, have action to hold young audiences, have educational & moral value, be accurate as to period and details, & I have no man in it !  We’ve thrashed it out & all is done bar the writing.  Another for M^r. Fuller in due course & for the B.B.C.  Bless us all !

                        Yesterday morning was pistol training, three periods of it, very gay & fascinating.  We fire them later, on the last morning.  Then we did the full obstacle course last period, the whole bag of tricks.  I got round very well considering my advanced age & puffed rather but finished in fine style with a leap over the burn in such style that the sports officer put my name down & congratulated me. Poor Bulldog, cracked his knees, splitting the skin gorily & dislocated his knee-cap, another busted his forehead open & Ramsey broke his ankle.  Next time we do it in full battle order.
At all great fun & a real romp.

                        After a shower and dinner Peter & I went by bus to Caldergrove & got into the car with Bertha & Jennie.  We had a lovely run.  To Coyr, past Bobby Burns Cottage, where we did the usual inspection.  Then we drove on along the coast & stopped at Dundure or some such a village, a ruined castle & lots of seaweed & rocks.  Peter & I frisked & paddled & we took photos.  Then on & round to Ayr where we had a meal & so home.  Part of the time Bertha & I talked C.T.  & evolved 2 numbers.  Then at 9o/c I was back here & cleaning my equipment for todays B/S Guard mounting.

                        Its a grand to do at 9o/c on Sundays, all same, exactly, the Guard mounting at Buckingham Palace.  The Old Guard & the New Guard do a stately military country-dance with much mutual presenting of arms & taradiddles & ones voice echoes over Lanarkshire for twenty minutes.  A rare to do.  And through the day, every two hours we have a nice little double act when I parade the new sentry and in the drill, inspect him & solemnly march him to the sentry box where we do complicated manoeuvres ending in the old sentry being at my side & the new one in position.  An appreciative in the road enjoys it, its one of the local sights !!!  Indeed the ancient saying is right.  Bullshit Baffles Brains !  But it has reason.
I liked the poem by Diana James in the spectator, Dallas – his drift.  D’you remember it ?  I’ve cut it out to carry around with me.
. . . . . . . . . . . .  and the tears poured
On to it, little hand that he adored.
God, he had loved her !  God, she had had his love ! . . . .
If you disremember it I’ll send it to you.

                        I’ve put a call down to you – we have a public telephone (very public) in the Guard Room & I’ll be through the lady promises, at 7.15.  This guard lasts till 7o/c tomorrow morning.  What a todo.  No sleep, except two hours between changing sentries, & that in full clothes & equipment.

                        The shoes arrived & are fine.  Only one little doubt have I, are they too fancy for the purpose & too light.  People seem to have stout good plain leather shoes.  I may have to have one pair.  My other pair are lighter still I feel.  But these do splendidly for now anyhow & I’ll try to make them serve for the action S.D. affair.  I want to send nothing unnecessarily.

                        Pause – change of sentry – R.S.M. watching, & by then you on the telephone.  Peter had just come in to see me, bless him and there.  In bed if its very early, up if not.  Maybe I’ll have a bath.  But if they all start their day really early then will have breakfast with them.  We can see D in the morning perhaps.  The Kettering train is 5o/c.  Plan as you wish.  Broken if you like.  J.G.L. for lunch on Monday & Eileen for tea & a drive home. How’s that ?  Eileen on Saturday if you like.  You know best.  I’ll be happy anywhere, anyhow, with you.

                        No more now, people come & go & it’s not very peaceful.  It’s either a query at the gate – a lady with a baby in her arms for Sgt Hobbs or a sailor on leave to see a sapper, or its some query or other.

                        Peter is very dear.  I’m fond of him.  He’s gloriously plain – a white rabbit, with glasses, nearly cross-eyed, but his enthusiasm & spirit is admirable – he thrives in situations which other people moan about.  He has a swift analytical mind & good taste.  He’s full of wit & can laugh well & loves his outings with the Waddles.  He is very loyal to me & does everything thoroughly & reliably & never takes short cuts.  He’ll be a good officer.  Like me, he’s graded as C + which is above average, which is C.  B is very good & A has only been achieved once in history of the OCTU.  He’s a devoted husband and is and has a catholic mind.  He is deservedly popular & has no affectations or airs.

                        You’ll like him.

                        Now, my love, au revoir.  Soon we shall be together.  I have my dreams, all inspired by you.

Here I am in my little room. There is a fire in the Mess and everyone else is there so for peace I’ve come here. There are clerks in the office, but tomorrow I shall have my own office ! Then I shall have a Place de Luxe. The carpenter is making a table, Q is finding chairs, and the office is fitting it up with trays, files and paper. Even type writer ribbons I can have, and a typist for army work. I’ve spent all the afternoon furnshing it, and getting a new stove installed. Everyone is helpful, its like being a millionaire, you ask for a stove and the Q stops what he’s doing, fetches another sergeant who hurries up, you take them to the stove and they bustle round. In your own unit you are Powerful, and its great fun, and hard not to be so grateful. I feel it and choke back gushing words and say, “Good, get it done then.”

                        This mor’ning we attended parade and inspected our sections, mine is D section, and then I took over the squad drill, with a CSM and three sergeants with the three squads. After break I read my Education pamphlets in the Mess, with a bottle of Guinness, and telephoned Area Education and fixed for an A.E.C. officer to come round on Saturday. This afternoon I saw to the office while Peter lectured on Map Reading, and at four paid sections A. & B. my first pay parade, ninety eight pounds fourteen. All very nice and decorous and circumstantial. Then I had an hour with Mac – Captain Maguire – and discussed Entertainments, which 1 have taken over, and then we dined off Venison. Then darts, read your letter and the others – Klaus, BBC and bills – and telephoned Bertha, as no posting has come through and looks like not doing so – and arranged to go the week-end, and put a call down to you in the office for which I wait a summons from one of the clerks even now. And here I am.

                        Last night we had a concert party, nine amateurs from Glasgow, they worked damned hard and really they did it well, the men loved it. The usual stuff but better than the Fantasticks by a long way. After we had them in the Mess for supper and then we went by Invitation to the Sergeants Mess, where there was a party to a posted sergeant. It was a great show, every one sang something, and us three subalterns, Peter, Alan Eastwood and I sang Cockles and Mussels while the Major played the piano. It got very alcoholic, I had 10 beers at least. High-Jinks. Lots Of High Jinks here its a happy place.

                        I’m very excited about my job, a section of my own, and Company Education and Entertainments to run, also a signals class to bring up to train a signalling squad when I can get some apparatus through.
Now for your letter and news. I’m glad Klaus has come to life you’ll like having him. My love to him and greeetings to Atkinson. Odd writing. Means something.

                        Thanks  for the Bills. I’ve got the lot now and as soon as the BBC send the dough along they shall be paid and you can have the receipts. Here is this week’s money. I hope it does. Pay up the week’s doing right away, and put on one side the rent 17/6, the SWS dollop  – 13th. of what we estimated – and so on. Make a real effort to pay things of, for both our sakes.  Or will you wait until you have the receipts ?  No, they’ll be more then.  Better pay Bunting and say I’m sending a cheque for thirteen pounds and level it to that, thirteen pounds ten say, and make it, a lever, no, FOURTEEN POUNDS, I’ll send fourteen pounds to Bunting, so level it down to that. Pay Butlers as they come and I’ll pay the enclosed bill and Kendalls I’ll pay as per bill, so pay up for this week and onwards.

                        DON’T forget Kit’s Tuck Boxlet. I’m writing this evening.

                        Good about the English scenes.  Yes,  if she wants Wilberforce, she shall have him. Probably, I can get dope at Bertha’s on Sunday so hold fast. You might send the cutting from the D.N.B. (Concise) about him if ;you ;0r-your mother could copy it out, or Mary, I mean Klaus.  Slave trade man. I think I can do the Pictures of Britain from ear as it were. If not I’ll send for the Batsford book, vol. 2 is the one I think. But hold your horses please. I don’t know what timeI shall have maybe a quiet afternoon or two and some evenings in the office. But we have so much on here, concerts every Wednesday, Pictures every Friday, Darts matches every Tuesday. Bbeing cut off we have a lot for the men in our smoky little hut, and officers go, me anyhow as entertainments wallah. Oh, some luck, we captured a wild Barrage balloon and have now material for lovely back cloth for our stage. Yarooo !

                        I’m so busy and occupied that I’m guilty of being happy, but suddenly I remember you and want you and at nights especially. Darling you. Letters will have come by now. But I’m a busy feller and orderly officer all day tomorrow, meals,inspections, Guard mounting, Guard turning out and all that.

                        This is a grand family, my desires for family life fulfilled at last. The Old Man is grand, I had half an hour with him on Education this morning and he just encourages me and backs me up. He’s got a yacht on the Crouch. He’s a Stevedore himself, in a big way. Lives in Kent.

                                    Bless you dear heart. Good luck with Ireland.

ARROWROOT HILL, SCOTLAND…

Dearest heart,
Your dear useful letter came this morning, a great thrill, and the BBC-Bertha letter this afternoon. The O/C saw the label and said “Ha ha, that settles it, Education and Entertainment Officer, you!” so I am.    And we have an amateur concert party this evening at 8 o’clock, Gawd help us, but its nice of them, bless them, and the Old Man said to me at tea, I’ll have them there at half past seven, just get them warmed up and busy until the show comes its sure to be late!    So I’m having a 1021 Discoveries night, which will probably fall dead flat.    But soon I have to see.

Peter is P.A.D. Officer, poor soul, but he’ll do it superbly well.

With the men al1 day today. Marched with them four miles this morning to Port Glasgow and we spent the morning on a little Buoy and Lighthouse service boat playing with the derricks, and then marched back, all up very hills. This afternoon there was a football match at 999 Coy and as one of our trucks is under repair Peter and I marched half of them down to Langbank station where the truck, returning, picked us up.   So we’ve marched plenty and gorgeous it was. The men have a magnificent spirit and the sergeants are a happy crowd, which is so important. The W/O’s are nice and fatherly, too, and recruits keep dropping in.   No postings today.

Oh, I left my P.T. shoes behind, could you put them in a parcel, the brown are better than the white I think, aren’t they?   White socks if you like if they are washed.

A real letter from you tomorrow I expect. Poor dear, till half five in the Library, my dear you are too good. But that dope is adequate for a whole script, Never mind the NEWS yet awhile. Nice letter from Bertha, bless her, little does she know how near we are. I’ll telephone her this week-end and maybe see her.

This is a real Happy Family!  And we are so isolated and secure and together.   The Guard changing and Picket mounting is really very well done, and the general standard of saluting, drill and marching is excellent.   That’s why they are so contented, that and a good cook.   The Old Man improves on knowing.

I must wash well, shave and change into S.D. if I am to go on the stage and perform. No Cousin Claude, dignity, as befits, yet somehow to keep them fascinated and thaw them out. Its a fine opportunity, I’ve got. I’ll draw up reports and ideas tomorrow. I wonder if Bertha will come along. I’d like to cut out bad shows.    There must be good ones.

And now, my love, excuse, me, I have much to do and love doing it.   Heigh ho, its a shame its such a good life. But the blokes are worth all the trouble you can take. Grand marching in front of them all and hearing them singing and joking- and their daft grousing.   More tomorrow, Ever. . . David

2/Lt  A.  SCOTT  DANIELL
1021 Docks Operating Coy., R.E.,
GALLOWSHILL CAMP
LANGBANK
PORT GLASGOW
RENFREWSHIRE

My Dearest,
I LIKE this place.    It is situated, as I told you yesterday, on the top of a lot of hills, with the most convincing Scottish landscape around, the Clyde 600 feet below us, and mountains of paling shades of blue in tiers on all sides, with heather and gorse and bog-topped hills around.   Deer, grouse, partridges, quail and hares leap and hop about nearby and a man got a deer with a .22 and we have venison coming off soon, and a Court of Enquiry.    It is new and small 168 other ranks and seven officers, and it is refreshingly keen.    The Mess is gay and mad and slightly alcoholic, and decorous in the day time, and we are like parents, us officers, with a new family to bring up. The men are happy and sing about the place, the old man is splendid, and their life is good, apart from our acute isolation which enhances the family feeling of it all.   The office works efficiently and everyone is not very clever but tries so hard. Our job is to make them soldiers, most of them have only been two months in the army and are eager to please.  We are a merry crew and I do hope I can stay, and Peter, and see them through and make them a real corporate body, keen and useful to tackle any number of ships and Germans,

We had interviews this morning, with the Old Man, very pleasant and mine led to two    propositions, that I get up a Signals Squad and train them up in Morse and instruments, Which I shall love doing, and the other that I am either Education Officer Or Entertainments Officer or both.  I said I’d consider the work, with the A.C.I.’s relevant in my hand, and let him know.    I like both ideas, prefer the Education, and doubt if both can be done by one man.   Peter is to be P.A.D. officer, Eastwood is M.T. Officer, Captain Maguire is Messing officer and P.R.T. and Sports officer will be Reid I expect.  I like the idea of working out a syllabus and getting the men really going on useful education, Army tradition and history, Local Government, British constitutional procedure and literature seem useful subjects for now.    I am thinking hard and happily.

We had a shock this evening, when the Old Man sent for Chris and sent him on Embarkation Leave at once he reports in fourteen days to Longmoor with Tropical kit.   A Blow, but for your and for May’s sake, thank God it wasn’t myself or Peter. Chris doesn’t mind but he’s pale at the thought of his wife’s reception of the news.  Its not a habit here, so don’t get alarmed, we had one officer over War complement anyhow. But also get the right frame of mind.  But I do hope we can train up this unit and stay with it.  We get our sections tomorrow.

This morning we had interviews and walked about and saw the training and met the W/O’s, this afternoon we typed out amendments to text books, Peter and I,  while Chris went with Reid to see a farmer about timber, and this evening we saw Chris off, and played darts with the men in a competition and I put a call down at seven and found a four hour delay and cancelled it and played more darts in the Mess, had supper and here we are, in our room, with the stove going, and the typer on Peter’s protesting bed while he writes to his wife.   Dear nice fluffy Peter.

Its a healthy place this, but inclined to be Spartan in temperature.   A sweater would be a good idea,   even a red or a green one or even the School sweater which would not show under the Battle Dress. We have two extra blankets issued, making five and manage.    A warm wife would help.  Oh dear it would. And a real hunt for you, for my shiney black note book, exercise book, you know, on signalling. Its somewhere, maybe in the cupboard upstairs, maybe in the cupboard downstairs.    A fattish black shiney narrowish book I think it was. All about Signalling.  Can you have a hopeless look-see?

Apart from being so far from my wife, whom I adore, I am likely to be very happy here, especially when I get a section of my own. Tomorrow we go to Port Glasgow, marching there, to see some special craft and to play with some winches. We have weekends free, and I hope to see Bertha and Jenny on Saturday or Sunday.  I’ll also get some writing done for these scripts. It can be done here when I get a table put up by the carpenter.  You just send for him and Lo and Behold. Quite nice and such fun the Mess, Maguire is vehemently rude about everything but such a gay spark, he’s fifty and has a Master’s’ Ticket and know ships and docking backwards and fought through the last war. He says wicked tantalising things just to be tough. The Old Man is very sound, efficient and clever at his work and simple at everything else.  Suspicious of clever young subalterns but appreciative of keenness.  The food is excellent.

Bless you, dear heart, and all my love.  Ever you own, expectantly awaiting a letter, and always thinking of you..

2/Lt. A. Scott Daniell, R.E.
1021 Docks Operating Coy. R.E.
Gallowhill Camp
Langbank
Port Glasgow
Renfrewshire

Monday
5/10/42

Dearest one :

Here we are, Peter, Christopher, English & myself.  A pleasant amusing journey with sandwiches at Crewe & 2 more Guinness, & a quick dinner of chicken at Glasgow. A P.U.  met us at Langbank, us four plus Chris.  English in the carriage at Glasgow.  The P.U.  Drove steadily uphill 600 feet for 2 miles & arrived at the camp, all huts.  Batmen took over our kit & we went to the Mess.  Then we met the O/C.  A pleasant experienced looking Major, the 2I/C, a tough captain, wizened & blasphemous, deprecatory & an ex sea captain, attractive personality.  Also a non drinking non smoking subaltern named Eastwood or some such, and a Capt ?  young & kind.

They are friendly & cheery & we played darts & discussed the Memorial Theatre.  This place is brand new, only been here two weeks.  We complete the officers.  The men are all new, two months service, mostly young & keen.  Our job is military training for now, & farming.  4 sections of us.  There are two farms near, lots of bogs, & no pub nearer than 6 miles !  Its very fresh & windy & healthy.  Good bathroom & hot water.  Very high & heathery.  We three are in our half hut, on camp beds.  Our Batman, 2/3 each are named Organ & Grace !!!!!! Organ & Grace !  Very new & keen.  Organ carefully laid my typewriter mat by my bed !!  A sweet thought.  The general tone is a new company, men new, officers new, equipment new.  A  grand chance for real good work, training and then.  And Peter & Chris are excellent companions.  I see busy exciting weeks ahead, & a cosy friendly Mess to live in.  There car clock ticks on the mantelpiece, & I have my cuddly dressing gown on.  Tomorrow we’ve no duties, just moving in,& settling down.  Also meet the N.C.O.’s

Darts seems the main relaxation, & a decent wireless set.  More will be discovered later about the amenities & characteristics of the place.  We seem to have weekends free from Saturday lunch, & two parades a day.

And what of you ?  Don’t fret if you don’t find all you wanted at the library.  Its a tricky chancy business.  You looked lovely on the platform.  So very vivid & cuddly & fresh & colourful & well bred & utterly lovable.  Much sweeter than Bots missis.

Peter’s very much the father !  He’s so proud & amusing & his thoughts are entirely at Ross on Wye, as mine are at Great Alne.  He’s a grand companion & Chris English is a very good third.  Altogether is jolly lucky.

This is, it seems, a very bleak place, essentially a camp.  It was an A.A. site.  We aren’t permanent, but shall, as near as we can tell, be here until we’re formed.  Men keep arriving in twenties.

There is apparently no criticism of our arrival.  The O/C said nowt.  And understood our change of plans.  He certainly didn’t expect us before this evening.

Tonight, my little camp bed, & no sweet Betty as companion !  Heigh ho.  But we’re well off here & as far as first impressions go, it promises very well.  Candy would love it.  Pheasants, partridges, hares & snipe abound they say, also curlews.

So you have my address, we’re in the wilds, a Docks Coy all alone & snug, with keen & new troops to train. – mostly gunners.

Now, to a very simple bed, & a cold one.  Thank heaven for this dressing gown.  Is the envy of Chris and Peter.

Tea at 7o/c tomorrow, &  a new day.

To say ” all my love” is stupidly inadequate.  Yet all my love is yours.

Soon a letter of yours will come.

Ever your proud husband