It is important not to declare as stupid something you dont understand. That is todays Great Thought, for no reason at all.

                        Hullo, it’s 9 o’clock on a fine Sunday morning, on board a ship 200 yards from the beach. Mountains around, the blue sunny sea to the back. I’m in the neat, well carpeted, easy chaired saloon, the rattle of the winches indicate that all goes well without me. I’ve just had ham & 2 eggs for breakfast. At 10 o/c I go ashore leaving the work to my Sgt. Major, & we are lunching with a Marchesa in a castle high on the top of  mountains. We go by Jeep until even a Jeep jibs & then walk or climb rather. Whether or not it will be a good show I don’t know. But the view will be good. They say the Castle is old & interesting. They also threatened a 20 course lunch ! But that remains to be seen.

                        I’m working on an article for the Geographical which they may take. Called “Conducted European Tour – 1943 style”. Sort of travellers impressions of these shows. It’s been done but not yet shapely enough. I’ll reedo it. She can have others if she likes it. If she spurns it, try it on – what ? BBC talks ? What you will. Use it for WI anyhow! I try to build up an inheritance for your son ! I do want to leave him at least 2 fields, English fields. A house of his own, in which he has spent as much of his childhood as possible, and 3 fields. Not a vainglorious ambition. And a house for English you to arrange English flowers in.

                        Since writing that I have seen that everything on the ship is going according to plan, & have come ashore in the captains very nice teak built launch. With Washbrook’s friendly help I have washed & groomed myself and have donned S.D. & the Sam Brown lies on my bed all ready for putting on. – The first time since early May ! We must be a credit to the British army we go to this Marchesas place for lunch.

                        I have been thinking as I washed and changed, of you & this the range of emotions and reflections born in you. You had no sentimental anticipation, no exaggerated baby-worship. You were always refreshingly sane about other babies – rational. Now, you will & do I gather, find instinctive and profound love, protective, quite unselfish and all ways Godly. I wonder about this and feel happy for you. For myself it can as yet be only gratitude to you & and almost incredible gratitude to Providence that I have a son. He must be abstract until I have seen touched & watched him. But paternal pride does exist, a hope, a chance that all one’s failings can be rectified in him. Forlorn hope doubtless, but it is a kind of second chance.

                        Will you please explain to “Uncle Jack” that I had to answer his much liked letter by Airgraph because these are too rare to use except for letters home & ordinary mail is too slow for the impatience I have to get my greetings to him.

                        No letter from you for ten days, but they will come. There has been a rather a lull in the Mail. Every evening one hopes. And there are other letters to re-read. Your letters are singularly good, you know, your personality breathes through them, the secret of first class letters. And since your personality is always outstanding – you could never bore – so your letters take on the same quality. I am so full of admiration for your gifts & esprit as I am full of love of yourself.

                        Our curving main street – it curves with the bay – is very busy this morning. After mass, the musically discordant bells have finished, people take the air, weedy young men lean against walls, children squeal & shout. There is a full clatter of voices & animation, with the brisk cloppity clop of the horses of hired  & the restful clop clop of un hired ones.

                        The copies of the two MS I have sent you have come back from the Col, O.K.’d for security. So you can say with them that my Commanding officer has passed them from the security angle. Convenient. I do hope they will sell & you have the proceeds. I want you to have plenty of Pretty Pretties. You must dress up to Richard you know.

                        A move in the air. Half the Company have gone. To another port. We were getting so comfortable here. But vide my first sentence of this letter.
It will be unfortunate if the Customs people won’t play with the succession of parcels I have sent you. I have put SOLDIERS GIFT on all of them, but really special labels have to be used. However, they are usually kind hearted. They are soldiers gift anyhow. But I’d like to have you strong for duty on my selfish behalf. Oh, is the Tweed made up or have you been too busy running your home, feeding your son & ministering to him. Do have the Christening party, I’d rather it were done soon & my stupid remarks about waiting until I came home are to be cancelled. I had not then thought of the matter. I’ll write to Fenwick & say how glad I be if he’d be G.F. You’d better not wait until I come home or he may be old enough to have Ideas Of His Own, that Richard of yours. But don’t let Ame by the sherry! The village scene is so happily familiar to me that I can picture you all at any given time. Having seen villages & farms when the tide of battle has passed I’m fully appreciative of Providence & The Few, RAF & R.N. who preserved our rich and rare countryside from such ravage.

                        Does Dr Fitz still “pop” in, & how about his bill. It could not possibly too heavy. I hope he likes the little cigarette box I posted to him. And does Uncle Jack call for “Random Hancoxings”, & does Miss Harding look blandly in the windows ? And do the Ellens peer from the camouflage of their curtains ? And do you go to the Knoll & receive apologies with biscuits. And does Candy still stand at the little hole in the Mill lane ? And what walks do you & Richard take.  e careful of the traffic on the Ford walk. Do you have a pram parade with the very young of other people. And does the Fighter Escort still escort ? How is Marjorie & all her folk
___________

                        Next day. The lunch began at 1400 & we rose from the table at 1740 ! 18 courses. Details later. But returned to the mess too heavy to do anything but sit & groan ! Now it’s 1400 on the 25 & I am in a  of transit at this very moment. I’ll finish this & then go up & admire the famous view. I have my section with me. They’ve just fed. I was guest of the skipper & fed very well ! We always feed well in this war.

                        All these millions of men & women & children in this whirling world. And the nicest woman of all & quite the nicest child of them all are reserved, willingly (one of them anyhow) for me. It’s miraculous. I have my woman, & I have all I need. How often do I recall that river walk ! And you, demurely controlling bubbling laughter in the car at the sign “Bear Left” and the promise of Nunk’s Lion. And the snowstorm on the Warwick Birmingham Road. And Mrs Pearce’s garden. And I have my 1937 birthday card still.

                        So much of the past, so rich a present & so promising a future. God Willing.

                        So be happy, bring up your child, bask in the kindness of your friends, write to me of your life – my real life.