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.