5th June 1940

Leeds 6
5th June 1940

My Dearest Mum and Dad

I am enclosing the pages you sent me as you requested. They were very interesting, especially the one of Morris Levett & Alf Williams. It’s lovely to look at their strong, happy, manly faces once again. Wouldn’t it be just heavenly to meet them & to enjoy their fellowship with the Beatties thrown in. Perhaps we shall have this opportunity given us, & before many months are past. Anyway, we’ll hope.

I hope by this time that you have received my letter. If you haven’t, I must have gone astray. I’m glad that Auntie May has found a place for you. The description of it sounds very homely & doubtlessly, once there, you will imagine that you are on holiday. The names of the landladies reminds me of `Happy Family’. Bunn & Drinkwater, & I see no reason why you shouldn’t be happy there with them. I gather that Auntie May won’t be very far away from you, & I know that you will like that. And you certainly won’t feel lonely with the girls with you. I suppose that by this time you have wired Auntie May the time you will get there. Don’t for goodness sake have a last minute rush getting your things ready. For a long journey like that, you want to prepare things very collectedly & calmly, otherwise you will feel all `het up’ & won’t be able to enjoy the journey at all.

Of course Herefordshire is too far for Iris to go. Whatever next! We haven’t got wings yet, dear, neither have got legs the same shape as greyhounds. If I do get any leave, which of course is very problematical, I don’t think I can spend any of it with you. As a soldier, you know, I’m not allowed to chase all over the show & I’m only allowed to go to my home town. If Colchester had been out of the defence area I might have managed it. But it’s no use talking, as it were, for as I said, “We’ll keep you here for another day or so”, so I should think that I’ll be out Mon or Tues.

You don’t tell me where Arthur’s Mother & father are, though you tell me that they are all happy. That’s something, anyhow.

I’m sorry about Frank Halls. But as your writing isn’t too clear at that point in your `cherries’ letter, I’m not certain that you wrote “they said he was too good for the RAMC. If that was what you wrote who are “they”? And why too good?

In closing I assure you of my love & prayers. May it with you that all things shall work together for good.

Your loving son

John xxxxxxx