No. 7925934. Sgt. Greenwood.
British Army Exhibition
British Army Staff
B.L.A. Paris
1.8.45
Wednesday
Jess Darling: I was agreeably surprised to receive a letter from you today… the one dated 27/28th July: I had convinced myself that there would be no more letters for me until I re-joined the unit.
It was a short letter – but so nice to read that little story about Barry and my letters: I wonder if he has a secret hiding place for them – or whether his partiality for the lav. is not confined to nighties-?! (A possible explanation for the absence of a letter dated 23rd July?)
Speaking of the lav. reminds me to ask whether you have tried this as an alternative to Joey. Perhaps if you got him interested in the flush, and put a string extension on the chain for his benefit, he might use it for the mere pleasure of watching the flush. The question of seating him on the thing… well, that is one of those technical problems I leave to you: I’m sure you can solve it.
I note your comments about leave… and promise to use Mrs. Wright’s phone if I have cause to use a telephone. I presume her number is still Poynton 2350 – but if it isn’t or my memory is at fault, please let me know.
I have been to an exhibition this afternoon dear… A busman’s holiday? It is the U.S. Air Force exhibition which opened officially this morning. They have been preparing it since my arrival in Paris. It is located beneath (literally) the Eiffel Tower, and consists of several U.S. planes and other equipment used for making aerodromes etc. The planes on show, actual combat planes, include a Fortress, Liberator, Mustangs, Thunderbolt, Havoc, Lightning, Black Widow, Commando… and four or five others I couldn’t christen. Quite an imposing and interesting display – but, unfortunately, about ten million other people found it interesting too… so it was practically impossible to see much. There were miles of queues… just for the privilege of climbing ramps to peep inside the cock-pits of the bombers. There was a band too – quite a good military band, but it is spoiled through being placed beneath the tower: the echo from the mass of steel girders overhead causes a horrible jumble of sound.
I wish I had something exciting to talk to you about, Jessie Mine: I don’t like just writing about my trivial day to day existence… I suppose I ought to be able to write interesting letters, especially from a place like Paris, but I seem to lack inspiration… It must be my “state of mind”… a mind which now sees little… and thinks of less, apart from my leave. I lack self control or mental discipline or something: just like an excited schoolboy!
Later
I have just been out for my supper… and made an alarming discovery on the way back… I found out that the evening is now much shorter than it was: that the long days of summer are already on the decline. I hadn’t noticed it before, which just shows how blind I must be. At home, you will already be used to the shorter evenings, I presume… you lost one of the extra hours a fortnight ago.
But in Paris, we have remained on double summer time… or ‘European summer time’ as it is called. At the time of the British change-over, we naturally assumed that we too would revert to ‘ordinary’ summer-time – and the newspapers all carried the usual warnings well in advance… But on the following day, we simply carried on adhering to the old time… and we were properly muddled until we learned in the afternoon that French time was not being altered. And so we are still enjoying an extra hours daylight… I’ve no idea when they intend to change the clocks.
There is still no news of our departure – But I learned this morning that the adjutant here has gone to London to get things organised. So maybe something will be happening soon – maybe!
Am now going to bed…
To dream – I hope…
Goodnight, my love
Always
Your Trevy.