No. 7925934. Sgt. Greenwood.
C Sqdn, 9th Battn R.T.R.
B.A.O.R.
29.9.45
Saturday
Jess Darling: The time is now nearing 1.0am… and that means a very short letter for my love… I have been dying to write to you all evening… but couldn’t do so as we have been entertaining the officers in the sgts. mess and they have only just departed.
I haven’t anything really important to tell you, altho’ I could chat for hours about minor events of the last few days: this I will do very soon, given a bit of peace… One thing I must mention is another delightful surprise today… there were two more letters for me from Jess!! I don’t know how you do it – but I am grateful darling: It is so lovely being really up-to-date with home news – even though the news includes the item about your indisposition and cold. I hope you are now better again: or was the whisky no use? And little Barry! How easy it is for me to visualise him standing up in his cot in the morning and greeting you with “eyho mummy”! Gosh… I’ll bet you feel like eating him up… even though he does interfere with your sleep.
Perhaps, in the long run, my absence from home just now will be beneficial for him – I believe I would spoil him terribly if I had much to do with him. Having two adoring slaves at his beck and call would most certainly give him ideas – of the wrong kind-!! I am not altogether missing his nice little ways and sunny presence: your letters help to keep him fresh in my mind – and I don’t think he will ever again be a stranger to me.
Did I tell you that the squadron commences the new patrol duties on Monday next 1/10/45? The whole scheme is slightly vague just now because it has only been worked out on paper – but I will tell you all about it later – when I know more about it myself. Meanwhile, I can tell you that I will not be doing these patrols: as transport N.C.O., I remain behind with squadron H.Q.
One other little item of news before I go to bed… Today’s squadron orders include a “warning order” for all men of group number 21. This warning order simply means that all 21 group men are now ‘frozen’ – i.e. they can’t be transferred from the unit, sent on a course, or sent on leave: they are really standing by awaiting their release. The release dates for this group are from about the middle of Nov. to Dec. 2nd. And then comes 22 group – due for release between Dec 3rd & 23rd!!!
The reason I mention 21 group is because it includes some fellows of the original Gateshead batch: these are the first releases among my old colleagues: there are four of them – all one year older than I – i.e. Cpl Sammy Stubbs from Haughton Green, Cpl Eddy Wilde from Oldham, Cpl Frank Hodson from Breightmet (Bolton), and Cpl Vic. Crowe from Blackpool – four corporals – four of our ‘old bastards’! We will miss them.
And now I must go to bed. Think I will have a busy day tomorrow: there will be plenty of work and plenty of ‘flapping’ – preparing for Monday’s patrol duties.
Good night, my Darling
Always
Your Trevy