No. 7925934. Sgt. Greenwood.
British Army Exhibition
British Army Staff
B.L.A. Paris
31.7.45
Tuesday
Jessie Mine: I have been thinking so much about leave lately that I believe it is already affecting my ability to write to you. It always happens: I get so worked up… I simply can’t concentrate… And tonight, Jake, my colleague here, has been unburdening his domestic troubles, and now I really ought to be in bed…
Jake is one of those fellows whose wife has gone astray since he joined up… and I fancy he has been wanting to tell me his story for some time. It all came out tonight… with all the sordid details. When I hear of these things, it makes me wonder how many homes have been similarly broken up through the war: the number must be enormous…
I haven’t done anything interesting today, dear. I have done a little reading – and have been down to the river – and seen more of those patient fishermen – but still haven’t seen a single catch. Perhaps they don’t really want any fish:- dangling a rod in the water may be just an excuse for sitting quietly by the river… in silent contemplation:- there are many worse occupations, I s’pose.
I didn’t get up until 9 o/c this morning so it was too late to go to the exhibition for ‘orders’. But I have been told that there were no orders.. so we are still here… still waiting. And it will no doubt be the same tomorrow. Well – I will write a decent letter during the day to make up for this miserable effort… I really want to talk to you, darling… but that leave business seems to paralyse my mind. I keep wondering… anticipating snags, and disappointments: scheming to circumvent them… Yes, I have the pre-leave jitters… and I know I won’t get rid of them until that exquisite moment when I have you in my arms.
May it come quickly –
Good night, my Darling
Always,
Your Trevy.