No. 7925934. Sgt. Greenwood, R.T.
9th Battn. R.T.R.
B.L.A.
7.3.45
Wednesday evening
Jessie Mine: I know the ‘Battle of Joey’ is causing you some bother… and the expenditure of much patience… but it amuses me nevertheless. And this is not because I am heartless and lacking in sympathy, but because of your manner of recounting your difficulties… particularly when you describe “tinkle” as the ‘sweetest music you had heard for a week’. I do admire your patience with Barry, darling. It is so easy to lose one’s temper… especially with a seemingly awkward child. But I cannot imagine you doing that. In fact, I cannot recall ever having seen you in a temper: I mean a real honest to goodness temper… And somehow, I don’t think I ever will. No doubt you will by now have seen the doctor about Barry’s rash… and I hope to hear soon that it is nothing serious. I don’t see how it can be in view of the nourishment and care he is receiving.
Jess… I am not finding this letter easy to write. There is so much disturbance. There are nine of us crammed into a small room of this semi derelict house and the noise is pretty bad. We only have candle-light too, and that doesn’t help matters.
I have no special news for you, dear. We are doing nothing just now… apart from work on the vehicles, and life is not very exciting. Needless to say, these conditions don’t worry me in the slightest. In fact, it is grand to be out of earshot of that artillery of ours.
The news continues to be very encouraging. I imagine there must be very few Jerries on this side of the Rhine by this evening… apart from those in N. Holland, of course. There was some news of Gen. Patton’s army last evening, and he appears to have made amazing progress. We received yesterday’s newspapers this afternoon, and I see that the R.C. Archbishop of Westminster has at last exploded about Russia. I imagine he must have been awaiting some pretext to attack the Soviet, for a long time. The damned impertinence of the man! I do hope Churchill, or someone in the Commons, tells him where to get off. Incidentally, I was listening to ‘Radio Arnhem’ last evening (this is a ‘pirate’ German station which normally relays all the B.B.C. Forces programmes… excepting the news: during B.B.C. news transmissions, they radiate their news, in English). The commentator said quite a lot about this Archbishop’s speech. It made good propaganda for Jerry, needless to say.
I’m sorry, dear Jess, but I cannot carry on just now. Please forgive this nasty little letter. I may have more free time tomorrow, and will try and do better. I hope you are not worrying about me, darling… Don’t forget, you are only allowed to worry a teeny-weeny bit… no more. I am quite well… and still living in the memory of our lovely see… thinking always of my beautiful wife… and our grand little son.
Always – I love you dear…
Your Trevy