No. 7925934. Sgt. Greenwood.
C Sqdn, 9th Battn R.T.R.
B.A.O.R.
3.11.45
Saturday.
My Darling: Another week-end has arrived… and that means another week nearer to my Jess: I am more or less counting the days now… and just living for the day when I will see your dear face once again. It cannot possibly be long now – not really – but – somehow – the days seem to go by very slowly… far too slowly for my liking. I suppose I would not be so impatient if I were more actively occupied… but that is problematical – and anyway, I’m not going to look for more work: I don’t want to bother with anything now, apart from getting home.
Now that we have got everything more or less organised here, our normal daily routine is quite automatic… and not very exciting. The patrol troops have the worst time… they still lose one night’s sleep in three, but even their job has been modified a couple of times, and they now get ample opportunity for ‘organised sleep’ in the daytime.
For a few days prior to the end of last month, I was fairly busy on monthly reports and inspections of vehicles etc… but having finished all these reports, I now have little enough to worry about.
The mess catering job provided me with a certain amount of ‘homework’ in the mess, but Sgt Goat, the official mess caterer, has today returned from his compassionate leave – and I am handing the job back to him tomorrow – and damned glad to get rid of it. I have no love for book-keeping, and organising drink stocks and what not…
We have today received yesterday’s newspapers and I was agreeably surprised to see a headline announcing government control of civil aviation. The Labour Party’s intentions in this particular direction appear to have been a well-kept secret… and I can imagine the dismay caused in certain quarters by such an unexpected declaration. I must say, Jess, that the new government is going ahead quite courageously with these long-needed reforms: they do not appear to be shewing any signs of timidity – and this is very encouraging: it gives one a feeling of hope in the future. For myself, I had become so used to the frustration of the Tory government… so used to that dreadful feeling of utter helplessness… that I can hardly believe my eyes when I read of these latest progressive measures. The present trend in our affairs is quite inspiring, to say the least.
Another little thing which pleased me was the government’s refusal to make those huge monetary grants to our war generals. It was typical of Churchill to talk about ‘precedent’ and dig up ancient history: he seems to forget that a new age is being born before his eyes: perhaps he can’t even see it.
The dock strike has been postponed – or so it seems to me. The agreed thirty days truce may produce something – and if it doesn’t there will be more trouble. But I have suspicion that something will be done to meet the men’s demands…
Must go to bed now, my love.
Will be with you again tomorrow
Good-night, dear Jess
Yours always
Trevy.