CHAPTER 4. 11/16/43 TO 1/1/44 EDINBURGH & HOLIDAYS

16 November ‘43 Tuesday “This is the Army” My Darling;
Are you all ready to go to the show honey? I’ve got one ticket, only, but I’m sure if you promise to keep quiet that I can smuggle you in with me. All ready? OK then let’s go!

Here we are in front of the theater. It was a fairly nice night out, so we walked instead of taking a taxi, and besides it was probably a lot easier to walk than to try to find a taxi. There’s already quite a crowd of people in front of the theater even tho it is still about fifteen minutes until the show is going to start. Let’s go in now and find our seats and have a look around before the curtain goes up. Our seats (or rather, seat) are pretty good. Right in the middle of the dress circle (first balcony to you), and only a few rows from the front. We have to go up those steps there first. Let’s keep our coats with us instead of checking them because that would mean quite a long wait after the show. We turn left up here. Just a minute and I’ll find out where our seat is. . . . . second gangway (aisle) and then down, the gal said. Here we are, row B and then seat 20. Are you comfortable? I’m afraid these seats weren’t made for two people, but you don’t take up much room. Don’t mind that ape on your left, that’s just the Saint, and although he looks and acts like a wolf, he is really quite harmless. That Blond god on your left is George, and then just beyond him is Andy. Andy is in town on furlough, and Steve let him have his seat so he could see the show. Andy is Steve’s future brother-in-law.

Now that we are all settled, let’s have a look around at the theater. They really have a full house, don’t they? I hear that it is a sell out for the entire run, and from the looks of the crowd I can well believe it. It’s kind of an old theater, isn’t it? I can’t remember ever seeing boxes in the States like those over on the sides and in front of us , can you? The people in them have a good chance to show themselves off, but as far as being able to see the stage, I think our seats are much better. Look at the rank in that box over on our left! There’s enough brass there to start a war, and enough gold braid to finance it! We can’t see any of the downstairs seats from here, and the balcony above is a little out of our line of sight, so I guess we will have to be contented to have a look at the people around here. The gal right in front of us is a Red Cross worker, isn’t she? I hope she takes her hat off when the show starts. That’s sure a cute ATS officer down there to our left! I’ve noticed that George has been eying her since we came in, but I think that American captain sitting beside her has got him scared out. Everyone is sure here tonight, RAF, Army, Navy, Marines, enlisted men and women and officers all over the place, and there are a lot of civilians too. I kind of like all of the flags hanging around for decorations, don’t you? Looks like some American soldier on the side over there has pulled the big American flag so that it pretty well covers the Union Jack, but then, maybe it is just an accident.

There goes the bugle sounding “assembly”. Kind of a novel idea for an Army show, don’t you think? The latest stragglers are coming in now, and the orchestra is coming into the pit . That walkway from the side of the stage around between us and the orchestra sort of reminds you of a burlesque show, doesn’t it? No, of course I didn't expect you to know what a burlesque house looks like. There goes the orchestra, the lights are dimming, the curtain is going up, and “THIS IS THE ARMY” is on the way.

Since that gal in front of you won’t take off her hat, I guess I’ll have to describe the action to you. The boys are sitting on a series of steps going up from the front of the stage. The opening tune, surely you recognize it, is “This is the Army, Mr. Jones”; those boys really can sing it, can’t they? There comes in a line of men in their underclothes with a barracks bag slung over their shoulders to sing the Mr. Jones, Mrs. Brown, etc. parts. Now they’re turning around and putting on their uniforms while the rest of the chorus is still singing. Boy, what fits those uniforms are, typical of the first issue, I guess. Now a little comic skit, this show sure moves along fast, doesn’t it, and the audience really likes it too. That GI orchestra is better than any I’ve heard on this side of the ocean, and a lot that I’ve heard on the other side too. Now that guy that sounds like Fred Astair out there trying to sing has finally given in to the demands of the chorus and “go(ne) into your dance”. He is good, too, isn’t he? Sergeant Dick Bernie, the program says he is. Now here’s that song “I’m getting tired so I can sleep”. The lighting is good, and that boy can really sing the song. That song expresses my feelings some of these nights that I spend without you. A little more comedy (and typical GI humor, too) and then into the “Mandy” scene. There are some Negroes coming over the top of the steps in back, and are their costumes bright! Half of them are made up as women, and they do their dance.

There goes the curtain, but it isn’t intermission time yet because there it goes up again and a GI is sitting all by himself in a kitchen scene, peeling potatoes. I wonder what he is going to do; oh, there he goes, juggling the potatoes. Boy, is he good; it is more than I can do to follow him! He put down the potatoes just then and is throwing potato mashers around now. Just when he got an extra large amount of applause, he reached into his pocket and hung a medal on his chest. That drew a pretty good laugh. Oops, he dropped one of the mashers, and inside goes the medal. Now he has switched from the mashers to three apples. Look at him go . . . . he is juggling the three of them, and taking an occasional bite out of one of them. Now he is down to the core, and is juggling the other two with one hand while he finishes off the one he has been eating. Pretty good!

Oh boy, here come the ladies of the chorus; what babes, the two on the end look like Mrs. Five by Five! The singing they are doing sounds strangely baritone-ish, and the hair on several of their chests looks a little out of place! After the “ladies” of the chorus come some acrobats; they are very good too. In fact the show is just brimming with talent, and they move so fast from one scene to another that it is almost like a continuous performance. Now the Air Corps gets a little publicity with “American Eagles” and “With My Head in the Clouds”. Nicely sung, don’t you think? That baritone has an excellent voice, and the chorus is good. Now another Negro scene in front of a big backdrop that shows three colored boys in zoot suits. The song is “What the Well Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear”, and my impression is that they mean OD’s. Some very good tap dancing in this one. Now the company comes in for the finale to the first act.

Will you excuse me for a while, I have to go powder my nose, I’ll be right back. Yes, it’s all right to smoke, didn’t you notice the ash tray in the back of the seat in front of you? . . . Here I am back again. I noticed that the bar was going full swing while I was out there. I tried to find
a program for George, but couldn’t find one anywhere, so I guess he’ll have to do without. Besides, he is too busy trying to catch the eye of that ATS officer. I still think that the big captain has him scared. Looks like you weren’t the only one to light up, the place is fairly foggy with smoke. Cigarettes are allowed, but they draw the line at cigars and pipes, thank goodness. There goes the bugle again, so I guess that the second act is about ready to start.

The first number this act is the Stage Door Canteen scene. Do you remember the time we went to the theater in New York, I can’t remember the name of the theater, but anyway, one of the scenes they had on the stage then was taken from this revue, that was the Stage Door Canteen scene. This time it is a lot different, the tune is the same, of course, but the “ladies” aren’t quite as pretty as the Rockettes were, and there isn’t any revolving stage or anything like that.

There are a lot of impersonations in this scene, there’s some big lug burlesquing Vera Korina in a ballet number; he has a very hard time getting up on his toes, but by walking over to the side of the stage and getting a little aid from the wall, he finally makes it. He does a pretty good dance, but fails to attract the attention of one GI who is sitting there reading, so he finally goes off the stage. After his (her) bows, he comes back on the stage and does a few wriggles resembling a rhumba or something slightly more active and walks off again. This time the GI who is so interested in his book follows him off, still reading. That scene drew a lot of laughs from the audience. Now a whole series of impersonations; Donald Duck and Ronald Colman have a conversation, Gypsy Rose Lee does a strip tease, and Jack Benny and Rochester are on. Now the song “I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen”.

Next is a magician act. A GI is sitting on a bunk, and off stage you can hear somebody announcing that an inspection is to be held. Pretty soon an officer comes on stage and starts giving the GI hell for being untidy. He doesn’t have any buttons on his coat, he is smoking a cigarette, and the floor is covered with papers. The boy picks up the papers and they disappear in his hands and in their place he has his hat that was missing too. The cigarette disappears into thin air, a necktie appears from nowhere, and he suddenly acquires a set of buttons on his coat. It was very well done.

Some more singing and dancing, and then we have a skit on the WACs. A soldier comes home on a furlough for the first time in three months and finds his wife an officer in the WACs and his mother a master sergeant. They really have some time! Just as the soldier gets his wife to give in and “fraternize” with the enlisted personnel, a MP arrives on the scene and, saying his furlough is up, drags him off the stage.

The big hit of the evening is on now It is Irving Berlin singing “Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (I can see his point). He can’t sing for beans, but the applause he gets is really terrific. He and the chorus sing his new song “My British Buddy” that he wrote after he got over here and added to the show. The applause is fairly deafening, and he sings another chorus of the song, and this time has the audience sing it with him. And then we (the audience and Irving) sing “White Christmas”, and finally, “Alexander’s Rag Time Band”.

Now the finale is finally on. It is “This Time”, and the general idea of the song is that this time we are going to really finish up the war right so that we won’t have to do it again twenty five years from now.

Well, there went the curtain, and my palms are getting sore from clapping, and from the noise going on around here I’d say that a lot of other people are getting sore palms too. What is the matter with you? You aren’t making any noise at all! After the cast takes innumerable bows we stand at attention while the orchestra plays the national anthem and also “God Save the King”.

What a show! It seemed that the time went fast, but it was a pretty long show. It was just that it was so good, and everything went off so well and on schedule that it seemed so short.

Shall we leave now; everyone else seems to have that same idea. Well I’ll be darned, there goes that captain by himself; so he wasn’t with the ATS officer after all. Look at George, he is so surprised that he doesn’t know what to do. I guess he had given up hope and was caught off guard. Ah well, she is gone now.

Well, darling, I hope that you liked the show, I’m sure that I did. It is too bad that your seat wasn’t so good, and that you couldn’t see much. I hope that I explained it to you well enough so that you enjoyed it too. Next time we go to a show I’ll have to try to get two seats instead of just the one. Honey, if I should lose you in the blackout outside I’ll meet you again in my dreams tonight. I love you so much and want you with me all the time.
All my love and kisses, Glenn

19 November ‘43 Friday My darling Betty;
I miss you tonight, honey. That isn’t anything unusual, ‘cause I miss you all the time. I’ve been very lazy this evening, just sitting here in front of the fire and reading and thinking of you and wondering how long it will be until I see you again. It has seemed like ages since last July 21st, but the days and weeks here pass by rapidly enough. Do you find that the time goes fast for you? The only time when things really drag and time seems to stand still is when I’m looking for letters from you and none come. I’m always looking for those letters, so it reduces to time dragging when your letters don’t come.

You’d probably laugh if you saw me now; I’m dressed only in my long woolen underwear and must really be a pretty sight sitting here. Maybe it is a good thing you can’t see me, although you managed to live through seeing me in them last winter. Was it a very big shock when you saw me in them for the first time? Tonight is like those nights last winter when it was nice to be indoors and warm, only it is very lonesome to be here all by myself. It would be a pleasure to be back in Havre de Grace tonight, in spite of how we disliked the place, and just spend a quiet evening playing gin rummy and talking and maybe lying on the couch with my head in your lap. And then when it was time to go to bed I would have you there to cuddle with and keep me warm (in spite of your cold feet!).

If I keep on thinking and writing like this I’ll probably work myself into a mood, but when I stop and think of how lucky I am to have a wife like you I can’t really be sad. Especially when I think how happy we will be when we are together again. I just feel mad at this war and those who caused it for keeping us apart this way, and hope it will be over with soon so we can be together again and really start living once more. I love you and think of you all of the time, but I long for the physical side of our love, to kiss you and to hold you close in my arms, to feel the warmth of your body and satisfy my sexual desires, to see you and hear your voice, those are the things I miss most.

Well darling, if I don’t get my bath and get to sleep soon, I can’t very well catch up on my sleep tonight, can I? Goodnight my darling, I love you more than anything else and think of you constantly. Please try to have a good time and be happy, and before you know it we will be together again and starting off on our long delayed honeymoon. All my love and kisses, Glenn

23 November ‘43 Tuesday My darling;
. . . .. I didn’t do much today. I started out by sleeping a half hour after my alarm went off, so I missed breakfast and still didn’t get to work on time. “Oh how I hate to get up in the morning”. . .

. . . . . When we got to the mess all the queues (lines) were so long that we went into the bar and had a couple of drinks and waited for the lines to shorten. Besides George offered to buy us a drink to celebrate his anniversary, said anniversary being one year today in grade as a 1st Lt., discouraging, isn’t it! We had a couple drinks of scotch and water in honor of the occasion, and wished him many more happy anniversaries. By then the lines had become somewhat shorter so we went upstairs to eat.

Have I ever told you about the lines at our mess? You come in the door and first get in the line to the cloak room where you check your overcoat and hat. From that line you get into one leading to the cashier where you pay for your meal and get a ticket in exchange. Then you start upstairs to eat and at the bottom of the stairs usually run into the end of the line waiting to eat . After you finish eating there is the line to the cloak room to buck again. More fun, especially when the place is crowded and you can’t tell which line you are standing in! I have it figured out so I know what time to get there so the lines are the shortest, but I can’t always get there at that time, and have to buck the long lines. . .

25 November ‘43 Thursday (Turkey day) My darling;
This has been a busy day for me, honey. It is ten now and this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and relax except on the train. . . . . . . . . When it was time for the bank to open I went there and cashed a check so I’d have enough money to see me through this trip. I got ten pounds, so that should be more than enough.

When I got back to the office I had a call from the Finance office telling me the forms to collect for your trip home were ready for me to sign, so I went over there and signed them. The forms go directly to Washington, and I am having the check mailed to you. Be sure and let me know when it gets there. If the check is made out to me, I think you can cash it with your power of attorney.

From the finance office I stopped by the PX and got my weekly rations and took them on home. Bill Lake was there (It was his day off) and we went down to the mess. We arrived a little before twelve, but already the place was so packed that we had to wait until the first bunch got through before we could get in to eat. I’ve never seen such a crowd waiting to eat anywhere. I guess everybody was making sure he got his Thanksgiving turkey dinner. I had mine, but it wasn’t anything to brag about. It was actually roasted, tho, instead of boiled, as I had almost expected. We also had canned peas, mashed potatoes, and succotash. Then there was cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. The cranberry sauce was the only part that was really good. I’d much rather have been with you for that meal, and wouldn’t have cared whether you fed me or not. Just being with you would be enough to be thankful for.

When I got back to the office I hadn’t gotten a phone call I’d been expecting. I had to have that call to know the complete itinerary of this trip. I called the guy and found he was out to lunch and would be back at two - and I was supposed to catch a train at 2:50. More fun! I waited until two and called again and found out everything was all set, luckily! I grabbed a cab and went by my apartment to pick up my bag, and then went by Maj. Keck’s hotel and picked him up, and went on to the station.

We got a first class coach and I spent most of the time sleeping or gazing out the window. An elderly man sat across from me and he was wearing a bowler hat and black overcoat, and even had on a pair of gray spats. Quite the picture of a fairly well off Englishman, I thought.

I am in Manchester now, in a rather nice hotel room. It is an old hotel and very nicely decorated downstairs, but the only provision that I can see for heat in this room is a small fireplace, and nothing to burn in it. Also you have to go down the hall to the toilet, and there is no bath. Aside from lacking the modern conveniences, the room is large and has nice furniture. The hotel has a very fancy bar, almost modern in design. We met a Brigadier there and he bought the major and me a drink. We went into the restaurant and had some very good roast chicken. That just about winds up “my day”.

That phone call that I got at 2 PM today confirmed arrangements I had made to visit a place in Scotland, so we’ll go on there from here. Strictly business, you know, but since there won’t be anything else to do Sunday, I guess we’ll just have to enjoy ourselves and do some sight seeing. . .

27 November ‘43 Saturday night My darling;
Another day about ended, that makes an even one hundred and thirty days since I last saw you. That is too darn long to suit me, and I know you agree, don’t you. Tonight I am in Edinburgh, Scotland. About all I did today was ride on the train, so there won’t be much to tell you. The compartment we were in had little or no heat, and we nearly froze; it was near to, or below freezing outside.

Our train was late so we didn’t have much time to look around this afternoon. The first thing to do was to find a hotel to stay in, and that wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. We went to the Red Cross club and they directed us to several hotels and when we came back because they were all full, the gal at the Red Cross called a smaller hotel and found us a room. We came down, and are glad we did ‘cause it is very nice. We have a room with double beds, and heat. There is a bath tub across the hall, and I took a hot bath before supper; that really felt good!

We went down to supper at seven and then went into the lounge afterwards. There was a good fire burning and we sat in front of it in easy chairs for a couple of hours. It was an old fashioned room, but very richly furnished with a thick rug and upholstered chairs and oil paintings on the walls. It had a very high ceiling, and the walls were a nice light color. We sat there until after the nine o’clock news broadcast was over, and then came back to our room.

We’re going to spend tomorrow looking at the sights and I sure hope the weather has lifted by then so we can see something and take a few pictures too.

Darling, you are getting a “Scotch” letter tonight ‘cause there isn’t much more to say, except I love you with all my heart and miss you. I’ll be glad when I get back where I can get some of your letters ‘cause it has been a long time now since I’ve heard from you. Goodnight my darling, I promise a longer letter tomorrow. I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn

28 November ‘43 Sunday My dearest Betty;
Just a year ago today I got my commission. It seems a lot longer ago than that to me; I’m sure it has been at least that long since I’ve seen you. That was some day, all the fellows in the barracks got up real early and were packing their things and dressing in their new uniforms and the place was a mad house. Bruce and I had to leave earlier than the others, so I said goodbye to all of them before I left. I think I’ve only run into one of that bunch since then. The two of us went to the headquarters and were sworn in. No impressive ceremony; just raise your right hand and repeat after me, and you’re in the army bud. It was cold as hell that day and I didn’t have an overcoat, but I got one before long. There were innumerable forms to fill out, and interviews, and other red tape, then I finally could hop a train and get up to Glen Ridge to be with you.

Getting back to Edinburgh (pronounced Edinburro), it is late afternoon and I’m back at the hotel after nearly walking my legs off today. It really is an interesting city and I am sorry we have to leave it so soon, but I guess I have to get back to work! We awakened about 8:30 this morning and dressed and went down to breakfast. The coffee was black as mud and tasted about the same, but we had some good ham and a sort of black sausage that we didn’t know what it was (good english?), but it was pretty good.

It still was kind of damp out, but we started out sightseeing. We had a pictorial map of the city to help us find what we wanted to see. I’ll enclose it in this letter so you can see for yourself. We went up the Mound to the old part of the city; the “new” part being only a couple hundred years old. The old section is built up on a very steep ridge which runs from Edinburgh Castle sloping down to Hollyroodhouse Palace. We first went to Edinburgh Castle, but it wasn’t open until one PM so we had to go back in the afternoon to see it. We went down by the Outlook Tower and St. Giles Cathedral and the Tron Kirk and then to Edinburgh University. That section is very old and the streets are narrow. The University is built around a quad and there wasn’t much to see. Actually the part we saw was the original university, but now is only a small part of it, the rest of it being scattered around the city.

We went back to Canongate street and along it to Hollyroodhouse Palace. We then went up (and I do mean up!!) to the top of Calton Hill where the observatory is. The terrain of Edinburgh is a lot like San Francisco, many very steep hills around. From the top of Calton Hill there was a very good view for miles around. We went down the hill and down Princes Street; that is the main road of the town and is very wide. All along one side are buildings - stores, hotels, etc, and the other side is a deep valley garden and then the impressive skyline of the old town and Castle on the ridge above the valley. It was nearing dinner time then so we headed for the hotel for lunch. After a drink to my “anniversary” in the army, the major and I had dinner.

It cleared up pretty well about noon and the skies were bright when we started out in the afternoon. This time we headed back to Edinburgh Castle. It was open by then so we went all through it. It is a beautiful place that has been kept in perfect repair and some of the buildings are comparatively new. There was a good view and since it had cleared up a lot we could see even more than we could from Calton Hill.

We walked down Johnston Terrace below the Castle and up by St. Cuthberts and St. Johns and St. Mary’s Cathedral. We had a look over Dean Bridge and then went back by Charlotte Square and along Princes Street again.

It was getting along in the afternoon by then so we went back to Great King Street where the hotel is. It was tea time so we sat in the lounge and had hot tea and buttered toast. That felt good after our long walk in the cold wind. The “new” part of the city reminds me a lot of Baltimore. The buildings are much the same as in the central part of Baltimore. All the streets are very wide, something unusual for over here, and are cobblestone.

Well, darling, the major is out of the bathroom now so I think I’ll go have a hot bath. I’ll be back this evening to visit with you. Til then, darling, I love you.

Later. That bath really made me feel good! The water here is very soft and I got it as hot as I could stand it and then just soaked for about a half hour. It was time to eat when I got out and dressed. They announce the supper time in this hotel by beating on a pan with a spoon or something; all that is missing is the “come and get it”. After supper I sat in the lounge again and listened to the radio up through the nine o’clock news. I just came up to the room and am going to get to bed early again tonight.

What did you do all day today darling? It has been over a week now since I’ve heard from you. There ought to be a whole stack of letters waiting for me when I get back. . .

29 November ‘43 Monday Darling;
I’m writing this under more difficult circumstances this evening. I’m on a train, but it hasn’t started yet which is a big help. The major and I weren’t as lucky this time as on the last overnight train trip we took. We were only able to get third class sleepers, and there is a world of difference between a first class and a third (there is no second class). The third class sleeper is just like an ordinary coach compartment which has two seats facing each other, except the sleeper has a second seat above each of the other two. You get the whole seat, a blanket, and a pillow and that’s all. The seats are long enough you can stretch out full length, at least I can. That’s really a big letdown from the chrome plated compartment I had to myself for my trip to Cornwall.

We got up fairly early this morning, and after a nice breakfast of porridge (oatmeal), ham (no eggs), toast, and coffee we caught a train from Edinburgh to Glasgow. It is only a short trip of forty or fifty miles. We didn’t get much of a chance to see Glasgow since we spent all the day out at a plant near there. It is a nice looking city, although more industrial and dirtier than Edinburgh. The streets are wide and it is the most modern city I’ve seen in the UK so far.

We got a nice reception at the plant, we had dinner with the top man of the company in a luxurious private dining room, and then the head man himself showed us through the place. . .

. . . . . The train has started but is quite smooth so far; I don’t know how long that will last tho. You should have seen my ticket when I finally gave it up this morning. I got a ticket to Glasgow and then just stopped off at Manchester and Edinburgh. Every time I would have to show the ticket & someone would punch a hole in it and it looked like a sieve. They have the little pasteboard tickets like we used to get on the Pennsylvania road.

Well darling, I’m looking forward to finding a lot of letters from you waiting for me in the morning! I didn’t get any for five or six days before I left last Thursday afternoon, so surely some have come by now.

(The plant that we visited in Glasgow manufactured optical instruments. Almost all the workers were women, and we were stared at and whistled at a lot as we were shown around.

I did hit the jackpot of letters when I returned to London, including nine from Betty. My roommate, Bill Lake, received his promotion to 1st Lt. the first of December. On Dec. 3rd I went on an afternoon trip by car where we were in the countryside and returned to London after dark in the blackout. Driving in the blackout was not fun, especially when we didn't know the way too well; however we found our way back, and only got lost a couple of times on the way.)

4 December ‘43 Saturday Night My Darling;
Another anniversary today, isn’t it; that makes seventeen now. I’d sure like to be spending it with you instead of being six thousand or so miles away. But I still love you as much or more than I did the day we were married.

I am on ARP duty tonight and have been taking advantage of the fact by catching up some on the letters that I owe. I wrote to Joe Barkley and to Freer and Norene. With my daily letter to you I don’t seem to find much time to write to anyone else. I am also Sunday duty officer tomorrow, so it looks like a quiet weekend for me. . .

. . . . . I think I told you in last night’s letter that I sent you $80 by cable yesterday. I hope to be able to send more than that hereafter, but I won’t be able to send as much as I did when I was on per diem. . .

. . . . . After supper I came back to the office and have been writing letters for the last couple of hours. It is getting kind of late now, so I think that I’ll go on home and climb into my lonely bed and hope that the sirens don’t blow.

Darling, I miss you so darn much! It seems like forever since I’ve held you in my arms and kissed you and had you in bed beside me. It sure is nice to look back on that day seventeen months ago when we got married and think how happy I was then, and it would be a lot nicer if I knew of the day when I’d get back to you and could look forward to it. I suppose tho the time would go a lot slower then. Goodnight, my darling, I love you and think of you all the time. All my love and kisses, Glenn

8 December ‘43 Wednesday My dearest Betty;
. . . . . We have our first league basketball game tonight at 9 o’clock. I’m going to meet Bill Durrenberger and George over at their hotel about a quarter of eight and go down to the basketball court with them. . .

They’re reorganizing the mess system here about the middle of this month and will feed us cafeteria style, with the cost of the meals to be the value of the ration ($0.70 per day). That way they can take away the $1.25 per day that we are getting to make up for the excess cost of meals. In gradual steps they have taken away the per diem I was getting when I first arrived, but I will have my billet furnished. That is, I will be reimbursed for my flat rent. . .

I don’t know how we will do in the game tonight since most of us aren’t such hot players. However we do have two pretty good players in Sgt. Goss and Capt. Bill D. Goss played for a college in N. Carolina, and Bill says he played semipro while he was in college. Anyway, Bill is a pretty good player, but like the rest of us is a little short of wind from too much chairborne work. I call him Bill D to differentiate between him and Bill Lake, my roommate. Durrenberger is too long a name to write! I’ve told him that he should shorten it to Durren, which is what the Col. calls him. His desk faces mine, and every time he has to spell his name over the telephone, which is quite often, I sit there and laugh at him. . .

Later. 12:30, to be exact. I just got out of a nice hot bath and am finally in bed. The game wasn’t too good, we lost 10 to 8 in an overtime period. You can see from the score that neither team was any good. I made one point, a free throw. But I think the important thing is that we are getting some much needed exercise. I know that I am getting in a little better shape already ’cause I wasn’t near as tired after tonight's game as I was after last Monday night's practice. . . All my love and kisses, Glenn

10 December ‘43 Friday My darling;
Brrrr, is it cold!! I just got home, undressed and got right into bed without lighting a fire, and it was like climbing in between two sheets of ice. It is late again tonight, seems like I never get to bed early as I plan. I went to a show tonight, saw Bob Hope in a show that I can’t remember the name of at the moment. Anyway, he was in the army and Betty Hutton was in the picture and I enjoyed it a lot. I was all set to come home right after supper and get to bed early, but as I was leaving the office Tom asked me if I wanted to see a show so I went along with him. It doesn’t take much to persuade me to go anywhere, ‘cause it isn’t much fun to come home to a lonely apartment and spend the evening by myself.

Tom had a sergeant with him who was a neighbor of his at home. After the show we went to a French restaurant for supper and had a fairy good meal of spaghetti and a sort of hamburger steak. The hamburger was pretty good and tasted like it was only 50% ersatz instead of the usual 70% you run into at the restaurants. We had a half bottle of French wine with supper.

It was a beautiful night out, cold, but bright. I’d have liked to have had your arm linked with mine as we were walking home. We stopped at a very old pub on the way and had a glass of bitters, which is similar to our ale. There was a British sailor there we talked with while we were drinking. He was very nice and cheery and had been to New York and Philadelphia. He was very impressed with the hospitality of the people there - they just aren’t like that here.

We stopped by Tom’s room on the way home and talked for a while. The Sgt’s sister had been best maid at Tom’s wedding and Tom showed us a lot of pictures that he had taken.

I came on home and had to sew back on a button that came off my overcoat. I noticed earlier in the evening that it was about ready to come off, so I pulled it off to avoid losing it. It was quite a job sewing it on, at least it was for me, it probably would be easy for you. . .

15 December ‘43 Wednesday Darling;
. . . . . A new officer arriving today and I was detailed to meet him and show him around. His train was about two and a half hours late and then escorting him around and all, my day was pretty well shot. (This was Capt. Carl “Marty” Martinson, our rocket expert, who joined Bill Durrenberger and me in the Military Attaché group.) . . .

Another thing I did today was strip my pistol all the way down and clean it. . . . . . . . The reason for cleaning it is that I’m going on the range tomorrow and practice with it. Several of the fellows are going out, and since the ammunition is supplied by the army I thought I’d go along too. Maybe I can learn to shoot good enough to get one of those little marksmanship medals. That’s one way for a member of the chairborne division to get a medal. . .

16 December ‘43 Thursday Darling;
. . . . . I spent most of the afternoon out at the rifle range. My ears are still ringing from that shooting; guess I should have put in some cotton. . . . . . . . It was the first time I’d ever fired a cal. 30 rifle. I fired the Gerand and also the carbine. I took my pistol out and spent most of the time firing it. I wasn’t much of a marksman with any of them. . .

17 December ‘43 Friday My darling;
Happy birthday, honey!! How does it feel to be an old woman of twenty three? (This is the right date, isn’t it? I can hardly trust my memory for dates now.) Do you like the scarf? I hope so and think that you will. I am in bed again tonight as usual.

We had another basketball game this evening and actually won for a change. Our opponents didn’t show up until they were forty minutes late, so we played a short game of about twenty five minutes, including times out, we only had the court for an hour. Bill D was really hot and made ten of our sixteen points. Score 16 - 10. I actually made two points and the first basket of the game at that. I didn’t get tired at all tonight, maybe I’m getting somewhat in shape. Our game was scheduled for seven o’clock so we had to rush through supper in order to get there on time, and then the other team didn’t get there until late.

The new captain went along and played with us. He seems to be a pretty nice guy, about 26, about my height, dark hair and complexion, heavier build than me, comes from New Jersey, name is Martinson, and is married. He and I stopped at the Nurses Club on the way home and had a couple of cokes and a sandwich apiece. We talked quite a while and he showed me a picture of his wife and I showed him your picture. He thought you were very pretty, so that shows he is intelligent anyway.

I had a hot bath which really felt good. There is only one shower at the court, so it takes too long to wait to shower there. It is easier to get dressed and wait until I get home to bathe. I got my uniform from the cleaners today and then left my blouse and pinks to be cleaned and mended. The lining of the blouse was coming loose, and the pinks were getting frayed at the back of the cuffs. Guess there’s not much that can be done about the shine on the seat of the pants except maybe try to get a new job!! Don’t think I’ll try for a while tho.

I was sure glad to get your letter of Nov. 27 today. They’ve been coming in pretty darn good lately - time out while I knock on wood. Somehow or other it has gotten to be 11:30 and since I have to be at the office at 8 again in the morning I’d better be getting to sleep. At least tomorrow is the last time I have to be there that early for a while. I hope that I dream of you tonight darling. I had a crazy dream last night, but it was about Dick. It made me mad that as long as I was dreaming that it couldn’t be about you. . .

18 December ‘43 Saturday Darling;
Another Saturday night and nothing to do---at least nothing that I can think of that appeals to me, except maybe going home soon and getting to bed early, and that’s no fun with you not there. I just finished supper and for some reason or other all of the fellows disappeared. The five of them, Bill, George, Steve, Saint, and Major Keck recently rented a house that is quite a way from the office and haven’t been sticking around in the evenings as much as they did before. From all the tales that they tell about the house, it must be pretty nice, and it should be from the rent they are paying for it! I’ll have to go out soon and see what a house looks like that is worth a hundred dollars a week! Of course it can’t really be worth that much, but that is what they are paying. More exactly, that is what the government is paying for it for them. . .

I think I’ll go down to the Nurses Club for a while now and see if there is anyone there to play ping pong with. Maybe a good game of ping pong will awaken me a little. I know that I need something to pep me up. What is really wrong with me is an acute shortage of you. . .

19 December ‘43 SundaY My darling wife;
I’m in my bathrobe now and sitting in my easy chair with my feet up to the fire. I got home not long ago and am waiting now for the fire in the bathroom to warm that room up some, and then I’ll go take a bath. I was ambitious just now and shined a couple of pairs of shoes; that is, I applied the polish and will brush it off later.

We had another game of basketball this evening and we won it too 17-14!! That makes two losses and two wins for us now. I really think the exercise is doing me some good, or have I said that after every game so far? I feel a little tired now, but not anything like I felt after the first times we played. And it is a lot of fun to play too. Bill D was high scorer again with 7 points. I made 3 points, a basket and a free throw. . .

20 December ‘43 Monday My darling;
Christmas is sort of creeping up on us, isn’t it? Of course, by time you get this letter it will be past. It doesn’t seem like Christmas time to me at all. You see a tree in a window occasionally, and some of the stores have half heartedly decorated their windows, but the Christmas spirit just doesn’t seem to be around here like it is at home. The blackout makes a lot of difference, ‘cause you can’t see the trees through the windows at night, and there is no outdoor lighting and so on, but I miss the decorations on the streets, and lights on trees in front yards, and wreaths, and most of all I miss being with you. We had a lot of fun decorating our tree last year, didn’t we, even if it was just a little one and we didn’t have many ornaments. Anyway, next year we’ll be able to celebrate together. (How could I have been so optimistic? I spent the next two Christmases in London!) .

. . . . . I had a nice ride in the country today after lunch and was gone until a little after blackout. I went with a Lt. Col. whose home was in S.F., and we gabbed all the way about the wonders of California; just let two Californians talk about our state and we are happy. We met a British Brigadier, that is equivalent to our one star General, only they don’t call them General, just Brigadier. He supplied me with two scotch and sodas that put me in a good mood most of the afternoon and evening.

Have I ever described for you the insignia of rank of the British Army, or do you know already, or care?. I’ll be damned if I’ll wait two months to find out yes or no, so I’ll describe them. They are a lot like the system we had in ROTC, only the ornaments are different. A second Lt. has one pip, which is a little diamond shaped affair. A first Lt. has two pips, and a Captain has three. A Major has a crown; it is round shaped, and hard to tell from a pip unless you are close. A Lt. Col. has a crown and a pip above it. A Colonel has a crown and two pips. A Brigadier has three pips arranged in a triangle and a crown above them; that is a shoulder full! From here I’m not so sure, but a Major General has crossed swords, and either a crown or a pip above them; a Lt. General has crossed swords and, I think, a crown and a pip. I’ve seen one full General, but I don’t remember what he wears. All of them, from the full Colonel on up wear red patches on their lapels, so you can spot them coming easily; also the band on their hats is red. Now are you sufficiently educated? . . .

23 December ‘43 Thursday My darling;
. . . . . . We just had supper, and a drink on Steve. His promotion to 1st Lt. finally came through today; he really deserved it too. Now Saint, Steve, and I are sitting here working hard - on our respective letters. That is, Saint and I are writing letters and Steve seems to be composing a book. I’ve never seen a guy write such long letters - it must be an art. He’ll write three or four single spaced typewritten sheets in the same time it would take me to write one sheet longhand.

I got your Nov. 22 & Dec. 4 letters today and also a letter from Mom saying (my brother) Dick and Arlena got married! I sure hope that they will be as happy as we are. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . While I’ve been writing Bill D, Major Keck, and George all came in. Bill and Steve have both been not smoking ever since we made that bet a couple of weeks ago. They both have been dying for a smoke, but were too stubborn to give in. Finally this afternoon they got together and lit up cigars at the same time - and I think they have been puffing away ever since!

George got a V mail Christmas card from Gordon French today. He is still in Africa or Italy. I’ve been meaning to drop him a note for quite a while, but have never gotten around to it. We never were good friends tho, and I guess there are other letters I should write first.

It sure pleases me that you and Mom get along so well together, and she feels she can turn to you for advice. I know that Mom thinks the world of you (and how could she help it!) and already thinks of you as a daughter rather than as my wife. You know, I like you a lot too, or have I mentioned that before - tho I can’t say I think of you as a daughter! But I think of you all the time and I miss you something terrific too. In short, I love you darling. . .

24 December ‘43 Friday My darling;
From the way my Christmas Eve is starting to shape up I thought I’d better start my letter to you while I can still write. I suppose that Christmas Eve should be spent at home with your loved ones, but since I can’t do that I’ll be darned if I will sit home all alone. So I’m going to a party (drinking) at six, another at eight, and if I’m able, will go out to the boys’ house after that. That program seems ambitious enough, doesn’t it - anyway it should give me a good chance to drown my sorrow at not being able to be with you tonight. . .

Christmas morning. Guess it was a good idea to start this letter yesterday afternoon, even if I didn’t get very far with it. It was quite an evening; of course I’d a million times rather have spent it with you, but I couldn’t, so I went on a slight bender. One of the WAC officers is engaged to Tom’s friend and she invited Tom, Saint, and myself over to supper at the WAC mess. Oh boy, all those girls and only three men! That was really an ordeal to go through, believe it or not. We got stared at so much as we went through carrying our plates that Saint wanted to know if his slip was showing. It was a good meal too; spaghetti, but very good.

After supper I went to a cocktail party given by a major and had about three bourbon and waters, and then went on to a second one given by a lt. colonel and had more of the same. I never did get out to the boys’ house ‘cause by the time I was ready to go out there I thought it would be a better idea to go home to bed and sleep it off.

Since this is last night’s letter, you’ll have to wait for this evening’s letter to find out if I had a hangover! Darling I hate being away from you any night, much less on Christmas Eve. I miss you so darn much darling, and nothing I can do helps any; not even getting a little tight like last night. . . All my love and kisses, Glenn

25 December ‘43 Christmas Day My darling;
It has been a swell day so far. I’m out at the house that five of the fellows have now. It is really an excellent place, large and luxurious, very nicely furnished, and I believe it could almost be called a mansion. There is a dining room with large sturdy dining table and leather upholstered chairs; the living room has a couple of sofas and a large fireplace and a grand piano; the den, where I am now, has a fireplace and three easy chairs and a combination radio-phonograph; four bedrooms; two baths; kitchen; and a room in the basement that has been fixed up with a bar and tables and chairs. There is a pretty good sized back yard with sunken pool and lawn. There are several oil paintings, and rugs everywhere. From what I’ve been saying, you can see that it is the nicest house I’ve seen over here so far.

I woke up this morning not feeling much the worse for my last nights drinking, and after a shave and bath and a breakfast of real shell egg and coffee I felt almost human. I opened my Christmas presents, except for your picture which I opened as soon as it came, and I still think it is the nicest present I could have gotten, outside of a kiss from you. I set it on my desk so I can look at you all the time I’m working, and then when I go away for a day or so I carry it along with me in my pocket. I love the picture, maybe ‘cause I love the original so much. Tell Father Walter thanks so much for the clothes brush, it is exactly the kind I wanted. The change purse is a good idea, but I doubt that I will use it much. Slippers from my parents, and enough books from everyone to take up a good many evenings reading. And enough candy and nuts to make me good and sick! I’ll try not to eat them all at once, tho. Gosh, darling, I love Christmas, but I hope that I never have to spend another one away from you, that takes most of the joy out of it. But I’ve had a swell day with the fellows, and it has made up a lot for what I’ve missed.

I got down to the office about noon and met Steve and Bill D, and they and Miss Devine, the American sec’ty, and I came out to the house for Christmas dinner. Miss Devine really is a swell person. She is the one to whose apartment we all went for supper one evening. She gave each of us a bottle of bourbon for Christmas, and the Colonel did too, so we are all set for a big New Year’s Eve. Anyway, Miss Devine, George, Steve, Bill, and I had our Christmas dinner here. We didn’t have turkey, but that didn’t make any difference, we still had a great dinner of beef, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, peas, and George hauled out some stuffed green olives that had been sent him. For dessert we had genuine English plum pudding, that was really good. We had port with our meal, a cocktail beforehand, and coffee afterwards. That was several hours ago, and I’m still stuffed.

After dinner we went into the living room and had our coffee and sang carols. Miss Devine had to go back to the office then (the Col. doesn’t believe in taking even Christmas off). We sat around and listened to the radio and read for a while. Steve went to sleep, and a couple of gal friends of Bill and George came in so I’m all alone in the den.

Miss Devine was about as blue as the rest of us at having to be away from home at Christmas, but by getting together for the day it helped a lot.

Maj. Keck and Saint haven’t come as yet; they are having Christmas somewhere else, and ought to be back soon. Today is Steve’s birthday, so he has extra reason to celebrate, but he has gone to sleep for a while. Guess I should be sociable and go down where Bill and George and their two gals are, and have a drink with them, but maybe that wouldn’t be appreciated. Guess I’ll try it soon tho, and write to you more later.

I was very happy to get your letter of Dec. 8 this morning. I’m glad your mother is out of the hospital OK. That was the first mention you’ve made of her illness except once you said she was going to the hospital.

I’ve been listening to a nice classical music program on the radio, and now I find it is coming from Germany, and they’re giving out with a bit of propaganda. It is the first time I’ve heard a program from Germany, and it is funny to hear them decrying the “barbaric” bombing by the Allies, especially when I see the bombed residential districts around here, not conceivably near any military target, and hear tales of some of the people that went through the “blitz”. And now they speak of how Germany is to uphold the Christian ideals and “peace on Earth, good will toward men”. And then in almost the same breath, they speak of reprisal raids. How the mind of a nation can be so distorted to believe any of that, or for that matter, expect anyone to believe it, is beyond me. God grant that soon there will be peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, but let’s not accept Germany’s kind.

I think I’ll go downstairs now and be sociable. ‘Bye for now darling. I love you, I love you with all that’s me.

Sun. morning. I got a better start on this letter than I did on yesterday’s, but I didn’t get back to finish it last night. The whole day yesterday was very nice for me, about as close as it could be to Christmas at home without actually having you in my arms. I think that the part of the day I enjoyed most was yesterday afternoon when I was all alone with you in the den, just listening to the radio and watching the fire burn and having my one sided conversation. You sure were quiet, but I could feel that you were there with me all the same.

Tom and Saint came along soon after I went downstairs and we spent most of the evening drinking and singing, but loud, and finally ended up in the den listening to the “Mikado” on the phonograph. The Major came in later in the evening with a Lt. Col. who was also visiting there for the weekend, and we talked with them for a while. Tom and I stayed last night ‘cause by the time we were ready to come home the buses had stopped running, and since they had room to put us up there was no good reason to come home anyway.

When Tom and the Saint came out they brought me some mail that had come in; that sure was a good Christmas present! I got your letters of Dec. 7 & 9, a letter from your Dad, and one from (my sister) Dorothy.

Well, darling, there is one Christmas day that is past, and I hope that I never have to spend another one away from you. In fact, I don’t want to spend any day away from you. I’m very much in love with my little wife. ‘Bye darling, I’ll be with you again this evening. I miss you honey, in case you haven’t guessed that. I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn

27 December ‘43 Monday Boxing Day! My darling;
Now don’t ask me what Boxing Day is, ‘cause I don’t know, and I don’t think that most of the English know either; I’ve asked quite a few of them and didn’t get many very satisfactory answers. Anyway it is a bank holiday and all the restaurants were closed and everything else was closed too, except the US Army! It is always the next day after Christmas, except when the next day is Sunday, like it was this year. It isn’t a day for boxing matches, but the general idea I got was that it originated as a day when people went around and visited and took their gifts. Another version is that it was the day when all the tradesmen visited their customers to get their Christmas presents. . .

I’m glad that you liked my letter about the “This is the Army” show. I think that I enjoyed the show a lot more ‘cause I was especially trying to note and remember things that I thought you would like to hear about, and it was almost like going to a show with you. I’m glad you didn’t try to have it published, or anything like that tho, ‘cause my letters are just for you (and of course any part of them that you want to read to the folks), and besides it is contrary to army regulations to publish any letter that has not gone through the public relations office. And army regulations (or am I thinking of the Articles of War) aren’t to be sneered at, at least by me. Joe Barkley was the originator of the “Distinguished Filing Service” Medal. You remember him from Aberdeen and Frankfort, don’t you? I’ll have you know it is a pretty select bunch that wears that medal; he has pinned it on me and several generals. Your visit to Mather Field sounded real interesting, but I have one little correction to make - you stood in review behind the Major General and the Col. and 4 or 5 other officers, and not “behind the Col., Major General, etc.” It is all right for me to say “me and the Col.”, but you know that you Army wives have to remember your rank!! RHIP, you know! . . .

31 December ‘43 Friday My darling;
Technically it isn’t Dec. 31, but rather Jan. 1, but since I didn’t write last night this is still last night’s letter. . . . . The boys had a party out at their house last night. There was quite a crowd and we had a good time, to put it mildly. That’s a good place to have a party, except that it is so far out and the transportation stops running early so the guests have a hard time getting home. The two times I’ve been there I stayed all night so that part didn’t bother me. Tom and I “dated” each other, but many of the others had gals with them. We got out there about eight and spent most of the evening drinking and singing. The singing wasn’t very good, I’m afraid, but we had fun, and at least it was loud. About eleven thirty my stomach started feeling a little funny so I decided it was time to stop drinking. I hung around until a little after twelve and then went to bed. I guess I was the first one to give up, ‘cause I woke up about four and the rest were just heading for bed. Steve told me to take his bed, so I did, and he slept on an air mattress in the den. I had a pretty good nights sleep after I got the bed leveled out and stopped it from spinning. . .

It seems a lot longer than just one year since we celebrated last New Years Eve at the Aberdeen Officers’ Club. I guess it is because almost half of that year has been spent away from you! We had a good time last New Year’s Eve, didn’t we, in spite of almost freezing to death waiting for a bus. I think the Christmas dance was better, tho, ‘cause the band was better. Either night was better than last night; in fact any night that I was with you was better. I miss you so darn much, darling, and although I try to have a good time, it just isn’t the same without you. . . . .
All my love and kisses, Glenn

1 January ‘44 Saturday My darling;
Hello again - I wrote last night’s letter this morning, in case you haven’t got it yet - and here I am again. Did you have a good time last night and today? I hope so - you know the superstition about being happy when bringing in the New Year so the whole year will be happy. . .

I got up this morning about 8:30 and caught a bus for the office (I had stayed all night at Bill, George, Steve, Saint, Maj. Keck’s house) and got to the mess a little after nine. I thought it would be operating on the Sunday schedule, serving until 9:30, but it wasn’t. I went on down to the office and started on your letter. Bill D was on duty at the office today, but I told him I’d take the early shift ‘cause I got a lot more sleep than he did. Evidently he didn’t trust me to wake up ‘cause he came in a little after 9:30. Miss Devine came in for a while, but she hadn’t had any sleep so she went home to bed. The English secretary came in too, and when she arrived Bill and I went down to the Red Cross club and had some breakfast.

We had waffles, toast, and coffee. The waffle was very good, and, I think, the first one I’ve had here. It would be nice to be back with you these mornings when we could sleep late and then have our waffles and coffee and cigarettes. It is just an accumulation of little things that make married life so happy, and I miss it all an awful lot darling. Incidentally I miss you too. . .

After breakfast we went back to the office and worked for a while and exchanged sympathy with the different fellows as they came in. What a sad looking bunch they were. About noon I went to the cleaners and picked up my pinks and blouse. They were all mended and look pretty good. I finally found a cleaners that seems to use steam for pressing and they do a good job. . .

After (a turkey) dinner I went back to the office and worked until 4:30. I wasn’t on duty today, but I had quite a lot to do. I think I’ll have to work some tomorrow too, in fact I know I will ‘cause I have some stuff that has to be done before Monday. These two extra holidays seem to have put me a little behind. . .

At 4:30 Bill, Steve, George, Tom, and I went to see a show. We wanted to see the screen version of “This is the Army”, but the line was too long, so we saw “A Touch of Nelson”. It is a story of the Canadian corvettes which protect the convoys. It was very interesting, and according to a couple of the fellows who came on convoys, very authentic. We got out just in time to catch a cab and get to the mess before it closed. This meal we had beans, what a comedown from turkey.

Tom and I came to his place after supper and are writing letters. After I finish this I have a couple more that I should write, but whether I do or not is another matter. . .

I seem to have run out of things to say; I can’t express how much I miss you and love you and long to hold you close to me and kiss you - but I can try. I love you, darling, with every part of me, I think of you all the time, I miss you, miss the warmth of you beside me in bed, miss seeing you across the breakfast table, even miss having your hair pins scratch me, in short, I miss you and everything about you. Goodnight my darling, I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn

(It was a little confusing that my roommate was named Bill {Lake}, and there was a Bill {Durrenberger} in the office that I had a lot of contact with. I didn’t see much of Bill Lake; we had a two bedroom apartment with a living room, but it was a separate room off the hall, and usually was kept closed and unheated, and we never spent time in there. At the end of the first year I moved in with Larry Henry, and saw Bill Lake only casually in the mess or on the street. Until I no longer roomed with Bill Lake, I often referred to Bill Durrenberger as Bill D; afterwards in the letters he was just plain “Bill”. Bill Durrenberger was at the office when I arrived in London, and still there when I left, and we became quite close friends.)