CHAPTER 5. 1/6/44 TO 3/8/44 GEN. LEE’S TRAIN & CAPTAIN!
6 January ‘44 Thursday My darling;
. . . . . This morning I had tea with Mary Churchill, the prime minister’s daughter. She is in the ATS (British WAC) and we were at the place where she is stationed, and she served us tea. I was with my Colonel and we had quite a chat with her, with my Colonel doing most of the talking, as usual. . .
9 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
. . . . . We caught a later train and had a pretty nice trip, in first class seats which made it more comfortable. We got to Taunton, and caught a bus to Watchet (a small harbor town on the south side of the Bristol Channel), our destination. I guess we were lucky to get here at all, with what Transportation is on Sundays.
We arrived just in time to have a beer and then supper. After supper we had beer and skittles. Skittles is similar to what we call duck pin bowling at home, only the alley was very rough concrete. There were twelve of us playing, six on each side. Since Steve and I were the only Americans, and supposed to be novices at the game, we chose up the teams. As it turned out, Steve had the highest score of the evening, and I had the second highest, but my team won. We had several beers while we played. After the game was over we came into the pub and played “darts” and had more beer. Steve and I were outclassed at darts. I’d like to know how many pints of beer I’ve had this evening, but I know that it is too many. . .
10 January ‘44 Monday My darling;
It sure would be nice to have you here with me now. I feel that way all the time, but now I am sitting in the lounge of the hotel in Watchet and there is a fire burning in front of me and it is warm and I am drowsy and I miss you and I want you here in my arms.
I had a nice day, although I about froze most of the time. I woke up at eight, with the maid coming in and bringing us a cup of tea. Steve and I shared a room with single beds. We managed to wake up enough to drink the tea before it got too cold. Then Steve got up first and shaved; he got up first because he called “heads” instead of “tails”. Then I got up and shaved and washed and dressed. I wore my green shirt and green pants today; I usually take any opportunity that I have to get out of my blouse. I also put on my long woolies and my field jacket and my scarf and my overcoat and gloves, but it still didn’t keep all the cold out later.
We had a typical English breakfast of ham, porridge, some kind of bread soaked in grease, and tea. Then we started out on the day’s activity. Watchet is a small harbor town on the Bristol Channel, in case you haven’t located it on your map yet. There is a good sized tide here, and the harbor had no water in it, just mud! It looked funny to see the small boats sitting out there. I haven’t had a chance to see much of Watchet, and I haven’t gotten any pictures yet, but hope to have time for those things tomorrow. I had planned to leave tomorrow morning, but the weatherman wouldn’t cooperate today, so it looks now like I’ll probably leave early tomorrow afternoon, I hope. Not that I especially want to leave, but I have quite a bit of work to do back at the office, and the longer I stay away the worse it gets.
I spent most of the day standing around and watching and freezing. We came back to the hotel for lunch and had some good turkey, and stood in front of the fire, and then went on back outside. After freezing some more we came back to the hotel and sat in front of the fire and talked until supper time. Oh yes, we had our tea there too.
We had a good supper of fresh fish. After supper I went into the bar and played darts and drank two pints of beer. Then I came in to the lounge and started on this letter. This hotel is more accurately described as a pub. It is a lot like the one I stayed in at Camborne, but much nicer. It is hard to remember how cold I was earlier in the day ‘cause it is almost uncomfortably hot here in front of the fire.
I just looked at my watch and it is 11:30, so I’d better head for bed. I had no idea it was so late. By eating at the English dining hour of 8:30, the evening is practically over by time you eat. I think I’ve covered the day, so I’ll go up to my cold lonely bed; sure wish you were going to be in that other bed instead of Steve!! Goodnight my darling. . .
11 January ‘44 Tuesday My darling;
I’m back in my own bed now, but it is just as cold and lonely as that one in the Watchet hotel. . . . . The weather was nasty out, and after we walked over to the camp and heard the weather forecast, it was apparent that we couldn’t do anything today. I decided to come on home, and Steve stayed another day in case the weather improves. . .
. . . . . I got home just in time for supper, and after I dumped my musette bag at the office, and washed some of the soot off me, I went to the mess with Tom. After supper we went for a beer, but had to help put a fire out first; we walked into a pub and it was deserted and the room was full of smoke. About the time we came in the proprietor noticed the smoke too. We thought at first that the chimney had stopped up, but that was OK. When we opened the door leading down to the basement we found the wooden stairs were on fire. It wasn’t started very much yet, and a little water put it out in a hurry. Seems someone had used a rag to put back on the fire a coal that had fallen out, and then had thrown the rag down the stairs - stupid trick! Anyway, we finally got our beer! . . .
(In the following letter I tell about meeting Nye Moses, a friend from high school, and my class’s Student Body President. He was an Ensign in the Navy and was on leave from training on the England south coast for D-Day amphibious landings. He contacted me several times in the following months when he had leave in London. The last time I saw him, he borrowed 20 pounds from me because he was running short of money. A few days before D-Day I received a letter from him containing the 20 pounds. I didn’t hear further from or about him until my mother wrote that she had read in the local paper that Nye had been killed on D-Day while commanding a landing craft.)
14 January ‘44 Friday My darling;
. . . . . We had another basketball game this evening. I didn’t feel much like playing, and they had enough men without me, but I was away when we played the last game, so I went on down. It was a good game, and we won. I played about half of the time, so I didn’t wear myself out. That makes five games in a row we have won, after dropping the first two. We had a couple of “ringers” playing with the team the last two games, which helped a lot. They are friends of Sgt. Goss and are really good players.
As I was dressing after the game, a Navy Ensign walked in and called me by name. It was Nye Moses! I’m not sure if you know him, or not; but I went to High School with him, and he went around with the same bunch I did. He was probably at that New Years party that we went to two years ago. It sure was a surprise to me, and apparently I was the first one from home that he had run into over here. He had a lot of news about the fellows from home. We’re going to try to get together next Sunday for dinner and to talk over old times. He was playing for a Navy team right after we finished, so we didn’t have much time to talk. He was a good player in High School, and was on the varsity at USC. . .
15 January ‘44 Saturday My darling
It isn’t Saturday now, rather it’s Sunday morning,but since this is Saturday’s letter, I’ve dated it as such. I got home late last night, so I thought I’d wait until this morning to write. I saw Lunt and Fontaine in “There shall be no Night”. They did some good acting and I enjoyed it a lot. Their supporting cast wasn’t too good in my estimation, too much English accent for me, but I suppose that was to be expected. I was lucky to get to go. I’ve been meaning to see the play for quite some time, but you have to reserve seats three weeks in advance and I couldn’t make plans that far ahead. About five thirty last night Miss Devine came in and asked me to go with her; seems her boy friend got caught in a conference at the last minute, and couldn’t get away in time. So I got to see the show; it started at six, and we didn’t have time to eat supper first.
After the show we went to the Officers’ Club and met Miss Devine’s boy friend and then spent the rest of the evening drinking rum and coke. That was the first time I’ve been in that Officers’ Club, at least when it was a club; it used to be our mess, and now has reopened as an Officers’ Club. The boy friend, Lt. Raker, had spent a lot of time on the west coast around L.A., so we spent most of the time talking about Calif., one of my favorite subjects. The place closed at eleven and they went home and I went to the Nurses Club to get something to eat. I hadn’t had any food since noon and four rum and cokes were swishing around in my stomach, so it did me good to get a little food inside me. . .
(This was soon after the mess moved from 85 Audley St. to the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. That was a good place to run into friends from home since every officer who visited London on business or leave ate at that “Willow Run” mess at some time.)
16 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
. . . . . Nye Moses came to the office at 11:30. We went to the mess for lunch; it was a good meal today, we had turkey with dressing and applesauce. After dinner Nye and I walked around the town for a while, but it wasn’t very nice out; we came back to the office for a while and then he left. He’ll be around for a little while so I’ll see him again soon. He had a lot of news about the fellows at home and we spent most of the time gabbing. It is nice to meet a fellow from home, but to be honest I got pretty well bored at his line of gab. He was telling me about all the places he had been and the women he had been out with, and was pretty much concerned with “first person singular”, so it was a relief when he left. . .
Tom and I went to the mess for supper; it wasn’t much to tell about, spaghetti and meat balls. We had a scotch and soda first. After supper we went to see a show, saw “San Demetico, London”, a British film about a tanker crew. It wasn’t too bad, for an English picture. The last two times Tom and I have been to that theater we bought three shilling seats and sat in 7 shilling seats. Not bad, all we do is kid with the usherette and ask her where she is going to hide us, or something like that, and she generally shows us to the better seats. . .
I came right home after the show. It really was a black night out. Tom had much farther to go than I did, and he didn’t have his flashlight, so I let him take mine. I only had 2 or 3 blocks to go, but it is a good thing that I knew the way pretty well, ‘cause I had to practically feel my way home. I made it, and without running into a lamp post or tripping over a curb or anything. The only incident was when a women came up to me and tried to start a conversation. I don’t know what she wanted ‘cause I didn’t wait to hear, but I have a damn good idea of what it was. So much for the dangers of the wilds of England! . . .
Well darling, that bed doesn’t look inviting at all without you in it waiting for me, but I’d better go take my bath and climb into it. Goodnight my darling, come to me in my dreams tonight, won’t you. I love you so much and am so lonely for you. I love you! All my love and kisses, Glenn
(The “brass” that I was with in the following letters was a group of generals and VIPs visiting England from the States. Over 60 years later, I can’t say that I remember who they were, but they must have been very important to rate using General Lee’s luxurious private train. Of course I couldn’t mention their names in my letters. I do remember vividly being very impressed by the luxury of the train, the well stocked bar, the “out of this world” food we ate in the dining car. Being a four star general certainly did have it’s privileges of rank!
Bill Durrenberger and I were the two from the office along on this trip. My memory was distorted because I thought the trip took place after I had been promoted to the rank of major, but the letters show I was still a first Lt. Even if I had been a major, I would still have been the lowest rank aboard because Bill was always one rank above me. Also I “remembered” the train as being General Eisenhower’s, but in a letter written after VE Day, I identify it as General Lee’s.
Maybe some of the “brass” did rub off on me, since it was about this time that Colonel Reed must have recommended that I be promoted to captain and Bill be promoted to major. My promotion finally came through in March, and Bill’s in June.)
21 January ‘44 Friday My darling;
I did a lot better today on the mail business, I got two letters from you and one from Dad. Your letters were Dec. 18 and Jan. 4. I had a pretty good day; I knew it would have to be good because it had such a good start when I found your letters waiting for me when I got to work.
I got up real early at 6:45 again this morning, but this time i took longer getting ready so I didn’t get down to work any twenty minutes early like I did yesterday, but I did get to work on time, and had a big breakfast too. I thought that I’d better have a big breakfast ‘cause I was going to have lunch at a British place, and they always eat lunch so late.
We left early in the morning, before I had time to even read your letters, and didn’t get back into town until a little after six. I was really hobnobbing with the brass today, darling, it’s too bad none of it seems to rub off. In my car was a Major General and a Brigadier General (and then me); I felt lower than a buck private. I had a wonderful day, tho, it was nice out (for a January day), and the countryside is still very green.
I was going to go to a play tonight with Tom and a WAC officer, but I told them that if I didn’t get back before six not to wait for me, and I didn’t get here until 6:15, and they had gone. The WAC officer is the one I was telling you about that is engaged to a friend of Tom, and since he is stationed away from here, Tom goes out with her occasionally. It is a pretty good deal, ‘cause she gets free tickets to plays through the WACs, so I had her get me a ticket for tonight too, that was before I knew I’d be away today. Anyway, I missed the play, but I don’t care ‘cause that gives me more time to write to you, and besides I have work that I should be doing.
I think that I’ll try to write to my folks tonight, and make this a longer letter than usual ‘cause I’m going to leave again tomorrow night, and won’t be back until the latter part of next week, and I don’t know if I’ll be anywhere I can mail your letters. If there is a little gap in the mail after you get this letter, you will know why. I don’t suppose the army postal service will be regular enough so you will notice any difference. . .
Did I ever tell you about the new secretary that we have in the office? Boy, what a dream, or rather, nightmare. She must be very efficient, if the law of compensation holds true at all. She sits with her back to me, which helps a lot.
This is the sixth anniversary, isn’t it; funny, but I don’t feel like celebrating! It has been an awful long time since I kissed you goodbye that morning, and it seems like much longer than the calendar shows. At first I could close my eyes and picture how it was to have you in my arms, but time has dulled my imagination a little. I love you so much darling, and the only thing I want is to get back to you soon.
Your first day on the job sounds interesting. It will do you good to have something to keep you occupied, and you can tell me everything that you do, and I’ll bet that you’ll make some marvelous new discoveries. By the way, what is an Entomologist. It sounds like it has to do with bugs, but how do you get to be one, an Entomologist I mean, not a bug.
Well darling, I’ve about run out of things to say, and it is getting late, so, goodnight my darling, I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn
P.S. Me again! I’m home and in my cold lonely bed. I sure wish you were here with me! After I finished this letter I wrote one to my folks, and then did a little work and came on home.
Now it is just midnight, and I’m tired and sleepy. I suppose that you are just about getting off work now, is it still as interesting as the first day? I didn’t tell you that the car we were in today was a new seven passenger Chrysler fluid drive ; it really was a honey! Let’s get one like that in a club coupe model, shall we, or should we start with a more conservative car?
I should put the light out now and get some sleep, it has been a pretty tiring day today, and tomorrow probably won’t be exactly restful. Goodnight darling, I love you and miss you all the time, I love you!
P.P.S. I could go for a cheese sandwich and a glass of milk about now. How’s about it?
P.P.P.S. I love you.
P.P.P.P.S. If you could just arrange to come get in bed with me, I think I could do without the cheese and milk. I love you. I love you. G
22 January ‘44 Saturday My darling;
This has been another big day for me! I woke up at 6:45 AM and it’s now 10:45 PM and I’ve hardly taken off time to breathe in-between. . .
About 9:15 I went off on another trip and was gone most of the day. I was hobnobbing with the brass again today. I had lunch at a British mess; they put out a good meal, with whiskey and soda before, and port afterwards. I got back to the office about 4:30 and kept very busy until six. I’ve been away so much lately that my work has really piled up. I put through the calls I hadn’t been able to connect with this morning and this time did them all OK. At one time I had two long distance calls put through at the same time, one on each telephone; here you give the operator the number you want and your telephone number, and they call you back when the call is put through. Luckily both calls didn’t come at the same time. . .
At 6:15 this evening I slung my musette bag over my shoulder and grabbed my brief case and was off again, this time by train, and what a train too!! It was a special train (General Lee’s private train, but he wasn’t along) and we had a car all to ourselves. I was junior member of the passengers too! We had supper on the train, the best meal I’ve yet had in England. I had soup, roast beef that was really rare and tender, french fried potatoes, yorkshire pudding, peas, and pie and custard for dessert. I’m afraid that I ate a little too much, but it is a pleasant way to be uncomfortable! After supper we sat around and talked and finally arrived at our destination. (We were in Cheltenham; I later called the hotel the best I’ve stayed at in the UK)
I’m in a hotel room now, and I don’t mean a pub either. It is a real hotel and looks new and is very nicely furnished. That bed looks very tempting, it is only a single bed, but I’m sure we both could be very comfortable in it.
23 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
I’m not in such palatial surroundings tonight as I was last night, but this is still very nice. I’m in bed and about ready to go to sleep. There is another officer that is in the same room with me. He is a Lt. in the Engineers and he went to Wash. State and seems to be OK. The room we are in is small, but there are two comfortable twin beds, at least mine is comfortable, and his looks just the same as mine.
Back from the present to the start of the day, I was rudely awakened at what seemed the middle of the night by my telephone ringing and after I managed to rasp out a “hello” , a pleasant voice said “good morning, it is 7:30”. About that time I regretted having left a call for that time ‘cause I think I could have slept til noon. But I had to get up, so I did. I shaved and dressed and went to the dining room for breakfast. Over a breakfast of grapefruit juice, mush, fresh egg, bacon, toast, and coffee I read all about the new leap frog move in Italy; I had heard about it on the radio last night. I hope it makes out OK ‘cause maybe that’ll mean I’ll be back with you just that much sooner!
I had to check out of that hotel after breakfast and this evening came to this hotel that I was supposed to have come to last night. Since we don’t get per diem any more, when we travel we have to request rooms furnished by the army when they are available. The rest of the party I am with stayed at the other hotel, and when we got there they had an extra room, so I got to have it. It was much nicer than this hotel, I guess they figure it is too nice for a Lt. After breakfast we went to work and I was busy at a meeting all day; had lunch at an officers’ mess, and it was fried chicken! But good!
This evening I checked into this hotel and then had supper; it was some kind of beef, and ice cream for dessert! That’s the first I’ve had in this country! I’m afraid that all the good food I’m getting on this trip is going to ruin my stomach and it will refuse to take the beans, stew, etc. that I get at my regular mess. After supper I had a glass of beer, worked on my notes, kibitzed at a bridge game, played a couple of games of ping pong, and then came up to my room, got into my PJs, and worked and studied some more.
Now it is 11:45 and I’ll have to quit and go to sleep. Goodnight darling, I miss you, I’m lonely for you, I love you. If you were only here to be beside me and I could kiss you goodnight and try to tell you how much I love you; well, if you were, I think I could go to sleep completely happy. Goodnight my darling, I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
24 January ‘44 Monday My darling;
I started this letter a couple hours ago, but got only as far as the date line when I was detoured in a conversation. This morning I just barely caught the bus I had to catch, and so missed out on my breakfast, but I’m almost used to missing that meal, and I still don’t like missing it.
The train has started moving now so maybe my writing will get a little worse, if that is possible. (I haven’t yet gotten myself on the train in this letter, but that will come later on). I didn’t do a lot this morning, but kept busy. About noon I got a car and went to my hotel and checked out and went on to the train. We had lunch on the train, and it was up to the standard of the previous meal; we had turkey and sausage and french fried potatoes and vegetables, all very good.
This afternoon we made another visit for about three hours, and then came back to the train in time for a scotch and soda before dinner. And what a dinner, filet minion steak about two inches thick and medium rare and very tender. I think I’d like to eat all my meals on this train for the rest of my stay in England! After dinner we sat around in the lounge car and talked and that is where I started the letter and was detoured.
About eleven I came to my compartment and cleaned up some and laid out some clean clothes for tomorrow. I felt pretty dirty, so I practically took a bath, using the basin in my compartment and washing one section at a time. Then I climbed into bed and started this letter. I wonder if there is any mail from you waiting for me back at the office. I sure hope to find a whole pile of it when I get back in a couple of days, meanwhile I just have to do without. I mailed two letters to you this morning, and I think I can mail this letter tomorrow. Now it is getting pretty hard to write, and besides it is getting late, so I’d better go to sleep. Goodnight darling, I love you and think of you all the time. I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
25 January ‘44 Tuesday My darling;
I’m sitting here listening to a very interesting conversation so haven’t been making much progress on this letter, about a word every ten minutes has been my average so far. Later, I gave it up as a bad job, so here I am now in bed and with only a slight bumping around to contend with. I started the day off by being awakened at seven and had a cup of coffee in bed, it tasted good too. After I shaved and dressed I went up to the dining car for breakfast. Had cereal, toast, juice, bacon & fresh egg, and some more coffee. I ought to gain weight on this trip, from the way I’ve been eating. We went off for a little trip this morning, and then came back to the train for lunch. Had another good meal, this time roast beef. Then we were off again by car. This evening we came back to the train for dinner, chicken this time.
After dinner we sat in the lounge and talked and listened to the radio. In certain sections of England you can get American Forces Network, which is a broadcasting system operated by the Special Services of the army. They are apparently doing a darn good job, ‘cause the programs I heard were all very good. I heard “Command Performance” which is a program especially for troops overseas. Do you get it at home? Some of the programs were transcribed versions of the regular ones you get at home, but edited to delete the advertising. In my opinion that A.F.N. makes the British Broadcasting Company look silly. I suppose I’ve told you before what I think of the highly advertised B.B.C. I had heard about it before I came over here, about how it doesn’t have any advertising, and was supposed to be so wonderful. Well there isn’t any advertising on B.B.C., but as far as I’m concerned there isn’t any entertainment value there either. Maybe it is all in what you are used to. . .
26 January ‘44 Wednesday My darling;
I’m back in my own bed tonight, but it isn’t any less lonely than the bed on the train was without you here. At least it doesn’t bounce around any and jiggle my arm while I’m trying to write. I slept good on the train, tho. You know me, once I’m asleep nothing bothers me. I got quite a lot of mail when I came in this evening. There were only two letters from you, yours of Jan. 9 & 10, but I also got a letter from your mother, a Christmas card from Col. Ely (Frankfort Arsenal), my bank statement, and the picture (my younger sister) Alice sent. Have you seen Alice’s picture? I think it is very good, but perhaps just a little over colored, tho she always did have quite a lot of color. I think she looks a lot like my mother.
We hadn’t planned to be back until tomorrow morning, but instead got back about seven tonight. I had my coffee in bed this morning and then had fresh eggs for breakfast, had pork chops for lunch, and steak again for supper. It is going to be hard gong back to the food we get at our mess after all that luxury. We were traveling most of the afternoon and I went in my compartment and read Readers Digest for a while and then caught a little nap.
The first thing I did after I got off the train was head to the office to see if any mail had come. After I had read the letters I looked at my basket; I can see where I’ll be busy for a day or so trying to reduce the size of the pile of paper in it! I didn’t feel at all like working tho, so I came home and took a bath. That really felt good, it was the first one I’ve had since Saturday night, and traveling around on these trains gets you dirty.
This trip really was an experience for me. We had a special train with sleeping cars and a dining car and a lounge car, and took our own motor transportation right along with us. I guess I was supposed to be a sort of aide-de-camp, but I still don’t know what one is supposed to do. Anyway, it was interesting and I enjoyed the whole trip a lot. I had my camera along and hoped to get some pictures, but I never did get any.
. . . . . Your job sounds interesting; be careful tho with your “pets”, won’t you. I kinda like the name Diane too, sort of unusual. Mostly I like the name Betty, maybe it is because I am so much in love with a certain gal of that name!!!
I’m getting sleepy darling, I sure wish too that I could be lying with my head on your lap, or even better that you were here beside me now. I want to hold you tight, and have your head on my shoulder, and kiss you, and make love to you, but all I can do is dream, and try to tell you in my letters how much I love you and miss you and how much you mean to me. You mean everything! Goodnight my darling wife. I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn
3 February ‘44 Thursday My darling wife;
. . . . . This morning I went to see a fellow in the Signal Corps that I know, and after talking with him for about five minutes I suddenly realized he had an extra bar on each shoulder that hadn’t been there before. He had gotten his promotion yesterday. I guess I shouldn’t complain about being over here for six months when he has been here 27 months and spent most of that time in grade of 1st Lt. I may get that extra bar sometime soon too; probably my earliest chance is the first of next month. I don’t know just how the promotion business works, but I do know that the Col. recommended me last month and there was no vacancy. Now I understand there is a vacancy, so maybe I’ll get it, I hope. So much for the favorite army pastime of speculating on promotions. . .
7 February ‘44 Monday My darling;
. . . . . We had a pretty good lunch today; it was just beans, but it tasted good. With all the cabbage that they have on this island, today was the first time that the British major who ate with us had ever eaten cole slaw. He liked it and Steve told him how to make it. . .
10 February ‘44 Thursday My darling;
. . . . . I had a good lunch of pork pie at a British mess. . . . . . . The fellow I was with kept trying to convince me that I should try eating his way, with the fork in the left hand and knife in the right. I’ll admit that it is easy and fast, but I’m just too darn stubborn to adopt anything as English as that. And the same thing goes for mustaches and swagger sticks. . .
19 February ‘44 Saturday My darling;
. . . . . After lunch we headed for the church for Larry and Scrib’s (Tom’s friend and his WAC) wedding. I went by home and picked up my last bottle of liquor and took it along. We stopped by Scrib’s place and dropped off the whiskey and presents and then went on to the church. It was a catholic church, very big and pretty with stained glass windows and all. There weren’t many people there to watch the ceremony and we were practically lost in that big room. The bride, and every one else wore khaki. They were so far up in front of us that I couldn’t hear anything that was said, but it looked like a nice ceremony. We doused them with rice as they came out the door, and I think I may have gotten some good pictures of them then.
The reception was at Scrib’s place; Larry & Scrib had gone in a car and the rest of us walked, and when we got there they were waiting out in front ‘cause they didn’t have a key to get in. They had two big cakes and lots of sandwiches and lots of liquor. That was two thirty in the afternoon, and we stayed there eating and drinking for a while, but some had to go back to work. I went to the office and was very happy to find a letter from you!!! There didn’t seem to be much doing so I went back to the party. Larry & Scrib left soon after I got back. They were staying at a hotel here tonight and then they both had 10 days or a week leave for a honeymoon. The army must be a little bit human! . . .
24 February ‘44 Thursday My darling;
No mail from you again today darn it - in fact I could almost say damn it - damn it! Guess I’m not the only one that hasn’t been getting any mail lately tho, ‘cause I don’t think anyone in the office has been getting any. Oh well, I guess I can manage to get by until tomorrow, but there’d better be some for me then!
Now that I’ve gotten my usual and most common gripe about the mail situation off my chest, I guess I can go on with the day’s activity. I got up early this morning after my temporary slip-back of yesterday morning, had breakfast, and was here at the office before 8:30. The Col. came in about fifteen minutes late, and boy, did I give him hell. (The answer is NO.) I managed to do a little work this morning and then had lunch with Tom.
This afternoon I went jeep riding with Steve again. It wasn’t nearly as cold this time as the time before, and I enjoyed getting away from the office and out in the fresh air. Steve went along to drive me ‘cause I don’t have an Army drivers license that is good in the ETO. Guess I’ll have to take the time sometime to go get one, they are handy things to have. I’ll have to put that on my list of things to do, along with getting shots, etc.
We got back to the office just before time to go to supper, so I didn’t get any office work done this afternoon. I’ll have to do a little after I finish this letter, but it will have to wait until I finish my visit with you. After all, you are the most important thing in my life, so your letters have to come first, don’t they? . . .
I suppose that you must be about eating lunch at this time; since it is eight here, it must be about noon where you are. Where are you eating this noon? In the lab? In the park? In the drug store? Wherever it is, I sure wish I were there with you, and not because I’m particularly hungry, either. Not hungry for food, that is. I’m hungry for the sight of you, for your kisses. I miss you an awful lot darling, or can you guess that. I love you too. Now I think I’ll do some work and maybe be able to add a few words later on about the exciting and romantic evening I’ll have. (Am I kidding?) See you then darling, I love You!!!
Later. Brrrrr, is this bed cold! I just got home and after a quick once over of my shoes with a little polish, I climbed into bed and didn’t light a fire to try and warm the place up some. I worked for quite a while after I adjourned above. The Col. came in & we talked a little. When he left, I went with him to his apartment & had some of his very good scotch and soda. He sure is an unpredictable guy, one time he’ll be nice as pie to you, and another time - - - well!! Anyhow, it is 12:30 now so I’d better sign off. Goodnight my darling. I miss you, I want you, I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
29 February ‘44 Tuesday My darling wife;
. . . . . It is fully light now when I leave the apartment in the morning; guess it will eventually turn into spring, and then we’ll have some summer, all week of it. I worked this morning, and then had lunch with Tom and Larry. We had spaghetti, not too bad, but not the best I’ve ever had.
After lunch I decided to take care of some personal things I’ve been meaning to do, so I went to the bank and cashed my pay check, which someone had picked up for me this morning, and also cashed a check on my account. Then I went to the Red Cross club and got a hair cut and shampoo. It was full, as usual, so I had to wait about a half hour. I haven’t had any cut off the top for so long that I can pull it down over my eyes now, well, almost. I also got my shoes shined; I can’t seem to put a shine on them like they can, guess I don’t use enough elbow grease. After “beautifying” myself I stopped in at the finance office and laid fifty pounds on the line to be cabled to you; so you should receive a check for $200 one of these days soon. Let me know when it comes. . .
Later. I worked in the office til 11:15 tonight, and I got quite a bit done. Seems like I can do more in the evenings than I can do all the rest of the day because it is quiet then, and I can go over to the typewriters and bang out my reports myself. During the day there always seems to be a lot of noise and people talking and running in and out and telephones ringing, and it isn’t conductive to organized thinking at all. I never have learned to dictate my stuff, I need to rewrite it a couple of times to get the proper organization, and besides the secretaries we have are so bad at taking dictation that you have to go so slow that I forget what I was talking about, and then I have to translate from American to English, too. Anyway, I like doing my work in the evenings, and usually spend the days reading up on stuff, or making preliminary drafts, or making visits, and of course getting haircuts, visiting the PX, and every ten minutes looking to see if any mail has come in. There wasn’t any mail again today, enough said!! . . .
3 March ‘44 Friday My darling;
. . . . . I’ve been looking for a promotion the last couple of days, but now it is certain that it isn’t coming through this month. They come out the first of the month so I guess either my recommendation got turned down, or is still waiting a vacancy. Maybe next month! It would be nice to have, but it isn’t worrying me that it hasn’t come. For one thing it wouldn’t be so good if I got mine now since there are two guys in my office who are longer in grade than I am. . .
4 March ‘44 Saturday My darling wife;
In case you haven’t noticed the slight change in nomenclature, look again at the return address on the envelope. Yes, it came through today, and after I had written about giving up all hope for this month in last night’s letter. Guess I gave up too easily! I wish you could have been here to pin on the new bars, darling; I didn’t give you a chance the last time ‘cause I wanted to surprise you by walking in with the new silver bars on, but then I met you in the street and you didn’t even notice any difference. Remember?. . .
. . . . . It is twenty months today, isn’t it, since we said “I will”. Happy anniversary, darling!! It’s funny but I still love you, if anything much more, too. Only trouble is we have had to spend too darn many of them apart lately. Not that it keeps me from loving you, but I am awful lonely for you darling. . .
. . . . . I went to a meeting that took most of the day. It was in an old English house, and there was a fireplace about the size of a dime in each room for heat, and I froze. The lunch was lousy and was served in a room that was so cold I could hardly stop my teeth from chattering long enough to chew. . .
. . . . . I got back to the office at four thirty and found one letter from you waiting for me, and also the order adding my extra bar. I managed to slip over to the PX and got a couple of sets of captains’ bars to put on. They look good!! (And besides they mean about fifty bucks a month extra!!) . . .
There is a little custom in the army whereby a newly promoted officer buys drinks for his friends, so I prepared to set ‘em up at the mess tonight, but the bar was out of liquor, so I’ll have to catch that later. . .
. . . . . I was tired, and not in the mood for celebrating, so I came home early. I wanted to spend our anniversary at home alone with you! So I’ve been sitting in front of my fire and writing for the last hour or so. Now I guess I’ll go to bed and maybe I’ll be able to dream of you. I miss you so darn much darling and want so to kiss you and hold you in my arms and go to sleep with you beside me again!! I love you more than I can say darling, goodnight now. All my love and kisses, Glenn
(Bill Durrenberger received his promotion to major the first of June, so it was only three months that we were the same rank. Later, when I was promoted to major, he was promoted to lt. colonel on the same orders)
5 March ‘44 Sunday My darling wife;
. . . . . There is a U.S.O. show this evening, and I tried to get a ticket to it, but was too late, and they were all gone. I thought I’d be out of luck, but just now the Colonel’s secretary came in and said that he wouldn’t be able to go and I could use his ticket. . .
. . . . . We went to Tom’s flat and picked up his roommate and then on to the mess for supper. We met a captain from Tom’s roommate’s office at the mess, and the four of us went to the show; I enjoyed it a lot. There was a soldier band and singing and dancing, tap and acrobatic, and jokes, imitations, character sketches, accordion playing, and Ella Logan sang. It was really top flight entertainment most of the time. I like the one the M.C. pulled after one of the singers had several encores (she wore a strapless evening gown and had the figure to go with it, but that is beside the point). Anyway, the M.C. said “You know, she doesn’t have to do this for a living, her brother sells traveling bags to Eleanor Roosevelt.” Like? . . .
. . . . . Tom’s roommate, (Larry) Henry, is a tall lanky guy with a sort of starved poet look about him, wears glasses, and seems to be very nice. He was a lawyer in civilian life, and hails from (Denver) Colorado. (Larry Henry became my roommate later after Tom’s office moved to Paris).
6 March ‘44 Monday My darling wife;
. . . . . I decided all of a sudden to take a trip . . . .It’s a good deal whenever we want to travel ‘cause we just tell the secretary where we want to go and she types up the necessary orders and gets the transportation request. The only trouble with that system is that I don’t think I’d get away with having orders written up sending me home to you! Might be worth a try tho. . .
8 March ‘44 Wednesday My darling;
It was good to get back to the office tonight and find four letters from you waiting for me, Feb. 8, 9, 11, & 12, They were in good order, even if a little old; it helps to get them in order ‘cause then I know what tea you’re talking about, and so on. I suppose my letters are full of the same stuff, what with referring to what I did yesterday, and not specifying anything; like above where I said “back to the office”. If you haven’t gotten my last two letters when you get this you wouldn’t know I’ve been away on a trip the last three days.
Besides your letters I got one from Merv and one from Joe Barkley. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from Merv and he is as silly as ever in his letters. Joe is in this country and I’ll probably be seeing him soon. I usually get down to where he is every once in a while. (Joe was a friend I met at Aberdeen, and he was stationed at Frankfort Arsenal when I was. He later furnished me a room when I had my short unauthorized trip to Paris) His main complaint was that he hadn’t been warm yet, and in that I can sympathize with him. . .
You seem to have had your curiosity aroused by that trip I took on the special train. There’s nothing so secret about it, but I just feel that I shouldn’t write too much in my letters. They may not be as interesting that way, but then it is best to be on the safe side, and besides I can tell you all about it when I get home, and I hope that happy day comes before I lose my memory entirely. Anyway, there were some Generals with me on that trip, but not high ranking ones (Maj. Gen. max.), as if just General wasn’t high enough ranking in itself!
Guess now that I’m a capt. I’m almost on a par with them, aren’t I? Almost! All I need is about thirty more years service and four more promotions, so there really isn’t much difference, well not very much! However I’d be satisfied if they’d just promote me to civilian, any time now would suit me, but I suppose I would rather wait until the war is over! Anyway, I guess I was pretty darn lucky, just as I was when I got my first Lt.-acy, ‘cause I only had eight months in grade, and it was only 15 months since I got my commission. It is the old story of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. . .
. . . . .I carried my camera with me, but I didn’t take a single picture. I call it “my” camera, but though I’ve had it so long it seems like mine, it still belongs to George. I wish that he would decide to sell it to me, ‘cause I’d like to own one like it. . .
. . . . . Well, darling, I guess that is all for this time. Goodnight sweetheart. I miss you more than I can say. I LOVE YOU! All my love and kisses, Glenn
. . . . . This morning I had tea with Mary Churchill, the prime minister’s daughter. She is in the ATS (British WAC) and we were at the place where she is stationed, and she served us tea. I was with my Colonel and we had quite a chat with her, with my Colonel doing most of the talking, as usual. . .
9 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
. . . . . We caught a later train and had a pretty nice trip, in first class seats which made it more comfortable. We got to Taunton, and caught a bus to Watchet (a small harbor town on the south side of the Bristol Channel), our destination. I guess we were lucky to get here at all, with what Transportation is on Sundays.
We arrived just in time to have a beer and then supper. After supper we had beer and skittles. Skittles is similar to what we call duck pin bowling at home, only the alley was very rough concrete. There were twelve of us playing, six on each side. Since Steve and I were the only Americans, and supposed to be novices at the game, we chose up the teams. As it turned out, Steve had the highest score of the evening, and I had the second highest, but my team won. We had several beers while we played. After the game was over we came into the pub and played “darts” and had more beer. Steve and I were outclassed at darts. I’d like to know how many pints of beer I’ve had this evening, but I know that it is too many. . .
10 January ‘44 Monday My darling;
It sure would be nice to have you here with me now. I feel that way all the time, but now I am sitting in the lounge of the hotel in Watchet and there is a fire burning in front of me and it is warm and I am drowsy and I miss you and I want you here in my arms.
I had a nice day, although I about froze most of the time. I woke up at eight, with the maid coming in and bringing us a cup of tea. Steve and I shared a room with single beds. We managed to wake up enough to drink the tea before it got too cold. Then Steve got up first and shaved; he got up first because he called “heads” instead of “tails”. Then I got up and shaved and washed and dressed. I wore my green shirt and green pants today; I usually take any opportunity that I have to get out of my blouse. I also put on my long woolies and my field jacket and my scarf and my overcoat and gloves, but it still didn’t keep all the cold out later.
We had a typical English breakfast of ham, porridge, some kind of bread soaked in grease, and tea. Then we started out on the day’s activity. Watchet is a small harbor town on the Bristol Channel, in case you haven’t located it on your map yet. There is a good sized tide here, and the harbor had no water in it, just mud! It looked funny to see the small boats sitting out there. I haven’t had a chance to see much of Watchet, and I haven’t gotten any pictures yet, but hope to have time for those things tomorrow. I had planned to leave tomorrow morning, but the weatherman wouldn’t cooperate today, so it looks now like I’ll probably leave early tomorrow afternoon, I hope. Not that I especially want to leave, but I have quite a bit of work to do back at the office, and the longer I stay away the worse it gets.
I spent most of the day standing around and watching and freezing. We came back to the hotel for lunch and had some good turkey, and stood in front of the fire, and then went on back outside. After freezing some more we came back to the hotel and sat in front of the fire and talked until supper time. Oh yes, we had our tea there too.
We had a good supper of fresh fish. After supper I went into the bar and played darts and drank two pints of beer. Then I came in to the lounge and started on this letter. This hotel is more accurately described as a pub. It is a lot like the one I stayed in at Camborne, but much nicer. It is hard to remember how cold I was earlier in the day ‘cause it is almost uncomfortably hot here in front of the fire.
I just looked at my watch and it is 11:30, so I’d better head for bed. I had no idea it was so late. By eating at the English dining hour of 8:30, the evening is practically over by time you eat. I think I’ve covered the day, so I’ll go up to my cold lonely bed; sure wish you were going to be in that other bed instead of Steve!! Goodnight my darling. . .
11 January ‘44 Tuesday My darling;
I’m back in my own bed now, but it is just as cold and lonely as that one in the Watchet hotel. . . . . The weather was nasty out, and after we walked over to the camp and heard the weather forecast, it was apparent that we couldn’t do anything today. I decided to come on home, and Steve stayed another day in case the weather improves. . .
. . . . . I got home just in time for supper, and after I dumped my musette bag at the office, and washed some of the soot off me, I went to the mess with Tom. After supper we went for a beer, but had to help put a fire out first; we walked into a pub and it was deserted and the room was full of smoke. About the time we came in the proprietor noticed the smoke too. We thought at first that the chimney had stopped up, but that was OK. When we opened the door leading down to the basement we found the wooden stairs were on fire. It wasn’t started very much yet, and a little water put it out in a hurry. Seems someone had used a rag to put back on the fire a coal that had fallen out, and then had thrown the rag down the stairs - stupid trick! Anyway, we finally got our beer! . . .
(In the following letter I tell about meeting Nye Moses, a friend from high school, and my class’s Student Body President. He was an Ensign in the Navy and was on leave from training on the England south coast for D-Day amphibious landings. He contacted me several times in the following months when he had leave in London. The last time I saw him, he borrowed 20 pounds from me because he was running short of money. A few days before D-Day I received a letter from him containing the 20 pounds. I didn’t hear further from or about him until my mother wrote that she had read in the local paper that Nye had been killed on D-Day while commanding a landing craft.)
14 January ‘44 Friday My darling;
. . . . . We had another basketball game this evening. I didn’t feel much like playing, and they had enough men without me, but I was away when we played the last game, so I went on down. It was a good game, and we won. I played about half of the time, so I didn’t wear myself out. That makes five games in a row we have won, after dropping the first two. We had a couple of “ringers” playing with the team the last two games, which helped a lot. They are friends of Sgt. Goss and are really good players.
As I was dressing after the game, a Navy Ensign walked in and called me by name. It was Nye Moses! I’m not sure if you know him, or not; but I went to High School with him, and he went around with the same bunch I did. He was probably at that New Years party that we went to two years ago. It sure was a surprise to me, and apparently I was the first one from home that he had run into over here. He had a lot of news about the fellows from home. We’re going to try to get together next Sunday for dinner and to talk over old times. He was playing for a Navy team right after we finished, so we didn’t have much time to talk. He was a good player in High School, and was on the varsity at USC. . .
15 January ‘44 Saturday My darling
It isn’t Saturday now, rather it’s Sunday morning,but since this is Saturday’s letter, I’ve dated it as such. I got home late last night, so I thought I’d wait until this morning to write. I saw Lunt and Fontaine in “There shall be no Night”. They did some good acting and I enjoyed it a lot. Their supporting cast wasn’t too good in my estimation, too much English accent for me, but I suppose that was to be expected. I was lucky to get to go. I’ve been meaning to see the play for quite some time, but you have to reserve seats three weeks in advance and I couldn’t make plans that far ahead. About five thirty last night Miss Devine came in and asked me to go with her; seems her boy friend got caught in a conference at the last minute, and couldn’t get away in time. So I got to see the show; it started at six, and we didn’t have time to eat supper first.
After the show we went to the Officers’ Club and met Miss Devine’s boy friend and then spent the rest of the evening drinking rum and coke. That was the first time I’ve been in that Officers’ Club, at least when it was a club; it used to be our mess, and now has reopened as an Officers’ Club. The boy friend, Lt. Raker, had spent a lot of time on the west coast around L.A., so we spent most of the time talking about Calif., one of my favorite subjects. The place closed at eleven and they went home and I went to the Nurses Club to get something to eat. I hadn’t had any food since noon and four rum and cokes were swishing around in my stomach, so it did me good to get a little food inside me. . .
(This was soon after the mess moved from 85 Audley St. to the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. That was a good place to run into friends from home since every officer who visited London on business or leave ate at that “Willow Run” mess at some time.)
16 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
. . . . . Nye Moses came to the office at 11:30. We went to the mess for lunch; it was a good meal today, we had turkey with dressing and applesauce. After dinner Nye and I walked around the town for a while, but it wasn’t very nice out; we came back to the office for a while and then he left. He’ll be around for a little while so I’ll see him again soon. He had a lot of news about the fellows at home and we spent most of the time gabbing. It is nice to meet a fellow from home, but to be honest I got pretty well bored at his line of gab. He was telling me about all the places he had been and the women he had been out with, and was pretty much concerned with “first person singular”, so it was a relief when he left. . .
Tom and I went to the mess for supper; it wasn’t much to tell about, spaghetti and meat balls. We had a scotch and soda first. After supper we went to see a show, saw “San Demetico, London”, a British film about a tanker crew. It wasn’t too bad, for an English picture. The last two times Tom and I have been to that theater we bought three shilling seats and sat in 7 shilling seats. Not bad, all we do is kid with the usherette and ask her where she is going to hide us, or something like that, and she generally shows us to the better seats. . .
I came right home after the show. It really was a black night out. Tom had much farther to go than I did, and he didn’t have his flashlight, so I let him take mine. I only had 2 or 3 blocks to go, but it is a good thing that I knew the way pretty well, ‘cause I had to practically feel my way home. I made it, and without running into a lamp post or tripping over a curb or anything. The only incident was when a women came up to me and tried to start a conversation. I don’t know what she wanted ‘cause I didn’t wait to hear, but I have a damn good idea of what it was. So much for the dangers of the wilds of England! . . .
Well darling, that bed doesn’t look inviting at all without you in it waiting for me, but I’d better go take my bath and climb into it. Goodnight my darling, come to me in my dreams tonight, won’t you. I love you so much and am so lonely for you. I love you! All my love and kisses, Glenn
(The “brass” that I was with in the following letters was a group of generals and VIPs visiting England from the States. Over 60 years later, I can’t say that I remember who they were, but they must have been very important to rate using General Lee’s luxurious private train. Of course I couldn’t mention their names in my letters. I do remember vividly being very impressed by the luxury of the train, the well stocked bar, the “out of this world” food we ate in the dining car. Being a four star general certainly did have it’s privileges of rank!
Bill Durrenberger and I were the two from the office along on this trip. My memory was distorted because I thought the trip took place after I had been promoted to the rank of major, but the letters show I was still a first Lt. Even if I had been a major, I would still have been the lowest rank aboard because Bill was always one rank above me. Also I “remembered” the train as being General Eisenhower’s, but in a letter written after VE Day, I identify it as General Lee’s.
Maybe some of the “brass” did rub off on me, since it was about this time that Colonel Reed must have recommended that I be promoted to captain and Bill be promoted to major. My promotion finally came through in March, and Bill’s in June.)
21 January ‘44 Friday My darling;
I did a lot better today on the mail business, I got two letters from you and one from Dad. Your letters were Dec. 18 and Jan. 4. I had a pretty good day; I knew it would have to be good because it had such a good start when I found your letters waiting for me when I got to work.
I got up real early at 6:45 again this morning, but this time i took longer getting ready so I didn’t get down to work any twenty minutes early like I did yesterday, but I did get to work on time, and had a big breakfast too. I thought that I’d better have a big breakfast ‘cause I was going to have lunch at a British place, and they always eat lunch so late.
We left early in the morning, before I had time to even read your letters, and didn’t get back into town until a little after six. I was really hobnobbing with the brass today, darling, it’s too bad none of it seems to rub off. In my car was a Major General and a Brigadier General (and then me); I felt lower than a buck private. I had a wonderful day, tho, it was nice out (for a January day), and the countryside is still very green.
I was going to go to a play tonight with Tom and a WAC officer, but I told them that if I didn’t get back before six not to wait for me, and I didn’t get here until 6:15, and they had gone. The WAC officer is the one I was telling you about that is engaged to a friend of Tom, and since he is stationed away from here, Tom goes out with her occasionally. It is a pretty good deal, ‘cause she gets free tickets to plays through the WACs, so I had her get me a ticket for tonight too, that was before I knew I’d be away today. Anyway, I missed the play, but I don’t care ‘cause that gives me more time to write to you, and besides I have work that I should be doing.
I think that I’ll try to write to my folks tonight, and make this a longer letter than usual ‘cause I’m going to leave again tomorrow night, and won’t be back until the latter part of next week, and I don’t know if I’ll be anywhere I can mail your letters. If there is a little gap in the mail after you get this letter, you will know why. I don’t suppose the army postal service will be regular enough so you will notice any difference. . .
Did I ever tell you about the new secretary that we have in the office? Boy, what a dream, or rather, nightmare. She must be very efficient, if the law of compensation holds true at all. She sits with her back to me, which helps a lot.
This is the sixth anniversary, isn’t it; funny, but I don’t feel like celebrating! It has been an awful long time since I kissed you goodbye that morning, and it seems like much longer than the calendar shows. At first I could close my eyes and picture how it was to have you in my arms, but time has dulled my imagination a little. I love you so much darling, and the only thing I want is to get back to you soon.
Your first day on the job sounds interesting. It will do you good to have something to keep you occupied, and you can tell me everything that you do, and I’ll bet that you’ll make some marvelous new discoveries. By the way, what is an Entomologist. It sounds like it has to do with bugs, but how do you get to be one, an Entomologist I mean, not a bug.
Well darling, I’ve about run out of things to say, and it is getting late, so, goodnight my darling, I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn
P.S. Me again! I’m home and in my cold lonely bed. I sure wish you were here with me! After I finished this letter I wrote one to my folks, and then did a little work and came on home.
Now it is just midnight, and I’m tired and sleepy. I suppose that you are just about getting off work now, is it still as interesting as the first day? I didn’t tell you that the car we were in today was a new seven passenger Chrysler fluid drive ; it really was a honey! Let’s get one like that in a club coupe model, shall we, or should we start with a more conservative car?
I should put the light out now and get some sleep, it has been a pretty tiring day today, and tomorrow probably won’t be exactly restful. Goodnight darling, I love you and miss you all the time, I love you!
P.P.S. I could go for a cheese sandwich and a glass of milk about now. How’s about it?
P.P.P.S. I love you.
P.P.P.P.S. If you could just arrange to come get in bed with me, I think I could do without the cheese and milk. I love you. I love you. G
22 January ‘44 Saturday My darling;
This has been another big day for me! I woke up at 6:45 AM and it’s now 10:45 PM and I’ve hardly taken off time to breathe in-between. . .
About 9:15 I went off on another trip and was gone most of the day. I was hobnobbing with the brass again today. I had lunch at a British mess; they put out a good meal, with whiskey and soda before, and port afterwards. I got back to the office about 4:30 and kept very busy until six. I’ve been away so much lately that my work has really piled up. I put through the calls I hadn’t been able to connect with this morning and this time did them all OK. At one time I had two long distance calls put through at the same time, one on each telephone; here you give the operator the number you want and your telephone number, and they call you back when the call is put through. Luckily both calls didn’t come at the same time. . .
At 6:15 this evening I slung my musette bag over my shoulder and grabbed my brief case and was off again, this time by train, and what a train too!! It was a special train (General Lee’s private train, but he wasn’t along) and we had a car all to ourselves. I was junior member of the passengers too! We had supper on the train, the best meal I’ve yet had in England. I had soup, roast beef that was really rare and tender, french fried potatoes, yorkshire pudding, peas, and pie and custard for dessert. I’m afraid that I ate a little too much, but it is a pleasant way to be uncomfortable! After supper we sat around and talked and finally arrived at our destination. (We were in Cheltenham; I later called the hotel the best I’ve stayed at in the UK)
I’m in a hotel room now, and I don’t mean a pub either. It is a real hotel and looks new and is very nicely furnished. That bed looks very tempting, it is only a single bed, but I’m sure we both could be very comfortable in it.
23 January ‘44 Sunday My darling;
I’m not in such palatial surroundings tonight as I was last night, but this is still very nice. I’m in bed and about ready to go to sleep. There is another officer that is in the same room with me. He is a Lt. in the Engineers and he went to Wash. State and seems to be OK. The room we are in is small, but there are two comfortable twin beds, at least mine is comfortable, and his looks just the same as mine.
Back from the present to the start of the day, I was rudely awakened at what seemed the middle of the night by my telephone ringing and after I managed to rasp out a “hello” , a pleasant voice said “good morning, it is 7:30”. About that time I regretted having left a call for that time ‘cause I think I could have slept til noon. But I had to get up, so I did. I shaved and dressed and went to the dining room for breakfast. Over a breakfast of grapefruit juice, mush, fresh egg, bacon, toast, and coffee I read all about the new leap frog move in Italy; I had heard about it on the radio last night. I hope it makes out OK ‘cause maybe that’ll mean I’ll be back with you just that much sooner!
I had to check out of that hotel after breakfast and this evening came to this hotel that I was supposed to have come to last night. Since we don’t get per diem any more, when we travel we have to request rooms furnished by the army when they are available. The rest of the party I am with stayed at the other hotel, and when we got there they had an extra room, so I got to have it. It was much nicer than this hotel, I guess they figure it is too nice for a Lt. After breakfast we went to work and I was busy at a meeting all day; had lunch at an officers’ mess, and it was fried chicken! But good!
This evening I checked into this hotel and then had supper; it was some kind of beef, and ice cream for dessert! That’s the first I’ve had in this country! I’m afraid that all the good food I’m getting on this trip is going to ruin my stomach and it will refuse to take the beans, stew, etc. that I get at my regular mess. After supper I had a glass of beer, worked on my notes, kibitzed at a bridge game, played a couple of games of ping pong, and then came up to my room, got into my PJs, and worked and studied some more.
Now it is 11:45 and I’ll have to quit and go to sleep. Goodnight darling, I miss you, I’m lonely for you, I love you. If you were only here to be beside me and I could kiss you goodnight and try to tell you how much I love you; well, if you were, I think I could go to sleep completely happy. Goodnight my darling, I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
24 January ‘44 Monday My darling;
I started this letter a couple hours ago, but got only as far as the date line when I was detoured in a conversation. This morning I just barely caught the bus I had to catch, and so missed out on my breakfast, but I’m almost used to missing that meal, and I still don’t like missing it.
The train has started moving now so maybe my writing will get a little worse, if that is possible. (I haven’t yet gotten myself on the train in this letter, but that will come later on). I didn’t do a lot this morning, but kept busy. About noon I got a car and went to my hotel and checked out and went on to the train. We had lunch on the train, and it was up to the standard of the previous meal; we had turkey and sausage and french fried potatoes and vegetables, all very good.
This afternoon we made another visit for about three hours, and then came back to the train in time for a scotch and soda before dinner. And what a dinner, filet minion steak about two inches thick and medium rare and very tender. I think I’d like to eat all my meals on this train for the rest of my stay in England! After dinner we sat around in the lounge car and talked and that is where I started the letter and was detoured.
About eleven I came to my compartment and cleaned up some and laid out some clean clothes for tomorrow. I felt pretty dirty, so I practically took a bath, using the basin in my compartment and washing one section at a time. Then I climbed into bed and started this letter. I wonder if there is any mail from you waiting for me back at the office. I sure hope to find a whole pile of it when I get back in a couple of days, meanwhile I just have to do without. I mailed two letters to you this morning, and I think I can mail this letter tomorrow. Now it is getting pretty hard to write, and besides it is getting late, so I’d better go to sleep. Goodnight darling, I love you and think of you all the time. I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
25 January ‘44 Tuesday My darling;
I’m sitting here listening to a very interesting conversation so haven’t been making much progress on this letter, about a word every ten minutes has been my average so far. Later, I gave it up as a bad job, so here I am now in bed and with only a slight bumping around to contend with. I started the day off by being awakened at seven and had a cup of coffee in bed, it tasted good too. After I shaved and dressed I went up to the dining car for breakfast. Had cereal, toast, juice, bacon & fresh egg, and some more coffee. I ought to gain weight on this trip, from the way I’ve been eating. We went off for a little trip this morning, and then came back to the train for lunch. Had another good meal, this time roast beef. Then we were off again by car. This evening we came back to the train for dinner, chicken this time.
After dinner we sat in the lounge and talked and listened to the radio. In certain sections of England you can get American Forces Network, which is a broadcasting system operated by the Special Services of the army. They are apparently doing a darn good job, ‘cause the programs I heard were all very good. I heard “Command Performance” which is a program especially for troops overseas. Do you get it at home? Some of the programs were transcribed versions of the regular ones you get at home, but edited to delete the advertising. In my opinion that A.F.N. makes the British Broadcasting Company look silly. I suppose I’ve told you before what I think of the highly advertised B.B.C. I had heard about it before I came over here, about how it doesn’t have any advertising, and was supposed to be so wonderful. Well there isn’t any advertising on B.B.C., but as far as I’m concerned there isn’t any entertainment value there either. Maybe it is all in what you are used to. . .
26 January ‘44 Wednesday My darling;
I’m back in my own bed tonight, but it isn’t any less lonely than the bed on the train was without you here. At least it doesn’t bounce around any and jiggle my arm while I’m trying to write. I slept good on the train, tho. You know me, once I’m asleep nothing bothers me. I got quite a lot of mail when I came in this evening. There were only two letters from you, yours of Jan. 9 & 10, but I also got a letter from your mother, a Christmas card from Col. Ely (Frankfort Arsenal), my bank statement, and the picture (my younger sister) Alice sent. Have you seen Alice’s picture? I think it is very good, but perhaps just a little over colored, tho she always did have quite a lot of color. I think she looks a lot like my mother.
We hadn’t planned to be back until tomorrow morning, but instead got back about seven tonight. I had my coffee in bed this morning and then had fresh eggs for breakfast, had pork chops for lunch, and steak again for supper. It is going to be hard gong back to the food we get at our mess after all that luxury. We were traveling most of the afternoon and I went in my compartment and read Readers Digest for a while and then caught a little nap.
The first thing I did after I got off the train was head to the office to see if any mail had come. After I had read the letters I looked at my basket; I can see where I’ll be busy for a day or so trying to reduce the size of the pile of paper in it! I didn’t feel at all like working tho, so I came home and took a bath. That really felt good, it was the first one I’ve had since Saturday night, and traveling around on these trains gets you dirty.
This trip really was an experience for me. We had a special train with sleeping cars and a dining car and a lounge car, and took our own motor transportation right along with us. I guess I was supposed to be a sort of aide-de-camp, but I still don’t know what one is supposed to do. Anyway, it was interesting and I enjoyed the whole trip a lot. I had my camera along and hoped to get some pictures, but I never did get any.
. . . . . Your job sounds interesting; be careful tho with your “pets”, won’t you. I kinda like the name Diane too, sort of unusual. Mostly I like the name Betty, maybe it is because I am so much in love with a certain gal of that name!!!
I’m getting sleepy darling, I sure wish too that I could be lying with my head on your lap, or even better that you were here beside me now. I want to hold you tight, and have your head on my shoulder, and kiss you, and make love to you, but all I can do is dream, and try to tell you in my letters how much I love you and miss you and how much you mean to me. You mean everything! Goodnight my darling wife. I love you. All my love and kisses, Glenn
3 February ‘44 Thursday My darling wife;
. . . . . This morning I went to see a fellow in the Signal Corps that I know, and after talking with him for about five minutes I suddenly realized he had an extra bar on each shoulder that hadn’t been there before. He had gotten his promotion yesterday. I guess I shouldn’t complain about being over here for six months when he has been here 27 months and spent most of that time in grade of 1st Lt. I may get that extra bar sometime soon too; probably my earliest chance is the first of next month. I don’t know just how the promotion business works, but I do know that the Col. recommended me last month and there was no vacancy. Now I understand there is a vacancy, so maybe I’ll get it, I hope. So much for the favorite army pastime of speculating on promotions. . .
7 February ‘44 Monday My darling;
. . . . . We had a pretty good lunch today; it was just beans, but it tasted good. With all the cabbage that they have on this island, today was the first time that the British major who ate with us had ever eaten cole slaw. He liked it and Steve told him how to make it. . .
10 February ‘44 Thursday My darling;
. . . . . I had a good lunch of pork pie at a British mess. . . . . . . The fellow I was with kept trying to convince me that I should try eating his way, with the fork in the left hand and knife in the right. I’ll admit that it is easy and fast, but I’m just too darn stubborn to adopt anything as English as that. And the same thing goes for mustaches and swagger sticks. . .
19 February ‘44 Saturday My darling;
. . . . . After lunch we headed for the church for Larry and Scrib’s (Tom’s friend and his WAC) wedding. I went by home and picked up my last bottle of liquor and took it along. We stopped by Scrib’s place and dropped off the whiskey and presents and then went on to the church. It was a catholic church, very big and pretty with stained glass windows and all. There weren’t many people there to watch the ceremony and we were practically lost in that big room. The bride, and every one else wore khaki. They were so far up in front of us that I couldn’t hear anything that was said, but it looked like a nice ceremony. We doused them with rice as they came out the door, and I think I may have gotten some good pictures of them then.
The reception was at Scrib’s place; Larry & Scrib had gone in a car and the rest of us walked, and when we got there they were waiting out in front ‘cause they didn’t have a key to get in. They had two big cakes and lots of sandwiches and lots of liquor. That was two thirty in the afternoon, and we stayed there eating and drinking for a while, but some had to go back to work. I went to the office and was very happy to find a letter from you!!! There didn’t seem to be much doing so I went back to the party. Larry & Scrib left soon after I got back. They were staying at a hotel here tonight and then they both had 10 days or a week leave for a honeymoon. The army must be a little bit human! . . .
24 February ‘44 Thursday My darling;
No mail from you again today darn it - in fact I could almost say damn it - damn it! Guess I’m not the only one that hasn’t been getting any mail lately tho, ‘cause I don’t think anyone in the office has been getting any. Oh well, I guess I can manage to get by until tomorrow, but there’d better be some for me then!
Now that I’ve gotten my usual and most common gripe about the mail situation off my chest, I guess I can go on with the day’s activity. I got up early this morning after my temporary slip-back of yesterday morning, had breakfast, and was here at the office before 8:30. The Col. came in about fifteen minutes late, and boy, did I give him hell. (The answer is NO.) I managed to do a little work this morning and then had lunch with Tom.
This afternoon I went jeep riding with Steve again. It wasn’t nearly as cold this time as the time before, and I enjoyed getting away from the office and out in the fresh air. Steve went along to drive me ‘cause I don’t have an Army drivers license that is good in the ETO. Guess I’ll have to take the time sometime to go get one, they are handy things to have. I’ll have to put that on my list of things to do, along with getting shots, etc.
We got back to the office just before time to go to supper, so I didn’t get any office work done this afternoon. I’ll have to do a little after I finish this letter, but it will have to wait until I finish my visit with you. After all, you are the most important thing in my life, so your letters have to come first, don’t they? . . .
I suppose that you must be about eating lunch at this time; since it is eight here, it must be about noon where you are. Where are you eating this noon? In the lab? In the park? In the drug store? Wherever it is, I sure wish I were there with you, and not because I’m particularly hungry, either. Not hungry for food, that is. I’m hungry for the sight of you, for your kisses. I miss you an awful lot darling, or can you guess that. I love you too. Now I think I’ll do some work and maybe be able to add a few words later on about the exciting and romantic evening I’ll have. (Am I kidding?) See you then darling, I love You!!!
Later. Brrrrr, is this bed cold! I just got home and after a quick once over of my shoes with a little polish, I climbed into bed and didn’t light a fire to try and warm the place up some. I worked for quite a while after I adjourned above. The Col. came in & we talked a little. When he left, I went with him to his apartment & had some of his very good scotch and soda. He sure is an unpredictable guy, one time he’ll be nice as pie to you, and another time - - - well!! Anyhow, it is 12:30 now so I’d better sign off. Goodnight my darling. I miss you, I want you, I love you!!! All my love and kisses, Glenn
29 February ‘44 Tuesday My darling wife;
. . . . . It is fully light now when I leave the apartment in the morning; guess it will eventually turn into spring, and then we’ll have some summer, all week of it. I worked this morning, and then had lunch with Tom and Larry. We had spaghetti, not too bad, but not the best I’ve ever had.
After lunch I decided to take care of some personal things I’ve been meaning to do, so I went to the bank and cashed my pay check, which someone had picked up for me this morning, and also cashed a check on my account. Then I went to the Red Cross club and got a hair cut and shampoo. It was full, as usual, so I had to wait about a half hour. I haven’t had any cut off the top for so long that I can pull it down over my eyes now, well, almost. I also got my shoes shined; I can’t seem to put a shine on them like they can, guess I don’t use enough elbow grease. After “beautifying” myself I stopped in at the finance office and laid fifty pounds on the line to be cabled to you; so you should receive a check for $200 one of these days soon. Let me know when it comes. . .
Later. I worked in the office til 11:15 tonight, and I got quite a bit done. Seems like I can do more in the evenings than I can do all the rest of the day because it is quiet then, and I can go over to the typewriters and bang out my reports myself. During the day there always seems to be a lot of noise and people talking and running in and out and telephones ringing, and it isn’t conductive to organized thinking at all. I never have learned to dictate my stuff, I need to rewrite it a couple of times to get the proper organization, and besides the secretaries we have are so bad at taking dictation that you have to go so slow that I forget what I was talking about, and then I have to translate from American to English, too. Anyway, I like doing my work in the evenings, and usually spend the days reading up on stuff, or making preliminary drafts, or making visits, and of course getting haircuts, visiting the PX, and every ten minutes looking to see if any mail has come in. There wasn’t any mail again today, enough said!! . . .
3 March ‘44 Friday My darling;
. . . . . I’ve been looking for a promotion the last couple of days, but now it is certain that it isn’t coming through this month. They come out the first of the month so I guess either my recommendation got turned down, or is still waiting a vacancy. Maybe next month! It would be nice to have, but it isn’t worrying me that it hasn’t come. For one thing it wouldn’t be so good if I got mine now since there are two guys in my office who are longer in grade than I am. . .
4 March ‘44 Saturday My darling wife;
In case you haven’t noticed the slight change in nomenclature, look again at the return address on the envelope. Yes, it came through today, and after I had written about giving up all hope for this month in last night’s letter. Guess I gave up too easily! I wish you could have been here to pin on the new bars, darling; I didn’t give you a chance the last time ‘cause I wanted to surprise you by walking in with the new silver bars on, but then I met you in the street and you didn’t even notice any difference. Remember?. . .
. . . . . It is twenty months today, isn’t it, since we said “I will”. Happy anniversary, darling!! It’s funny but I still love you, if anything much more, too. Only trouble is we have had to spend too darn many of them apart lately. Not that it keeps me from loving you, but I am awful lonely for you darling. . .
. . . . . I went to a meeting that took most of the day. It was in an old English house, and there was a fireplace about the size of a dime in each room for heat, and I froze. The lunch was lousy and was served in a room that was so cold I could hardly stop my teeth from chattering long enough to chew. . .
. . . . . I got back to the office at four thirty and found one letter from you waiting for me, and also the order adding my extra bar. I managed to slip over to the PX and got a couple of sets of captains’ bars to put on. They look good!! (And besides they mean about fifty bucks a month extra!!) . . .
There is a little custom in the army whereby a newly promoted officer buys drinks for his friends, so I prepared to set ‘em up at the mess tonight, but the bar was out of liquor, so I’ll have to catch that later. . .
. . . . . I was tired, and not in the mood for celebrating, so I came home early. I wanted to spend our anniversary at home alone with you! So I’ve been sitting in front of my fire and writing for the last hour or so. Now I guess I’ll go to bed and maybe I’ll be able to dream of you. I miss you so darn much darling and want so to kiss you and hold you in my arms and go to sleep with you beside me again!! I love you more than I can say darling, goodnight now. All my love and kisses, Glenn
(Bill Durrenberger received his promotion to major the first of June, so it was only three months that we were the same rank. Later, when I was promoted to major, he was promoted to lt. colonel on the same orders)
5 March ‘44 Sunday My darling wife;
. . . . . There is a U.S.O. show this evening, and I tried to get a ticket to it, but was too late, and they were all gone. I thought I’d be out of luck, but just now the Colonel’s secretary came in and said that he wouldn’t be able to go and I could use his ticket. . .
. . . . . We went to Tom’s flat and picked up his roommate and then on to the mess for supper. We met a captain from Tom’s roommate’s office at the mess, and the four of us went to the show; I enjoyed it a lot. There was a soldier band and singing and dancing, tap and acrobatic, and jokes, imitations, character sketches, accordion playing, and Ella Logan sang. It was really top flight entertainment most of the time. I like the one the M.C. pulled after one of the singers had several encores (she wore a strapless evening gown and had the figure to go with it, but that is beside the point). Anyway, the M.C. said “You know, she doesn’t have to do this for a living, her brother sells traveling bags to Eleanor Roosevelt.” Like? . . .
. . . . . Tom’s roommate, (Larry) Henry, is a tall lanky guy with a sort of starved poet look about him, wears glasses, and seems to be very nice. He was a lawyer in civilian life, and hails from (Denver) Colorado. (Larry Henry became my roommate later after Tom’s office moved to Paris).
6 March ‘44 Monday My darling wife;
. . . . . I decided all of a sudden to take a trip . . . .It’s a good deal whenever we want to travel ‘cause we just tell the secretary where we want to go and she types up the necessary orders and gets the transportation request. The only trouble with that system is that I don’t think I’d get away with having orders written up sending me home to you! Might be worth a try tho. . .
8 March ‘44 Wednesday My darling;
It was good to get back to the office tonight and find four letters from you waiting for me, Feb. 8, 9, 11, & 12, They were in good order, even if a little old; it helps to get them in order ‘cause then I know what tea you’re talking about, and so on. I suppose my letters are full of the same stuff, what with referring to what I did yesterday, and not specifying anything; like above where I said “back to the office”. If you haven’t gotten my last two letters when you get this you wouldn’t know I’ve been away on a trip the last three days.
Besides your letters I got one from Merv and one from Joe Barkley. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from Merv and he is as silly as ever in his letters. Joe is in this country and I’ll probably be seeing him soon. I usually get down to where he is every once in a while. (Joe was a friend I met at Aberdeen, and he was stationed at Frankfort Arsenal when I was. He later furnished me a room when I had my short unauthorized trip to Paris) His main complaint was that he hadn’t been warm yet, and in that I can sympathize with him. . .
You seem to have had your curiosity aroused by that trip I took on the special train. There’s nothing so secret about it, but I just feel that I shouldn’t write too much in my letters. They may not be as interesting that way, but then it is best to be on the safe side, and besides I can tell you all about it when I get home, and I hope that happy day comes before I lose my memory entirely. Anyway, there were some Generals with me on that trip, but not high ranking ones (Maj. Gen. max.), as if just General wasn’t high enough ranking in itself!
Guess now that I’m a capt. I’m almost on a par with them, aren’t I? Almost! All I need is about thirty more years service and four more promotions, so there really isn’t much difference, well not very much! However I’d be satisfied if they’d just promote me to civilian, any time now would suit me, but I suppose I would rather wait until the war is over! Anyway, I guess I was pretty darn lucky, just as I was when I got my first Lt.-acy, ‘cause I only had eight months in grade, and it was only 15 months since I got my commission. It is the old story of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. . .
. . . . .I carried my camera with me, but I didn’t take a single picture. I call it “my” camera, but though I’ve had it so long it seems like mine, it still belongs to George. I wish that he would decide to sell it to me, ‘cause I’d like to own one like it. . .
. . . . . Well, darling, I guess that is all for this time. Goodnight sweetheart. I miss you more than I can say. I LOVE YOU! All my love and kisses, Glenn
posted by Betty & Glenn Burke | 4:18 PM
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