Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

Letter No. 7. Tuesday - 14 Apr.

Major J.H. Massey, 6, Palestinian Coy, The Buffs. M.E.F.

My sweetest darling -

I have a big letter to write to you - just having returned from my weekend - & also having found a letter from you waiting for me when I arrived back yesterday evening. But I do not feel too well, & think I have been bitten by sand flies & things - my head aches, & so do my legs & back & I am sweating too. However, I have a powder from the M.O. to take as suppressive treatment, when I go to bed - & so I am hoping to beat the thing & be alright again in the morning. I want to reply about lots of things in your letter - & so I will start on that & go on about my weekend afterwards.

You said that my letters had been making you feel v. sorry for me - but that you were selfish enough not to relish madly cheerful letters from me. Sweetheart - it is good to know that we can write just as we feel, in fact that is the one & only way to write. But I did not really intend to make you feel sorry for me, there is no need for it, except for one reason & one reason only - & that is the fact of my being away from you. Contributing factors are the weather, the flies, & the discomfort of my quarters, but really only in so far as they affect my capabilities of thinking about you or writing to you - & to a lesser degree, of being able to think at all, & read & generally keep my mind alive & interesting, in order to write to you. When I describe my discomforts, the things & people which get on my nerves, I think it is mainly in order to excuse any literary shortcomings. In any case, there is not the slightest possibility of my ever writing you a cheerful letter, until there is some news about me

2/ coming home- + then they really will be mosly cheerful And another thing darling- you must not be sorry for me when you think of me having no friends. In the first place I really + truly want to have my evenings to myself- to write + to read + to read + re read your letters. A lot of friends would be an embarrassment + a nuisance because I should have to sit + talk to them + go out with them + individually spend our money. And again I am even more intolerant than I ever was before + it would be difficult to find any. Ben I am very fond of + he is now quite one of the best friends I have ever had. But I now have such very strong ideas about our country + how it should be run. + there are very seldom shared by officers you know. I would not ever like to have Frank Macakie with me + especially not in this job because there are not the possibility or opportunity to explain our ideas our energy- + we should only be able to do a lot of talking + drink too much + get [?] off. No, with this job, I am happy enough as I am. But I would like a job with more possibilites + more outlet for my ideas + energiesbut I seem to be stuck. Except that I have one or two projects, about which I cannot tell you I'm afraid- + I propose to put up several reports + letters during the next week or two. And if the results are negative or discouraging- + if my next posting application is also negative- then I shall dive in headfirst + either make or break myself. I'm easy to be mysterious but I cannot possibly put down in a letter what I am thinking about But please do not worry, or think I may get into

3/ disgrace. My ideas have a strong military + patriotic background. + I shall hope to push on to some success. And Frank has won the M.C. - isnt that good? I saw it in General Orders Today. He most certainly deserves it. + I am v. pleased Darling, I am not taking the pants from your letter in order of importance - but just taking those things first which are more easy to write about in my slightly foggy brain, as it is tonight. You told me about your new woolen dressing gown, which sounds to me very sweet + pretty ; but you said that you were afraid I would not like the feel of it. being such a sensualist. I suppose I am really, as far as you are concerned. + I like to think that you are pleased that I am- + especially as you mention it in your leter. But that word is generally used in rather a critical + derogatory sense (Fowler supports me) + so I hope you do not use it in that way. Anyway, I'm sure you remember + know that I love you + am thrilled by you in all + every guise. Your silks + pretties are lovely + you know + I'm glad that you know that I react very strongly to them. But darling, think of your red wooly dressing gown- + your pink wooly trouseau pants- + your white and silk pants with elastic round the legs. You were gorgeous + lovely + desirable in them all, my darling - + you must please admit that I proved that I thought so And in cotton stockings too my darling one- "what happened to the girl in cotton stockings?" You were the exception to the rule. Had because you are

4/ very exceptional, my sweet + darling lovely one. I must say that I feel better, having written these three pages to you, but its nearly eleven [?] + I must take my powder + go to bed. Before I go, I must say that I am pleased that you now agree that I shall give up golf. Relaxation + fresh air we must + will have but it is quite obvious that you do not like golf + never will do + so that is that. Walking + gardening they are the things- + please don't scoff darling because walk + garden I will + we shall do those things together. And maybe a little tennis But whatever we do we must be together at the weekends + in the evenings. I'm sure you agree - but I do not anticipate - not want - a mere return to the old life (much as I should love it!) It is quite possible that I shall continue to dye + [?] + bleach + wing + beam. But if those, plus our home life, are our only interests in life, I am misjudging you + me = + all I am thinking nowadays is just a waste of time, which I just relapse into pre war complacency - + you must make up your mind, too. Goodnight, my own darling xxxx Harry Wednesday Apr 15th My aches + pains have more or less gone today, to be replaced by a severe cold in the head which is pretty stuffy + horrid but much better than going under with fever. Your letter told me much about your efforts to finf a new place to live + somebody to look after [?] during the time of the day when you would be away.

5/ But I have already had your cable to say you were going to Cambridge + have replied that I was not very pleased to hear that- + now I have had a p.c. from you to say you are going to try it there + perhaps go on to [?] later on. So things are pretty obscure for me But I am glad you are not in that part time munition job. It sounded rather hard + very dull + all for 22/6 a week + I feel that with doing that + looking after Marie + writing to me + looking after yourself, it would all have been a bit too much for you. Are there no creches or nursery schools in Beaconfield? - surely they would be the best answer- they look after babies + children so well + probably far better than any one person with whom you could leave them It seems to me that this part time employment is very badly arranged + organized- + very underpaid too. I wish I could write you some encouraging + helpful advice , instead of appearing to disapprove of all your plans to occupy your mind + self + to lead a useful life. But darling - the one thing is that I want you to lead as happy + contented + normal life as possible. + I cannot feel that you would be able to do this if you were away from Marie for 5-6 hours every day. You have told me how you worry + fret + I can well understand it- + under such conditions you would be having this every day. And nobody else can look after [?] as well as you can- I think he deserved to be looked after entirely by you And you were telling me about your poor Ma I feel very sorry for her, very sorry indeed, but I agree

6/ that she is no person for you to live with It is ridiculous that she cannot settle down with Ethel. As far as the money is concerned, you must not worry for one moment my darling, or talk about "my money" or any such nonsense. You know that I never think of it in that way for a moment, + everything is ours + nothing is mine. As you say- the great thing now is to maintain our savings + perhaps add a little to themI think we shall be able to. I really am remarkably careful. + literally have not bought a stitich of clothing since my new pair of suede shoes last September. Two weeks ago, I have changed into summer pants- I find that I only have two serviceable pairs + they are rather full of holes. But I have set my face against buying any more. + [?] is cooperating with me by doing the washing himself + so insuring a quick turn round. I'm quite determined to spend the absolute minimum on clothes + everything else. You are being a darling about money too + I'm sure that the money we save during this was will bring us wonderful dividends when it is over, by way of happiness + joy together, + the purchase of more lasting things which we can enjoy together. But as I keep saying, you must not be too stingy with yourself my darling. Your position is quite different to mine + you need to spend more money on Marie + yourself- + living is much more expensive in England than in Palestine Thursday- Apr 16 I'm sorry to appear to be giving

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you a running commentary on how I feel - but this morning my cold is terrific + so I have confined myself to my room. And now at 10.30 on a rather lovely morning I am sitting down at my table to carry on with this letter. And now about last week end. Ben + I set off at 12-30 on Saturday accompanied as the result of a last minute decision by Senior Commander Pine of the A.T.S. - who will henceforward be known as Helen; + by one of her new Jewish subalterns. Ruth Berman who is the one I had the long talk with last week at the R.E. dance The [?] reason for taking Helen was in order that she might do some recruiting propaganda too- but the main + instrinsic reason was the education + instruction of a woman in a very important position + who pretty well classes the Jews + Arabs together as Palestinians + natives + certainly as inferior people to ourselves. I think we opened her eyes + woke up quite a good deal but it was not too easy, & I'm afraid that when she gets into the hands of more Regular Army officers & Government officials & so on, she will not have the strength of mind to resist, & our good work will be undone. And Ben & I were pretty sorry that we asked them to come with us. At the dance, & as a result of a few drinks, Helen seemed rather a good sort if you know what I mean, & also fairly intelligent & with a mind of her own. On further acquaintence she has those qualities, but only in a limited way. & she turned out to be rather dull & boring & infernally English & narrow; & also not a little

8/ inclined to flirtatiousness, which is not very good in a large plain + heavy confirmed virgin of 36 Ruth is a very pleasant + intelligent + clever girl of 28 + rather Russian looking- the reason being that she is Russian ; she was an interested spectator of the work of Ben + I on her C.O. + plainly delighted that we were making the attempt to lead her into better ways of thinking. She has now gone off to Egypt for which I am rather sorry , as I found her very sensible + interesting + with a sense of humour too. She has a brother who is something quite important in the General Federation of Jewis Labour, + I have promised to get in touch with him. We drove north on Saturday along the main Haifa road until we turned off through Zigron - Ya' [?] + down to Mishmas -ba- Euneq where I have been several times before, + which is the first [?] which I described to you, + the first one which I visited in March last year. The Maktas was very pleased to see us again + showed us round- but there was nothing very new since the last time I was there, except a very handsome + healthy five months old baby girl belonging to him- + a new rabbit Jason which was asked for by the W.D. There was a conference going on among the older school children from the surrounding settlements - + there was a red flag flying over the school building the Maktas explained with some relish + mischievous look in his eye that their politics were Labour

9. with a strong leaning to the left: Helen looked rather embarrassed - + so the Muktar drew attention to the fact that he had no beard- + carried no bombs about his person. We then went on to a place called Nahalal, just a few miles away. This is a most interesting place, + is a girls farming school. It was started 18 years ago by a Russian woman called Hannah Meizel + it was she who took us round She told us that in 1924 they were advised that Nahalal was impossible to live insome Arabs had lived there + nearly all died of disease + then some Christian Germans had settled there + left after half of them had died. And so it was left to these Jews to discover that the trouble did not lie in the water, which is perfectly good, but came from some swamps which have now been cleared up; + the place is now a lovely one + very healthy they have about 140 girls, who arrive between the ages of 16 + 18 + receive a tremendously thorough training in all branches of farming + dairy work + domestice science + economy. A minimum number of men is employed for the heavy work + all the crops the butter + milk + cheese, the flowers + all the bye-products of farming are sold + so make the school very nearly self supporting. It is an amazing place- I can imagine its equivalent at home costing $60-70 a [?] with a strong emphasis on "for the daughters of gentlefolk" But here the fees are nominal + anybody may go there providing there is a vacancy.

10/ The buildings + gardens + surroundings are lovely: the classrooms looked just normal; but the kitchens + dining halls + dairy + so on were really wonderful + I have never seen such spit + polish + good order anywhere else before. The Jews really are amazing people- because I have always looked upon them, not exactly as dirty people but certainly not so clean as we are; I have seen it in the men of this Coy, + in some people's houses who you would expect to know better; + here I seemed to see a self realisation of a national fault, + a definite attempt to do something about it. It s by far the cleanest place I have seen in this country. We then had tea- at 7.0 pm -with the Meizel woman consisting of excellent home made bread + butter + four different kinds of cheeses. And we signed the visitors book, which had in it many interesting names including the King + Queen of the Belgians. And then we drove into Haifa + [?] rooms at a hotel, very conveniently just opposite to Pross's Restaurant. There I met that ridiculous Terence Waters- you remember? from [?] he has now been posted for service with the Jebel D[?] who are rather a wicked tribe of Arabs from the south of Syria; + he wears Arab headdress which hides most of his face. bumps into his long + straggly moustache: + you can imagine he looks pretty silly. In spite of the fact that he left

11/ England in Oct 40, with 3 pips up, he now only has two + he tried to tell me some long + complicated story about how he really should have three now. These bogus people! I then saw David Wilson, who I have not seen for about 8 years + I dont think you ever knew him, though you have probably heard me as Patty + Joe talk of him. He + his brother + family owned the 4 ways (with somebody else's money) + made answful mess of it. For the last few years David has been pretty down + out in London; driving taxis + bookmaking etc. The war would seem to have saved his + his family's bacon. He is now an Artillery Captain + has quite a responsible job here; I asked him was he efficient + he said he was but I cannot believe it, he has been [?] for years + is still going strong. His even more useless brother is a Staff Capt in England- + his ma + pa are running a canteen for Canadian soldiers. What a family- tell Patty if you write to her. Sunday was a wonderful day + full of interest + it had several big moments as far as scenery is concerned + when I simply asked + yearned for you to be with me + promised myself that after the war, we will come here together for a holiday. Our road from Haifa was to Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee , by way of Nazareth. And it was when we came over the top of the hill that the first + biggest moment came. Below was the

12/ Sea of Galilee, deep blue + still + simply shimmering in misty loveliness - beyond the [?] hills of Trans Jordon with their weird + rugges outlines + exaggeration of light + shade - + much further beyond - to the left, or work, + in Syria , Mount Herman rising from the mists + capped with snow. It was really a quite incredibly + unreally lovely view + it was possible to enjoy it at our leisure as we drive down the mountain side. In Tiberias itself we went to a cafe on the lakeside, which was quite perfect with the exception of the fact that the imagination of the owners had not been able to go beyond calling it "The Lido" from Tiberias we went down to the southern end of the lake, to a place called Degania. This was the first communal settlement in Palestine + was founded 32 years by a man called Baraj wjp is still there + was ther to meet us on Sunday Firstly we went straight into the dining hall for lunch - that is one thing which is so pleasant about these people- if you arrive arounf a meal time there is no question about it, you just go in, + some body pushed up at a table, + your driver comes in with you + they carry on + serve you with food in this case; we hand an excellent + satisfying but rather extraordinary lucnh- at least so far as the order of courses was concerned . The moment I sat down I had placed before me a large plateful of fishcake (local pattern) carrots + spuds

13/ which I ate up with a large doorstep of wholemeal bread. Then I had some porridge- also local pattern but very good-then vegetable soup- + then a huge grapefruit; I then lit a cigarette + began to drink what I thought was a cup of coffee, but which turned out to be just juice. We were then shown round- the most interesting part being the school + museum. This was wonderfully arranged + contained a complete collection of the birdsfishes + snakes + animals + flowers + stones etc of Palestine + an amazing collection of butterflies + bugs + insects, a number of which I hope I never meet. This is the central school for the surrounding setttlements from where the children are brought in + taken home by bus each day. From Degania, we went a little way wouth to Ajikim- this is a larger settlement than most of the others + more industrial. They run local passes per bus services- + run all the motor transport up to Jerusalem + Tel Aviv + Haifa - + they have quite a big factory making boxes + packing cases + three + five ply wood + mainly for the army. This factory is a great achievment because of its war effort + because much of the machinery is improvised. In the making of plywood they are making use of cypress wood, which was always considered impossible before. And with the shavings + waste from this factory, they [?] entirely the boiler which produced enough steam for the kitchens + laundry of the whole settlement of 600 people + bathhouse too. Here again I saw the children- sweet

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& happy children & very pretty & healthy. The system does seem a great success & you would be very interested to see them. There was one bunch of little girls, all about Lisa's age - I mean 5 1/2 - all busy talking & changing their clothes themselves & popping off to their little [lovabos?] - they were all so natural & busy & friendly, & it was so easy to picture Lisa among them.

The [Muktar?] here was a grand man too & was very anxious for us all to stay the night - but we wanted to get on to the Dead Sea - but Ben & I have promised to go & stay sometime for a day or two. If we do come to Palestine for a holiday sometime, darling, we shall certainly be able to have a very interesting & very cheap time, once the journey is paid for. It is certain that you would be interested in the settlements & all about them & it is equally certain that the Muktars I have met will be delighted to have us for a few days. Oh for the chance.

I must go to bed now. I have done my work in my room today - & lain, on my bed a little - & done some reading - & written so far to you - I am still puffing & blowing & sneezing. Goodnight, my darling one. xxx H.

Friday - Ap. 17th. Blast & damn my cold - I stayed in bed until 11-30 this morning - & the doctor has been & sounded every thing & given me some different medicine - but I feel very stuffed up & in no sort of a mood for writing. But I will finish off my week end

15/ journey in order to avoid spreading into the next letter. I hope you have a decent map of Palestine, in order that you can find these places on the map From Alikein we set off at about 6.0 in the evening to drive to Jericho + then down to the Dead Sea- the road lies through Beisan + then along the Jordon valley. on the west bank of the river It was quite a long way 50-60 miles + a really dreadful road bumpiness + twists + turns - but Ben + I wanted to do it because apparently it is a journey seldom undertaken by ear We arrived pretty tired at 9-30 but it was worth while + it was such a lovely, eerie drive. And Ben was anxious that Helen should see the thousands of acres of good uncultivated land+ which is not being used for grazing or any purpose at all : it certainly is an answer to the Arabs who complain that the Jews take all the land + say no more Jewish immigration can be tolerated because there is no land for them. When we came to the Dead Sea, we went to the Kallia Hotel, which is a very lovely modern hotel but pretty pricey. However , we claim travelling allowance from the army, which will pretty well cover things The next morning was the loveliest part when we had breakfast on a large verandah on the ground floor + with a thatched roof- + the view looks across the Dead Sea + into Trans Jordan Its a lovely spot , darling , + I can imagine you + I having a very romantice time in that hotel. We then drove 1400 ft up the hill to sea

16/ level- + then another 2000 ft- up to Jerusalem - where we called on the Jewish Agency + were received by [?] We were then taken out to lunch by Beilin to a place called Hesses which was of course German, + very good too. It was here that Helen because flirtatious with Beilin - but it was largely Beilin's fault- the little twirp. It was just the nearest approach to [?] that I have seen yet. As I as sitting on her other side , I was pretty involved + you can imagine just how much I disliked it+ also how much I showed it. But it was a fine weekend- it was a big mistake to take Helen + Ruth - but I can only hope it has done some good. And I think I shall have another 25 recruits which is what I need during the next week or two. And here are the photos which I have told you about my darling- + I hope you like them Do not worry about me my darling I shall be fit + will again in a day or so, as you will know from my [?] Much love a big kiss to dear Marie+ all my dearest love to you darling XXXXX Barbara Harry

[postmarks] BROWNSFIELD 23 MY 42 BUCKS

FIELD POST OFFICE 17 AP 42 154

FIELD POST OFFICE 17 AP 44 154

FIELD POST OFFICE 17 AP 42 154

FIELD POST OFFICE 17 AP 42 154

[stamped] PASSED BY CENSOR No. 514

[written] 7[circled] Ap. 14

Mrs. Barbara Massey. c/o Mrs. Jenkins c/o Mrs Paul. 6 Bulstrode Gardens Lynwood. Maddingley Road. Candlemas Lane. Cambridge Beaconsfield. Bucks

[page turned] JH Massey