Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

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Letter written by Harry Massey from the No. 6 Palestine company at the Bluffs to Barbara Massey.

This is a scanned version of the original image in Special Collections and Archives at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.



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Letter No 64 Saturday - 2nd Aug Major J.H. Massey 6 Palestinian Coy the Buffs M.E.F. My own dearest darlingHalf past three on a lovely Saturday afternoon + here I am feeling bloody I have gone + got myself upset in my rum somehow same food I suppose And the result is that I have the most awful sick feeling in addition to the battle raging inside me which has been going on for two days + so I feel excessively miserable + homesick + lonely for you I'm just telling you this darling + taking your sympathy for granted + you must not worry about me at all because I am not ill only upset I always take considerable care of myself + what I war So far I am one of the very few people I have met out here who has not been ill + had to go to bed Again I am reminced of how much I used to enjoy Saturday lunch time at home + the week end beyond It was always a rather special sort of meal wasnt it? Especially at Maoorfield Cottage Sitting on your couch + eating off Patties round table + having sausage + mashed or egg + tomate pie or mad Alice's special toad in the hole + hot black + white coffee our of breakfast cups And then cigarettes + complete relaxation And you always looked so pretty + lovely + I used to regard you + wonder if you would like to make love + sometimes we did + other times we did not + other times

Last edit almost 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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2/ I was foolish enough to leave you + go away + play golf then those awful times when the wretched Gil would sit on top of the fire + blow smoke all over us + listen on the radio to a football match from Glasgow Do you remember his awful habit of smoking at breakfast time? Ghastly Every now + again it happens in the Mess here from newly arrived or attached officers - + is the one thing above all things which I will not allow + stop at once + when i take immediate advantage of my position I dont really + truly believe that I mind such a hell of a lot myself but I am so used to you mending very definitely that now I do too I told you in my last letter about my lecture to the landing parties of two destroyers. It duly came off this morning. It turned out to be quite an affair really - quite a large number of men in front of me, all as tough as boots, the officiers at one side. The Captain of the ship I was on introduced me as "This is Major Massey, who has very kindly consented to come along himself & tell about landings & fighting". There I was. I then proceeded to talk for 1 1/2 hours, with a ten minutes break for a smoke. It seemed to go down alright. At least, I did not have a sea of blank faces.

Last edit over 1 year ago by jaxdnaquest
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3/ in front of me But as I said before I feel a bit bogus I then had some very nice Plymouth Gins in the Captain's cabin which I don't think were too good for my rum- but I enjoyed them all the time In the middle of the last sentence I was called away- it is now 11-30 It is really remarkable the trouble I seem to run into This blasted man Bobbings who is attached to me for his Court Martial for extracting money from a contractor has now dished him self again This tie by means of exchanging his pistol Government properly with that of a Sgt of mine who had a private one of his own This of course is a serious offense + considering what he is + how he has behaved under me I just went ahead - + how he charged again Which all meant that I had to sit down + take another enormous summary of evidence instead of nicely + gently going on with the letter to you Peter is completely browned off with me + the whole affair + shows it I have just had him clipped + trimmed + he is now a beautiful shiny silver grey colour + very very pleased with himself I dont think I have told you how important he feels himself to be? There are many dogs in these barracks mostly twice his size but Peter has undoubtedly decided that he is a major + he lords it over all

Last edit almost 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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other dogs + officers + soldiers too Except when things get a bit too hot for him + when he relives very rapidly but as gracefully as possible into my orderly room. One of the funniest sights imaginable is to see Peter standing firmly + four square in the middle of the barrack square - + with the utmost cheek + show of authority glaring round the place at everything + everybody He is really a character + is by now quite big - about the same size as Simon, & showing no signs of stopping growing. I must go to bed. Goodnight sweetest darling Barbara. I am longing for you, more than ever XXXX Sunday Aug 3rd. I'm a good deal better tonight, thank goodness. I had a very strenuous morning, preparing a joint scheme which these navy people & my boys are going to do. I must have welked about 10 miles, mainly in sand & arrived back for lunch at 3.0 O'clock. I then dossed down on my bed for two hours_ & then meandered about, having a shower & reading a little & doing some work & having a light supper consisting of potato salad & melon & listening to the news & I have just had a very large brandy, which seems to have done me good & has made me feel well enough to sit down & go on with this letter. This really is the strangest, oddest, vegetable life which I am leading. As far as work is concerned, I seem to have got into a complete cleft stick

Last edit over 1 year ago by MaryV
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#5 of organisation + administration + Courts Martial + keeping this ruddy barracks + all that goes with it in order Apart from that I have an old visit onto a Hospital ship or a destroyer - + tea or drink with the Hopkins + when I am late for lunch or supper - a meal in the tower Otherwise I just have meats in the mess go to the Garrison Cinema when I know it is a good film because I have seen it in England + there are never any new ones + have baths + showers + change my clothes + go to bed And in between times I sit in my room with all your photographs arrainged so as I can see them + either think about you or write to you or normally a mixture of the two I'm afraid I read practically nothing at all which is not what I intended but then I never thought of having to work so consistently hard more or less the same as in business + of spending all the remaining available time in writing to you I wander what you think of me + the way of life I seem to have fallen into You must remember that I do not by any means take all this as inevitable thank God I am always + continually in an expectant stage- reading the paper avidly every morning never missing the London news broadcast + always hoping that something will suddenly happen to cause me to be sent home to you This may be futile + silly but I would very much rather have it this way than be in a condition of taking

Last edit almost 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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