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 43 Sunday May 18th Major J.H. Massey 6 Palestinian Coy The Buff Middle East Forces My own sweet darlingIsn't it a ghastly life being parted + away from each other? You have spoken two or three times in your letters about how difficult it is to realise + remember that we were once very happy together in our own home + with out darling Lisa Life has been unreal ever since this war began The first two weeks of war with me working much too hard + us both wondering if + when the call would come + if Peter + Pickstone intended to try to get me off or not And then the call up when I was in Belfast I shall always blame myself for telephoning you about that + not working until I returned It must have been an awful shock for you alone in the house + late at night I like to think that I have progressed in the feelings of sensibility instinct + understanding since then when I was too immersed in work + business + commerce ; at least I should not just ring up now if I could about a thing like tht And then the change from being practically my own master to being junior subaltern of the Bn + being buggered about + insulted by Bradley Davenport + Daniel And then the tragedy of December + the dreadful tragedy of January And then all the moving about from place to place + you coming up + going away again Rover Oulton Park- checks infirmary Potter's Liverpool Warren point embarked on leave Gohowen + now this where you cannot come to it is now eighteen months since it all began + all that is left is that we love each other very dearly + very deadly which I suppose is much - very much But oh to be together again when we are

Last edit over 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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2/ my darling we must realise + understand all the time that we love each other I love you + you love me - that we are happy + lucky we must always realise it even if we have to quarrel to do so But it will be better neve to quarrel Argue + fight but never quarrel But this barren existence away from you my sweetheart It is utter misery + I am consistently miserable + unhappy + just longing for you there is such a colossal difference between being with you + not being with you To hear of Peggy + Kenneth having a week's leave together - it just makes me sick with envy + must go to bed nowI have had a most unsatisfactory Sunday - except that I stayed in bed until 9.0 on this Sunday morning- working + waiting for certain things to happen But I wanted to write about being miserable -I wanted to get another letter started anyway Love + kisses - dearest Barbara xxx Harry Monday -19 May This is more of a diary than a letter because it is now 10.30 + my mosquito net with a bed underneath it looks very inviting this morning I was up at 6.30 worked hard + then for the first time was President of a Court Martial at 10-0 Everything went very smoothly + it was all over at 1.0 was really too smooth + I was very annoyed at the poor showing put up by the Defending Officer you remember how hard I used to work sailing about on my bicycle with all the books + papers under my arm + the amount of thought + effort I put into ---my

Last edit over 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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3 cases so much that I got a rocket from Bloody Davenport + was stopped sleeping out with you the least Well the young man was milk + water + made no real effort at all I am going to push in a report tomorrow All this afternoon I did this morning's work And this evening I had to go out + see the Marines about a job And then I called on my Hospital Ship which was in again this time with some scars having been barbed + machine gunned And then a most remarkable thing happened I think in my last letter I told you about Jack Perrott Well I was within 200 yds of the barracks when I passed three officers + one of them looked like Jack - but I thought it was impossible + then I stopped my car deciding it was better to appear foolish than to live in ignorance or uncertainty they had just gome into a house but I caught the last one + said "Is that Perrott" - + it was it is rather incredible isn't it ? He had been living in that flat for 6 weeks which shows just how much I get around We were very pleased to see each other but I could not stay long + will be seeing him again in a day or so And then I had dinner sandwiched between some more work + now I am here Dear Tony my second in command has now gone sick which is no help at all It is bloody the way these peole cannot take it I suppose I am very lucky having such a stolid constitution I must say I feel very well + healthy + I work 10 times harder than anyone else I have all the responsibility too But the last thing I expect to do is to go sick

Last edit over 2 years ago by LibrarianDiva
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4/ I must be stopping darling - I feel very sleepy + very dirty too + Chojnajki has a hot bath ready for me You said in one letter I was always gassing about my allusions! im sorry my sweet but you tell me to be careful + look after myself - + bathing seems to be so important And I enjoy my baths too I think they are the nearest I get to sex To see myself naked + think of all the lonely times we have have had + before during + after bathing sweetheart And you have instructed me about my hair too + I am doing what you tell me Twice a week I rub oil in like hell + then wash my hair - it seems fine It is very annoying because Vaseline Hair Tonic has now been out in the Middle East I racked my brains for a substitute + found there is no similar product And then I had a brain wave - I think + hope + I am now using liquid paraffin for the stomach It is oily + pure + does not smell I was so then pleased with my idea And now to bath + bed Hugs + kisses sweetiepie xxx Harry Tuesday 20th May I had another p.c from you today dated May you reduced me to the rank of Captain in the address which was a funny thing to do darling And you did not call me darling or send love + kisses But thank goodness my letters had started again - 6 in one week as you say it is tantalising And I never received your calls to say you had had no letters from me for over 6 weeks I wonder if you sent it C.N.F. or whatever it is they are just useless + a waste of a bad

Last edit 11 months ago by MaryV
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5/ And then the news about Amy - she really is a fool it is obviously another mistake - + she must surely realise that Geoffrey Dawson is a rather unkind + very selfish young man - he has those two bad qualities of Vernon's + very little of Vernon's chasm - is also rather boring + silly which Vernon never is what a girl- I should have thought Christopher was better Wretched C- I feel sorry for him Has he done anything wrong in particular ? or has Geoffrey just swept her off her feet? It was just like her to forget that you were soon to have a baby + suggest coming to stay with you until her silly affairs are in order I hope you havent softened your heart + allowed her to come anywhere near you - she would only worry + annoy you. I am dying to have a cable from you preferably with the news about the baby- but if not that with news about how you are + when you expect something to happen As you have said darling one this war has something to answer for if only that you have had to have two babies alone without your lawful wedded husband to support + help you And especially when we think of the summer when you were having Lisa that lovely 2 weeks at Llandudno after my illness we made love every after noon + every night the whole two weeks Marvelous days the only blot do you remember? was when you had a letter from the young man in the rep. coy with whom you had been supposed to be having lunch in London your letters were our one trouble that summer I was very jealous but you must admit it was annoying- you were a bit annoying + bloody independent about it all! And I remember so clearly meeting Gordon + Eileen

Last edit 6 months ago by MaryV
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