ENPages
p.
6.
There the track became rocky & rough. The rains in winter are so heavy that everything is washed down except the rocks & stones & so this track was equal to a very rough river bed, & also climbing steeply up at the same time. It was amazing how the little car managed about ten miles of this, but it did.
The country was really lovely - wild & rocky & hilly & some trees & when we reached the top, a terrific view of the plain below & the sea beyond. The day was very hot, & very blue & very clear. We passed numerous Arabs, with donkeys & camels on their way to market -& they said ' Saida". I answered the same. Ben, who counts Arabic among his languages, went into more complicated forms of greetings. The greeting business among the Arabs is a highly complicated affair - & it depends on many things: who speaks first - & then there is a definite answer to each particular form of greeting, the Arabs are very pleasant & friendly & it is really amazing that a British & a Jewish officer can go freely together in these parts - when 3 & 4 years ago, it would have meant certain death, to go alone & unprotected. But they are incredibly evil looking, even if they are by no means as evil as they look & indescribably dirty & squalid & lazy. We passed through numerous villages, some quite big ones, such as Beth Nahala, Q'lya, Niidim & Kharhata - all of which can be found on the map & yet this awful track. The Jews would have had a spanking great installed road through there long ago & electric light &
p.
7.
water & drains & everything else. But I suppose that a hell of a good argument can be raised against such progress, when you have a look round the world today.
We ate our lunch on the side of a hill & thoroughly enjoyed it - & I decided that there must be more days like this. The disappointing part now, is that when we arrived back in camp, about 3.0 pm. I found that a special job had been pushed onto us, & so we cannot now carry out the training tomorrow & Wednesday, which was the idea, but must wait a few days.
Sargeant Major Jack arrived back from S.Africa yesterday, & very pleased with himself & for good reason. He had had five weeks actual leave with his wife & kids. The lucky devil. I'm a bit sorry he is back in a way, he is so blasted thick & I have to be super careful that he has grasped a thing - whereas Kiley is extremely quick in the uptake. And moreover, Kiley is very much better suited to train up my Jewish Sargeant Major elect. I shall have to see what I can do to arrange things.
I wrote a note to Rex last night, asking him to come down & stay a weekend with me. This morning I decided I could not face it & tore it up. It would mean being continuously with him for two whole days, having to talk a spate of nonsense & not be able to write to you at all. We are an odd pair, aren't we darling, with out likes & dislikes & not being able to be bothered. Though really, I think I am taking a step in the right
p.
8.
direction, by eliminating the silly people & those who are not worth shile. But after the war, we really must make more of an efffort to find some friends who we really like - apart from the tiny circle of yours & mine & ours. I have now finished my Christmas Airgraphs & not counting Wm North people & customers. I have sent three to Bradford people - Gordon, Bill & Miss Anita. And I just would not know who to send any more to! Certainly not those silly Holdsworths, or any of the Emileys or Pullmans & God forbid Sydney Snell, Bluing - what a bunch.
Frank Macaskie's belated letter arrived today- three weeks from Cairo. He said how delighted he had been to see me, as I was the only person he had met out here with whom he had anything in common. That was very kind of him, & I do feel just hte same about him. I hope to goodness he will be careful on his new job, which is highly dangerous - because as I have said before, I am counting on him as a friend of ours when this war ends. But my trouble seems to be that it takes me so long to really get to know a person for that person to get to know me. You remember at Oswestry. I liked Frank but could make very little of him. And all the way to the M.E. Rod was my chief friend & not until the three of us were together in Cairo, did I realise that
p.
9.
Frank was worth a million Rexs! The trouble is really that it is almost impossible to know a person until he or she has been tested & tried out in some way. In civil life there is seldom time & practically never an opporunity. With the three of us in Cairo & afterwards for those weeks at the I.B.D., Frank & I just carried on in our fixed purposes of getting in touch with our wives as soon as possible & writing as much as possible & seeing as much of the country as possible & generally ordering our lives. Whereas Rex just degenerated - made passes at the first girls to look at him, was idle in sightseeing, slept on his bed in the afternoon & talked a hell of a lot of nonsense & neglected Marjorie. And during this time Frank & I drew closer together & formed a solid friendship & realised that the others ideas & ideals were bored on solid ground. And here we are very close & firm friends. But how can you reproduce all that in civil life?
Maybe the answer is to have more acquaintances, & to be less intolerant. We shall work it all out when we begin again - & it is not a matter about which it is necessary to plan ahead.
But I can promise you that you will like Frank very much indeed. And I hope he will be careful. No letters or anything again today darling. Goodnight sweetest dear XXXXX H.
Tuesday Oct 28th And 11.0 pm - so I will just finish this on the other side of the page & post it in the morning.
p.
10.
I went to the dentist today, the first time since last December; the man gave me a very thorough look over. I was very pleased to hear that there was nothing to do at all & he just gave me a scrape & a polish. That's good isn't it darling? & shows that I am looking after myself & carrying out at least one of your instructions to me. And I really think my hair is ok too, in spite of my breeze up a few months ago. And my corporation is certainly not increasing. So here I am - fit, strong, healthy, & goddamn bloody miserable. One's capacity for worry & misery & sheer unhappiness & deathly boredom, passes all understanding. Though boredom is perhaps hardly the word. I can never be bored, when married to you & loved by even at so great a distance; it is more the futile, horrible waste of time. I am so longing for more word from you - but the mails seem to have gone completely wrong again. I am not alone in suffering from no letters & no anything. I am enclosing a magazine cutting of Col Leicester for you to see what he looks like. Not exactly a beauty, but quite a pleasant face, kindly & not one of these silly ban Regular Army ones - not yet the lean, clear cut, brainy type, but with nothing behind it all. You will notice that he was a bit warm and with the arms. The Chief Robbi's features are somewhat hidden.
I cannot write sweetheart - I feel far too unhappy tonight - I just long with all my heart to hold you close & tight in my arms & kiss you & look at your lovely sweetness. I do love you so much Love & a big kiss to Maxie, please & all my love to my own dalring Barbara
XXXXfrom Harry XXXX
