p.

Letter No. 32

Saturday
12 Apr 41

Major J.H. Massey
6 Palestinian Coy. The Buffs
Middle East Forces

Sweetest darling - so your clever husband is now a major! You
told me in one of your letters, when you had first heard I
was a captain, that I must hury up & be a major in
record time, & so I did my best to oblige you. As I was
telling you in my previous letters, I was becoming not a little
enfuriated [infuriated] at the delay - but it finally appeared in General
Orders yesterday, dated March 10th. It should really be dated
earlier, but I suppose I must not grumble. I was wearing
one pip last June, and now I am wearing a crown. I
think it rather suits me, really. In order to be perfectly
prepared, I bought some crowns last Saturday, & felt rather
rash at the time - many a slip twixt cup & lip, etc. And
then I called you on Thursday, saying it was in the bag.
And so now I feel quite relieed, that nothing has gone
wrong. And I have sent you a cable today, to tell you
the good news. The difference in pay is marvellous, of course -
as I have told you darling. £ 219 a year - or £ 18-18-0
in a 31 day month - or £ 4-4-0 a week - or 12/- a day.
So the longer it goes on, the better. It will not make
the slightest difference to my mode of life or rate of living, so
you can count it as money saved. But of course darling, if
you want to spend more, you absolutely must do, & on
whatever you want to. And if you want to give more
to your ma, I am perfectly agreeable, sweetheart, & happy
that you should do so.

Your letters have come to a halt again - it is disappointing