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6/ nowadays nor whether such dealings are controlled nowadays or what sort of trend there is going to be after the war But I shall eventually have to have my quota if I am ever going to be invited onto that blasted Board The one trouble about buying their shares would be that Peter + Co might think I was seeing too much money + do something with my 1/2 salary -though surely they should feel gratified that I am getting on in the Army- + in any case it is our business if we wish to be thrifty + keep the money for afterwards rather than splash through it now On the other hand Peter + Co might also take the view that having paid me about L300 extra I should jolly well buy up some of their shares I think I will write to Tony + perhaps Gorson as well + ask their advice + ask them to write to you And of course we have to remember Income Tax - it is going to be a really horrible sum this year And if the Pay master had been slow with my back pay we shall have to pay on that next year I think you said inone of your letters that you had written Gordon about relief on your ma's allowance Now darling - you must not be too stingy with yourself - you simply must make your life as comfortable + pleasant + interesting as possible You are very sweet + thrifty about money + even more careful than me I think - but you must not overdo it - + you do deserve a little ease + luxury now, such as you may be able to obtain in these days I went round to see Jack Perrott on Friday evening- he is only five minutes walk from here We sat + drank some whiskies + sodas + talked hard for two hours nearly all about our Prep School - Oriel House at St Asaph It is really amazing what an impression that school has
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7 left on both of us - we were able to talk on quite easily + remembering scores of people + happenings which was most interesting + amazing He is very amusing + pleasant but has a slight leaning to snobbishness + prigishness which does not matter too much He was doing well as a railway engineer in civil life + then joined the Army in 1936 in the Royal Engineers He also has a girl at home - she was going to be married to somebody else on 16 Dec 39 -he managed to stop that she promised --------- on 28 Dec 41 to mary Jack - + on 29 Dec 41 he sailed for the Middle East- + they are still engaged Last Saturday I went + had dinner with the Chap Hopkins of the Navy + his wife He had asked me two or three times + I had always made an excuse But on this day I wanted to go out somewhere + not stay in + so I rang him up + went along they have a lovely top floor flat on the side of a hill + overlooking the sea + it was a very pleasant evening Nice gins + tonics + champagne for dinner + some good old Brandy afterwards there was one other man there from the Navy + we managed to talk + play opera + Hutch + Caruso + many others on the gramaphone until 12.30 they have a daughter- 2 years old I have promised to go along + see her one afternoon- but I would not have the heart to do this until I hear your news + know that you are alright Monday 2nd June I had guests last night Jack Perrott came for supper + before that Colonel Lloyd Williams + a Major Bottom of the Hospital ship came in to see me they stayed for supper too The doctors left at 9.30 + then Jack + I went to my room + went on gassing until 1.30 all about school days + chestine life + about the present + the future too What with one thing + another I don't think to have told you very much about this second in command
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8/ business which has now been fixed up for more than three weeks If I have already told you please forgive me As you know I had already recommended Jim Heasley + this was in the process of being confirmed Jim was 5 years older than Tony Burnett but far + away junior in service But I began to feel more + more worried about my choice because Jim did not improve or come on at all + did not seem to be making any effort + was generally rather [wet?]. So I had him down to my room one night + over a bottle of beer gave him lots of good advice about guts + effort + personality + initiative + what he would need to do + be to satisfy me as my second i/c. He hadn't even the blasted wit not to disagree with what I was sayinggot rid of a great deal of nonsense about knowing his own limitations + a man being what he is + that's that + having to go carefully + he even put limits on the amount of work he considered himself to be capable of so I finally cut him short + told him he was ^a spineless rabbit + ought to be ashamed of himself + he could darned well go on being junior subaltern. He was a bit hurt at first - but eventually proved me to perfectly right by admitting that he was perhaps relieved on the whole as it all might have been too much for him What dear Jim was wanting apparently was the rank + pay of a Captain but without the hard work or responsibility + fine spirit with which to win the war I must say So I quickly wrote a letter + also demanded quick action as I was fed up with being seriously overworked - Tony was appointed within a week or so He is not so darned good but he knows his stuff up to a point + has the advantage of
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9/ being Sandhurst + Army + he has some guts Did I tell you that I came by another British officer in March name of Pillatt + also of the Sherwood Foresters Ste is about 22 from Nottingham + a very pleasant young man + a good officer But they are none of them any good to me as friends or even to spend much time with - except Ben - Arzi whom I continue to like very much + I talk with him a great deal He is the one person here who knows that you were going to have a baby + he has been very sympathetic + kind + he will be delighted too when your news comes through I wonder ^if are you getting worried about the war heading this way to a certain extent Crete evacuated + now talk of gangs on in Syria I suppose there must be a bust up in this direction sooner or later but I don't think you need to worry much about me darling We are unlikely to see any lighting - which in a way I do not like but nothing is so important as that you must not be worried + that I want to return to you that is the one thing which takes precedence above all others + as I told you before I shall be very careful darling + will never go decoration hunting But I will not enlarge on that subject now I must fnish this on the other side + post it Two posts in today my darling + I drew a blank in both of them And so now I am certain it will be tomorrow Thank God for hope An absolute wave of melancholia is approaching darling - which means that I cannot possibly write
