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Letter No. [41 ?] Tuesday, 3 June
Major J. H. Massey
6 Palestinian Cay, The Buffs
Middle East Forces
My own sweetest lovely darling, Barbara
The cables arrived today & this morning
of course I have cabled you back
again. How wonderful & marvelous
darling, that it is all over & that
you are well & the baby too. How
that the time has come & you
are allright. I hardly know what to
say to you. How I wish with all
my heart that I could be with you
& be able to hold you in my arms &
kiss you - & see my son. Are you very
disappointed that is is not a girl,
darling? I was a little, but this was
completely overcome by my relief &
joy that you are alright. He will
be a lovely boy, & not just a boy
in any ordinary sense of the word.
No child of yours could be just
any thing my sweetheart. So please
do not be upset - even though
I know that you & I have very
special reason for having wanted
a girl. It is just another reason

why I must get back to you
quickly, so as we can try again,
& next time it will be a girl.
Hughes must have been grand -
Joan & Bill - said in the cable,
that it was an easy birth. I do
hope that is really true. And nine
pounds too, you are amazing, darling,
such a big baby. I feel very grateful
& thankful to him - do please tell him
so from me & thank him from
me for all he has done and doing
for you. It seems to me that
the confidence he gave you during
the last few months must have
been of tremendous help - & how
he has made an easy birth for
you & shows you what can be
done by good doctoring. I shall
hope to meet him & thank him
some day soon.
It is practically eight months since
I left you - isn't it wonderful that
you should have just had a baby
now. I shall be looking forward
so much now to getting your
first letter and you telling me