p.

Letter No. 2. Wednesday. 11th March
Major J. H. Massey
6. Palestinian Corp, the Buffs
M.E.F.

My own sweet darling Barbara,
I am really far from my best for writing to you.
I was up at 6-30 this morning, & have been running about
ever since. And having to think quite hard - & now it is
9-30 pm, I feel rather sleepy. But, as usual, I want to begin
- so I will try. The trouble is that this time again, I
feel very serious about various things - & I certainly do not
feel equal to coping with such things tonight. So I will
just push on & see what happens.
I had your no. 82 today - 81 being missing - you were in a
bad mood, poor darling, in the midst of bad weather & snow
& Maxie with a cold, & another blank patch in my letters.
I went to see the officer to the A.P.O. today, & he was
grumbling too, as his wife had been suffering like you. He
was inclined to agree with me that much valuable space
in aircraft had been taken up with Generals & the like [cripping ?
home for a few days Xmas leave. If this really is true,
it is a bloody shame. And I feel that is is.
I also had an AG from Parch - Eileen is having a baby
in May - & he & Frank & Gordon are well & they all
think of me & talk about me. It is [hell underlined] when you think
that they are now in England still. I was within a
few days of being transferred back to the 7th again.
You asked me in a recent letter what my weight is
- I have already replied to say I really did not
know, but I am thinner. Well - I popped myself on
some scales in the chemists the other day, & found
that I was 12 st 12 lbs, which is about 12 lbs more
than when I left England. I just did not believe this -
& so found an accurate R.A.F. weighing machine, &