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the Red Cross. Mrs. S. was furious about this, - promptly wrote a memorandum which went up to the War Council. And so, last month, welve months later than need have been, they wanted the first course for 60 selected women to be trained as officers & sgts another 500 started in camp this week, there will be another 1000 next month - so it will go on. And the Chitty woman has been sent out again, in command, the MacMichael woman carries on. It's amazing, when you consider the implications of that blunder. Probably, by now, they could have had 10,000 A.F.S. - that number would have been doing men's jobs - which would mean that, either 10,000 men would have been released for service /or lighting, here or in the T.E. - or else that 10,000 men need not have been sent & arms a equipment could have come instead. Either of which factors might have just made the difference in Libya or elsewhere. It's hellish, you know. Don't you agree? The Chitty woman had only to walk in the streets of Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv to see with her own eyes. As for that Mrs High Commissioner - & her bleak looking husband - they cannot see beyond the Arabs & seem to go out of their way to ignore & insult the Jews. For the officers N.C.O. course after an almighty struggle - it seems that they managed to rake up one Arab girl, who finished the course as a N.C.O. The other day they had a kind of recruiting affair on the wireless & the only
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A.T.S. girl to be asked to speak, was this solitary Arab girl. The only thing that surprised me is that they don't actually take their trousers down & kiss their bottoms it's about all that's missing.
I think such people are just as bad as 5th columnists or traitors, though we should not liquidate them as they do in Russia, it is a much preferable system to making them cabinet ministers & the like, as they did in France. And the results prove it.
I think I forgot to tell you that a week last Sunday, I went to a Palestina Orchestra Concert, with Ben. I did not enjoy it as much as usual. I have lost my programme & cannot full remember all about it. There was something of Mozart's which was rather jokey & tuneless. And the Ugly Duckling by Ravel which I did not like at all - he was the first of the moderns was he? - I'm afraid I cannot understand the music, I feel so much more at home with the real classical music. And there was a Beethoven Symphony, which was lovely. Ben & I are going to have dinner with Berntein & his wife on Sunday - I believe we are going to another conert.
I seem to have been doing more going out lately. Last night there was a R.A.F. Concert Party - & really it was very good. They were all R.A.F. men, who are doing a M.E. tour. The leading light & backbone was a man called Eddie Maloy, who had been working with Vin Oliver, Bebe Daniels etc - he was very funny indeed & was on & off the stage all the time
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for the 2 1/2 hours which the show lasted. I was particularly pleased that it was good, because I had invited Berntein for dinner & then to see the concert. The reason being that the Jewish Welfare Concerts are always rather highbrow & generally rather miserable - & they always say "Oh, the Jews are different." And I have always maintained that the Jews are not different at all & enjoy a bloody good laugh as much as any body else. Well - my men loved it last night - & when Burstein left he thanked me very much & said he had learned a lesson which he rather thought was what I had intended. I just gave him a rather fat & suing smile, but I think it has made him think; & I hope the men will now get more cheerful concerts.
By the way, I have just remembered the enclosed cutting. It will show you - roughly - what Mrs Samuel looks like; & what a typical old sour puss Mrs Chitty is. I imagine her to be rather like Amy's mother.
Tomorrow, Ben & I are invited to a R.A.F. dance. I had to accept the invitation, but have been thinking ever since about how to evade it - but I'm afraid I shall have to go with the two main objects of leaving early, & not dancing.
You know, better than anyone, my darling, that I am no dancing man. But I am looking forward to going to a dance & dancing with you again. It will be so lovely to change & go out together, & hold you in my arms & pop round the floor, have some drinks, talk. And get home beautifully sleepy & tired.
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but perhaps not too sleepy & tired.
I was thinking the other day of our lovely "show" week end in Paris, on our way to St Marino, & I can remember it so clearly. We had lunch at P.Rs. with your ma & pa, & Lisa, who was of course sweet, & very boisterous on the floor. And that funny saloon on the cross channel boat, where we had a drink. And the hotel, where they remembered [Porch?] & Eileen on their honeymoon. and then we wandered round the streets, & eventually found a place, where we had some gorgeous onion soup - which you must learn to make, darling. And then we did make love in Paris! In the morning, we went to the house - & wandered there through those lovely gardens on a perfect June morning. Lunch, we had on a boulevard place near Notre Dame - where we went into afterwards, & saw a wedding going on. Then we went along the Champs Elysees, to the Arc de Triomphe (that sounds rather a mockery now), & we walked back, bought some things in a chemists, & had some tea. And then we had a marvellous dinner at a place in a square, on the left hand side on the way from the A de T - including champagne cocktails. And then we went along to the P.L.M. station & got our seats on the train & hired pillows & bought apples & peaches & soda & beer. Just take your mind back, my darling one. Was it not lovely & perfect? And we will have these perfectly lovely times again. Highlights along the
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course of a happy, contented, interesting & exciting life. Oh darling - how I love you & how I long to be with you. Every day that passes I love you more & long for you more. And every time I think of you, which is very often every day - I realize what a sweet & lovely wife I have. I thrill when I think that she loves me. And that Maria is waiting to see me too. I am very fortunate, my darling. We, neither of us, look upon ourselves as being lucky people, when we think of the blows we have had to stand. But notwithstanding our darling Lisa & our first Marie - I am still a very fortunate person. Never, for one split second have I doubted my everlasting & complete & constant love for you, my darling Barbara. And I have felt the same about your love for me. Please always feel the same about me. I promise you, from the depths of my heart, that I will always be worth it. And I will try very hard to be more worth it. If only they would let me come home. I want to come so much & I feel that my reasons are better than anyone else's. But I am so afraid that I have failed again. We have very much to stand, haven't we darling? Our reward will always be when we meet again, whenever it is. But the waiting is so hard & painful.
Much love & a big kiss to Marie - & all my love & many big kisses to you my own darling beautiful Barbara. Harry. xxxxxxx
