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[Letter No. 10?] Major J.H. Massey 6 Palestinian Coy. The Buffs [illegible] E.F.
My dearest darling -
I am having a bad week for writing to you. On Monday, I was all set to go, but Ben & I were the only ones in & he was in a bad mood & depressed, partly on account of having been chased up by me the previous few days - & he deliberately began to be sorry for himself & so I spent the evening talking with him. Poor man, he has a wife he does not love very much, & is not really interested in at all - I must say she is a very dull & rather silly girl. He has not the faintest idea what to do with himself after the war.
On Tuesday, I was [?] working late & had dinner late - & then for some unknown reason this Bradford M.O called in & stayed until 12.0. I thought Ben had asked him in. Ben thought I had. He's quite a pleasant bloke really, but I cannot see in him a new friend for us after the war, [was a doctor?]
Wednesday, I was late for dinner again, having had a long talk with the squadron leader about various things. Silly little man. I had been chasing him all day, but in the morning he was all in a flap because the Duke of Gloucester was landing here & staying for lunch; - in the afternoon he was playing cricket. And then I had to go out into the night & work. I saw Gloucester & gave him a smart salute & received a smile & a sloppy salute in return. But the R.A.F. people here had not the wit or the courtesy to ask me to the lunch but may be it was as
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well, because I still feel myself a Royalist.
The [Sq. Ldr?] is hopeless - he's a little squirt of a Welshman & about 45. & is plain terrified of me. but I'm afraid that does not increase his efficiency. But I find the R.A.F. very sloppy & muddly, except when they are in the air. Fancy Eric a Sq. Ldr - but he just fits into the picture. I expect his chest, his moustache, & his hearty manner got him there: but they didn't before the war. & I dont expect they will after.
Last night I went to see "Manhunt" at the camp cinema - but it was a poor [film?], & Joan Bennett has either gone off, or else she never did look like you - & she had to talk Cockney which did not help. And afterwards, I had to accept an invitation to the R.A.F. mess - it is the very first time I have been there at night, but I have excused myself so often & I felt I had to go. I also had a strong feeling of being appeased, because the Sq. Ldr & his Adjutant have been asking me almost daily, & I'm quite certain they do not like me. Ben & Gerald came too. & we drank lots of beer. & the M.O. banged the piano & every body sang silly dirty songs. & I felt rather superior & very bored & annoyed at the waste of time. But I promise you darling that I will not be superior or too grown up when I come home to you. Oh but I look forward to laughing again & making you laught & feeling carefree & happy.
I saw the Army dentist again this week, a different one again, but rather a good man - he travels round the Area with a trailer all fitted up.
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3./ There was nothing to do - but he says my gums are too spongy + I must work harder with my wooden pickers, + he has also told me to rub them with sodium bicarbonate powder. I had been getting worried about that big loose tooth of mine in the middle at the top- it really seemed to be going looser + looser + so I concentrated on orange juice + bought a 5/- bottle of cod liver oil. + it really did tighten up a lot. The dentist told me to carry on with the oranges, but that I could stop the oil- which was a relief, on account of taste + price. I had a pretty interesting day on Tuesday- Mr. Sherlok telephoned the day before + asked me to have lunch with him. So I went alog to a Pension in Tel-Aviv on the verandah. + talked hard froom 1-30 until 3-15. We talked about the war + recruiting + Jewish units + Palestine's part in the war + in any possible invasion. But I cannot decide just what it was all about, but I am quite certain it was about something + was not just a friendly lunch because he is much too busy a man for such things. I had partly the feeling of being interviewed - because I have heard rumours of a new Army appointment to do with the Palestine and/or Jewish war effort, from the military point of view, + it is possible that Sherlok's opinion would be asked for about this- + I know that the Jewish Agency took upon me as a sensible + serious sort of person. And I also had the feeling that I was being impressed + convinced - because I have been fairly openly critical, in a helpful +
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constructive way about them & their methods. & he dealt at some length with some of my points. But I shall see what comes out of it. It was all very interesting - he is an excellent & amusing talker, & very authentic as he is in constant touch with the Palestine G.O.C. & [Auchinleek?], & previously Lyttleton, & now Casey.
But a piece of official news came through yesterday which does affect me. & that is that G.H.Q., M.E.F. have now ruled that service with these Coys will be fore a limited time, or tour of duty, according to rank, & so by doing a very quick sum I have found that mine comes to an end on Aug 1st. I must say I am pretty glad in many ways, because this job becomes a bit of a heart breaker after a time - & I am only saved because of my quality, or whatever it is, of trying to do well, whatever I do - & because I can easily use every minute of my spare time to write to you & think of you, & read. You can imagine that I am furiously thinking about what will be next, & most important, whether I can turn this to advantage in my next home posting application. And if not that, I do not know what they will do with me, but I shall try bloody hard to go up the ladder, & I hope, to do with administration, where I really could enjoy myself.
Barbara, I cabled in another [illegible]30 on May 4th - & which will probably be dated July or August when it appears on your bank sheet. I told you, & I hoped
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5. that the last one would last until June. but every thing is so expensive out here now. But it has lasted since Jan 19th - + includes Toby @ by + some parcles for you + so I do not think I have done so badly- + I shall try very hard to make this one go further in spite of high prices. Your last letter enclosed 2 Martins Bank sheets + you have completely fucked my filing system farling, by continuing your letter on the backs of them- + now I do not know where to place them! If they go with the other bank sheets I lose part of your letter + vice versa - butI have made an adaptation by copying onto the other ones + so I shall be alright so long as you do not do it too often again. Or is the paper situation so bad these were in your no. 84 posted on Feb 8' + which came in this week a month late. It was a lovely letter, in spite of writing on bank sheets + I will be replying to it in my next one. I want to send this off tomorrow because my last was posted on the 2nd + 3 sheets plus 1 hankie will go for 10d ,, love + kisses with the hankie my darling. Another summons is that I am taking the coy back to where I was last year + I believe this one may be true. I shall be quite glad- it is a little cooler for summer- the sea is hardy for bathing + a taxi to the cinema or a concert is 2/6 instead of 16/- each way too + I shall have the Hopkins again. My room has been whitewashed today, + so instead
