Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

6 darling, & whereas it is very easy to pass the time on this ship, I can't help feeling very miserable & sad, several times a day. So much so that I could not eaven bring myself to look at photographs until Sunday, & then they affected me so much that I just cired & cried until I went to sleep on my bed. The Poly foto sheet of Lisa is so sweet - & it was taken so long ago, & we knew so much of her after it was taken, that it seems so wrong & impossible that we still do not know, & will not know any more. I'm afraid, darling one, that at the times when you have broken down & cried about Lisa, I myst have seemed unsympathetic & even harsh. I do hope you have understood that it was not meant this way - but I just seem to have to harden my heart & tell myself

7 that I must not do that same & then you will feel better sooner. I have not really wanted to do this & feel like this, but i do not seem to be able to help myself. I think it is that you feel helpless - as i did on Sunday - & that has just forced me to feel that I must stand up to it. You must forgive me if you haven't understood but I think you will have, darling. I have talked to Rex quite a lot, about Lisa, & his wife & you - & things generally. He is a very nice & kind person to have to talk to. Marjorie had told him all about her talk with you. He thinks you are a very very wonderful person (you know the way he would say this) - & very brave, & very pretty, & I am very fortunate. Since finishing the first instalment of this letter, the weather has changed comletely. The big storm eventually blew

8 itself out - or more probably it went on flowing & we left it behind. We gradually came into better & warmer weather, & it is now simply gorgeous & very hot indeed, wear shorts & shirt from morning till night - & got to bed with nothing on & just under a sheet. Even then it is impossibly hot in the cabin all night, with six of us in it, & about 2/3 th size of the dining room at Warren Fields. We take the bulbs out of the lights so as nobody can switch them on, & then open the port hole: the main things forbidden are dirty socks left lying about the place - & farting! Tonight, I hope to erect my camp bed and sleep on deck. Last night was truly wonderful on deck, & I believe one could read a book. You can hardly believe how gorgeous the weather is - it is

9. about twice as gorgeous as the most gorgeous Meiterranean day we say last year - the sky is twice as clear - the sea twice as blue - & the sun twice as hot. I am writing in the lounge place because i just get too sticky on deck & cannot write at all. I was going to say when I started this instalment, that there is now a special reason for pushing on with this letter, as we are going to make a call on Friday & letters will be able to be posted. This is really rather exciting as it is so much sooner than I expected for posting a letter to you. I don't know whether we shall be allwed ashore or not - but I am hoping to be able to send you a cable. I shant be able to say very much, of course, just love to you & Bill, & I am very well - but you

10. will at least hear from me. I believe we may be calling again, later on, & this time for a few days. I will be marvellous if this is so, as I shall be able to cable you & get a reply. It will be wonderful just to get love from you in a cable. Amazing, isn't it? If we do call - I shall hope to see Ann, of course - it will be good if this is possible.

We are quite a happy party on this ship. There is a very big crowd of officers, but we do not really have much to do with anybody else except the bridge playing majors & three or four others. At meals we have the same six as in the cabin. Meals are most entertaining, as there are no newspapers, therefore conversation flourishes. There was a slight