Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

11 attempt to bring down books, but I nipped this in the bud. We have the most furious arguments - political, military, social & general - tempers get very rough, & people get very rude - especially myself - but it is all very good, because no malice is borne, & everything comes out all right again. We have just the correct mixture for this, of course - Trevor is rather Red & a bit pig headed, too apt to generalise. Eric is foolishly dyed in the wool tome blue & rather pompous, brainless, as you know. Terence Waters is pretty pukka , British, but quie clever & sound in his own way. Mac emerges from his silence quite a lot & is quite good. Whelan more or less spectates, except on Army matters. I don't quite know what I am, but I seem to get more furious & vehement than anybody else, & find

12. it great fun to get the others worked up & at cross purposes. And still discussing these people - it is amazing what bad personal habits people have. You used to, & still do, laugh at me & pully my leg - but really! As far as I can see, only Whelan & myself make a practice of cleaning teeth when going to bed. Whelan & river both go to bed in their underclothes. Eric wears a peculiar body belt, in which he also keeps his money - & this never seems to come off at all. They all smoke in bed - before going to seleep & when waking up. the other morning when in my bath, Trevor came in to have a tinkle in the W. I had to scream at him before he would go away - "don't make such a fuss, man", he said. And there was another place two doors away. I'm beginning to

13. think that you have a nice, clean, hygeinic kind of husband - with good habits. Do you agree? Rex is really the most satisfactory of them all & I am very fond of him. Of course, he does not sleep or eat with us - but he drinks with us & always joins us after dinner, when he sits & reads & watches the bridge & sometimes plays. He is so incurably good humoured & so very funny & can be guaranteed to make me laugh any time. His face figure make me start grinning. I should like to think I was going to get into the same Battalion or station with him. Bridge goes on nightly - & I am now 18/3 up on the trip. You will have to try & learn again, when I come home. On the other hand, though

14. I enjoy it very much - I don't suppose I should miss it very much, if I did not play again. Certainly I would rather go to the flicks with you, or stay at home & read with you, then go, play bridge without you.

I am now a complete grease spot, & think I will have a cup of tea & resume this tomorrow. Love & kisses, sweetheart.

Thursday - Oct 17 It has suddenly been announced that letters must be handed in by 12 o' clock today, which is annoying because I had intended to finish this afternoon, & now I must hurry & fit it in this morning - in between things. The last two days have been mostly spent

15. reading the mens letters, which have to be censored by us. It is pathetic job, & I hate doing it. Officers, it seems are trusted not to write anything they shouldn't - but this will be liable to censorship by the civil authorities. The tropical kit I bought is very satisfactory & comfortable - but I am extremely glad I did not buy any jackets or slacks. Only a few people have not got them - but there are dreadful sloppy looking sights - & others which are jolly smart & well cut - in spite of what Simpsons said.

It is terribly sad, darling one, the way this ship goes on & on & on, & always taking me further away from you, & I can hardly ber to think about it at all. It just seems such an age until I am going to see you again. I feel more than every truly & deeply in love