Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

6. beforehand. And then religiously have a sleep in the afternoon. And the trouble is that the higher authorities just carry on in the same way. I have heard them say it, young & old - little twirps of 21 & 22 & old fools who ought to know better - "the afternoon is sacred to the British officer." And all this in spite of the fact that letters have come round from Wavell & from [Andaimlock?] - that officers will work in the afternoons - the enemy does; & drink will be in moderation - The Navy have to convoy most of it here. But there is so little that I can do about it, beyond having my own unit up to scratch, & here I do not allow officers to drink at lunch time - & they have an hour for lunch, & then carry on. It really does seem the least that one can do, to work one's hardest & so hurry on the end of the war. God - how I want to see the end of it all.

I am rapidly becoming an almost complete Jewish Unit, I think. I told you that [Pillatt?] left a month ago. So Headley is now my only British subaltern. Sgt Griffith left yesterday, to be C.Q.M.S. in a new Coy. And in a month's time, C.Q.M.S. Hemmings goes, & I have a Jew in that job. And when C.S.M. Jack arrives back from S.A. - Sgt Kiley goes too. So I am left with Salamon, Headley & Jack. And I have Jewish understudies for all these, & anything may happen any time. Sgt Medukoff was the understudy for the C.Q.M.S. & a very

7. clever & able chap he was too. But I could not trust or rely upon him - & he continued to be a slippery customer in spite of warnings from me. And so I shovelled him off last week & made a present of him to Col Leicester who wanted an office accountant. And so I have now changed Lubitsch over onto the Q side & he is shaping very well. To take his place, I have my eye on a L/Cpl Golumbowsky who is a M.A. & quite a pleasant bloke. He has rather a pretty wife. who crashed in on me in highly irregular fashion some months ago, to beg leave for her husband. She asked me if I did not think him quite the best man in my Coy, & being rather peeved at being crashed in on, I said no certainly not - at which she burst into tears.

I'm feeling a little better than I did when I began this evening - thank goodness. Though I don't know why. I think writing to you clears my train & takes away all my cares & worries of being away from you - until after a page or two, & I begin to feel in touch with you again. I think probably this feeling in touch has a great deal to do with my whole outlook. Earlier this evening, I felt so hopelessly & helplessly far away & cut off. The sandflies are out this evening - & so I have a moon tiger burning on my table - & I am smoking Camel cigarettes. All these little things help - Also

8. I have moved your photographs from the right to the left of my table, & so I can see you more as I write. I love your looks, my darling.

I had a blow of bad news this morning - a telegram from Cairo from Frank to say "Impossible to join you, writing." So there goes my leave again. It is very disappointing. I wonder what has interfered. It must be something urgent & important, because he was very anxious to come back for this tour. I shall hang on & hope that he can come later on.

I had a letter from the dreadful Gil today - return of post to my Airgraph thanking him for his unwelcome cigarettes. It was disgustingly full of sly digs, & catch phrases & bon mots & bits of French & hackneyed Latin. But even so, quite interesting, as I have not heard from Jimmy for a long time - & Frost, Birchall etc either have not written at all or their letters have been unlucky. This Concentration of Labour is very interesting & I am wondering how it will effect Wm & North. business seems to have gone bad every where - no cotton to be had. Willie has been ill again, but nobody noticed for about a month. And apparently my last letter to Birchall from Gebowen did some good - & among other things, a magnificent new set of offices has been almost completed - with modern lighting.

9. fitted carpets, a private lavabo & so on. How disgusting to think of Willie being in sole possession, even if Frost & [?] do do all the work. Lots of talk about the Maestro, the Massey touch & veiled hints about another amalgamation, & going onto the Board together. He said he had seen Amy from time to time, either with a "supply officer or some persona grata" Christ! Its about time that [----] grew up.

I could go on now, but I must go to bed. It is 12-30 & I get up at 6-15. Goodnight, my own darling. x x x x x H.

Tuesday - 7 Aug. At last I have heard from you again today - a letter, No 55, & 2 Airgraphs of Sep 11th & 12th & three snaps of you & Maxie. Oh - what a diffeence it makes darling. They all arrived at 5-0 o'clock, when I had given up hope for today, & I just felt like another person immediately. It was a lovely letter too - though at 6 pages, one of the short ones, for us nowadays. I always feel a little bit guilty & idle when I send off a letter of less than 8 pages - mainly because I always think of it arriving at the end of one of those awful blank spells, & then you being disappointed to get such a short letter after such a long time. They are a devil those blanks, & you seem to have them worse than me, poor darling. At least you can tell from the numbering of my letters, that I am not neglecting you. I wish I could do something about it.

Now darling one - you wrote in your letter that you hoped I had not written to Zag or B-D. as you felt I was safer where I am. I never did write that letter,

10. partly because it seemed such a hopeless quest, & partly because of what you say - & partly through procrastination too, in not being able to make my mind up what to do - & partly to wait & see what you said.

But this compassionate method is different - & in the event of this slender chance coming off & my coming home - they would probably put me on a home job of some kind, after service in the M.E. & the reasons for my coming home. The more cheerful tone of your letter, makes it easier for me to face the task of sticking it out here - but even so I still intend & want to try, & I shall long for your reply to come soon. I am just dying for you, sweet Barbara & as you say it is no joke.

And it was sweet of you to understand my wanting sexy photographs of you. What a poor substitute for you yourself - but they would be so lovely to have with me. I think so much of our love life & the wonder & heaven which lies ahead of us when we come together again - oh darling, can you imagine how gorgeous & thrilling it is going to be. I hope Elinor & Nicolette will be coming to stay with you.

And I am now sending you one I did not send on before - in which my towel is not arranged in too ladylike a position. also one I forgot, of myself & Headley; I cannot find the negative & so maybe I sent it on already. I think it would be a good idea if I sent you some photo printing paper - & I will do this by Airmail.

Max looks grand in the snaps - really perfect & lovely. I like the one of him looking over your