Letters from World War II : J.H. Massey

Letter no. 51 Sunday June 16 Major J. H. Massey My own sweet darling/ 6 Palerinia Co.4 The Be_S Middle East Force I am trying to write you a letter. I have so much to say to you, but trust utilize one of the few left card, as they are supposed to be so quick. You say in one [p.s.] that they vary from 2-6 weeks, but I think that ??? has been halted by since ????. I had a marvellous day today. I got a letter & 2 pcs. from you & a letter from Vera. Your letter was no. 36 of 31 March. no. 35 haling arrived on 5th may. So the spell has been broken again. I am now missing your 24th written between 22-28 Jan; 27 & 28 between 5 & 25 Feb; & 30 between 25 Feb. & 3 March. I cannot think why they do not come in. & I hope they are not lost. I still want to hear if you liked the dressing gown & pants & petticoat. & if you want me to get that necklace & & your reply to my letters from the ship never really materialised. You must be more careful with the address darling. One p.c. & the letter today were correctly addressed- the other p.c. just put No 6 Palestinian Coy & missed out The Buffs. And on one you put my Army number & not the other. I have told you, my dearie, the No is not necessary at all. And so will you please just copy the address I put, & never add & substract anything. Tar, ever so. Vera's letter was lucky to arrive It was sent to J.H.M. No GU382. She must have just copied what you gave her, & got the idea that it was not allowed to put my name in full. She says she wrote to me before, but that one never arrived. It was a very sweet & affectionate & ??? letter & I enjoyed it. She called Martin the old boy, & said he was a dear even though she did nag him to death at times: I bet they will always have a very soft spot in their hearts for me. & that you are a darling & one of the sweetest. Did she tell you about Gordon & Jack Walker ?£50,000 each. My God. & on top of Janet's maney. Old Boy will stay about the same. I should think, & will still be seen in the Bulls ??? I borrowed a Leica camera today darling. & bought a film of 36 shots & went out to a lovely place with Ben-Arzi; he took 25, & I will

finish them off in a day or two. I send them on to you. Peter is in some of them too. So you will see what he look like.I have brought some tea & some sugar. I sent them off to you. I hope they will keep & be acceptable, as tea is rationed I expect they will arrive about Oct. If only the war would suddenly end. & I came home through the [Medite.] & got home first. Oh dear, It is so difficult to speculate about the war just now - everything is so obscure. Things in syria seem to be going well- I think of everything in terms of how it will effect our re-union. Blessed day.Darling don't worry about me, please. I shall be alright & so will you. I am certain of that & you must be too. Nothing of any kind can come in between us. I am writing again tomorrow. All love to you my dearest sweetest only one, to the baby. Aways

Letter No.55. Saturday. 28 June

Major.J.H Massey 6 Palestinian Coy, The Buffs Middle East Force

My own darling Barbara -

Your letters are now arriving beautifully & your no. 49 of May 5th came this week. You were worried about me getting into battle darling & being inexperienced & maybe losing my temper. Please don't worry, sweetheart. we are not exactly fighting troops, unless it is a case of parachute or air borne enemy troops - & in any case I am quite certain I should be perfectly calm & able to deal with the situation. And never shall I forget my darling, what i have told you before, that more than anything in the world, I want to remain alive & return to you. And I know I shall & so you must not even consider any alternative. The thrilling happiness to which I am looking forward, is almost too much to look forward to. I wish I could have another cable from you - it is 3 weeks now since I had the first one from Joan & I really should have heard by now. The brutes in the P.O. have

certainly sent it to the wrong place again. I refuse to worry because I know them to be such fools. I called you a few days ago to send me more news. These [E. Fer?] cables are now different - do you know of the new idea? Instead of being able to send what you want at the special rate, they have now instituted a system of set phrases which are numbered - you pick your numbers, & can send any of these for the sum of 2/6. That was what I sent this week - it seems they are to be quite fast. but I hope you do not wonder what has happened to me - the words must sound so unusual.

Darling, please send me by p.e. your measurements. I can buy very pretty stuff here, very cheaply, & I can have some ideas, of shorts & blouses, & even dresses & have them made up by our Coy Indian tailor, who is very good & cheap. And if you have any things which

you want in particular; you tell me, & I can certainly have them made - beautifully, so far as workmanship is concerned, & faithfully carrying out an idea.

I wrote my ma an A.G. when I heard about the baby, but I have not written again. I expected to have a cable from her. It is odd that Patricia - & Frost - should be the only ones from whom I should hear. It is a month, today, my darling, & I think & think of you becoming stronger & stronger better & happier. You must surely be in Noss Mayo, & the boy will be quite a person by now. oh darling one - the thought of you with a baby again is lovely & I yearn to be with you. I do hope you have now become reconciled to it being a boy & that you love him. Of course you will, & he must be very fine. Do give him a kiss from me - to you my darling over all the love & all the kisses

[image: front of envelope, stamped & postmarked]

By Air Mail Air Mail Letter Card ____ If anything is enclosed this card will be sent by ordinary mail

55

Mrs H. Massey Carseland Pillory Hill Noss Mayo Plymouth Gt Britain

When folded the Letter card must conform in sizes and shape with the blue border within which the address only may be written

J. Massey

[stamp] Passed by Censor No. 2484

3 post came + brought nothing for me it has been such a blow And every day I have hung around waiting for the post The last few days my digestion went completely west but now today my [?] is miraculously in order again And this has really been going on since May 8th so I have suffered too + you have been sweet enough to realise that + sympathise in youe letters + p.c.s. Goodnight my darling own Barbara + God bless + always keep you Dearest love to you + to Max + kisses to you both----------XXXX Harry

Wednesday July 2nd I had a letter from my ma today posted on March 15th, but by sea mail. It was a very sweet letter, but rather trailed on all that business about you a strong healthy gitl etc & that she had written & told you so. I suppose they will be delighted to have a grandson, but I haven't heard from them yet. I rather expected a cable. I'm afraid she had only had one letter from me at that stage - but she will have had more now & airgraphs too. She said how proud they were at me being a Captain. I should think they will have swelled to bursting point on heairing of my Majority. I expect Dorothy Carson will be a bit acid about it. It was very kind of Aunt Sarah & Hilda to send £5 & £10. Every little helps our war effort to have a good start when it is all over. I will write Aunt Sarah a nice affectionate Airgraph. And it was very good

5/ good fun + as you know we had some marvellous drinking parties together But over + above that + so much more important of course he was such a fine chap- so very intelligent + sensible + so well read + educated + so very interesting to talk to + listen to. And he was so bloody pleasant + unselfish + so kindly + sympathetic + understanding. And yet very stren in his outlook + character in many ways. And dear old Frank he was so genuinely fond of me + interested in me + would have done anything for me. And he was looking forward, just as much as I was, to all the fun & interest we would all have together when we were home again. I feel dreadfully depressed & dejected & angry. He was such a dear fellow, old Franck & you know how difficult I find it to make friends & he was one if a million & quite irreplaceable. I got to know him slowly & as you know I prefered Rex for some time. But I don't really mind whether I see Rex again or not, but I shall remember & regret Franck for a very long time to come. I will tell you much more about him when I come home. And I will write his mother a long letter. I'm sure she will be pleased to hear from somebody who knew him well out here, who was so found of him. Otherwise, she will only get a rather stereotyped sort of letter from

6 his C.O. You know it seems to me so utterly wrong that a man like Frank 28 years of age a fine leader of men- he had a very good way with them + they liked + respected him- with a first class brain + obvious ability - should have to be a 2nd Lieut + a Platoon Commander easily the most consistently dangerous job in the Army And yet bumped up brainless little idiots who have been a few years in the Regular or Territorial Army should command coys + have so much more chance And that silly useless Eric (Blake) James as a staff Captain- + that strong healthy blasted red headed Mac Erlean ideal cannon fodder got himseld a pie job as something or other at a Prisoners of War camp in Egypt - 100% safe its all very wrong the Army suffers now because of it - + civilisation + the reconstruction of the world + the next + following generations will suffer too Frank could + would have commanded a Coy at least perfectly And if he had been given a staff job he would have worked hard + been darned useful Instead of which he has to expose himself in do or die stuff against German desperados + gangsters in that hellish battled of Crete I suppose there is just a hope that these three men may be mistaken - but they were

7. very certain about it I know you will be very sorry too that we are denied a good time friend after this foul war is over Poor old Frank - I must leave him now- butI shall feel very sad for many days to come I was very glad to hear darling in your second p.c. that max was going to be circumcised that week I have written you all about this but I knew you would remember or be reminded somehow + decide to have him done I'm certain it is far better I hope he came through it alright Apparently it is very easy when boys are only a few days old Did I ever tell you about mine? when I was 10 or 12 or thereabout I was very interested in the subject of operations + thought they were rather heroic + used to always be asking my ma if I had ever had any She used to say just one - + I asked what it was And she said just a little one + I made a noise like a hen And I used to ask dozens of times + she waned never tell me any more And it wasn't until years afterwards that I realized what it really was I wonder of Ma made a noise like a hen The last Palestine Orchestra concert of the season is tomorrow + of course I am going This time I am taking the man Hopkins + his wife to repay their kindness + hospitality to me They really are

8 extremely kind + ask me to go there whenever I want to I went + had a cup of tea with Mrs Nina yesterday + played with the baby; she is a very sweet child + I get on very well with her I like to do this now that I know all is well darling Do you know the last time I went out in the evening was for the last concert which was on June 12th 3 weeks ago One has to wear drill jacket + so on when out in the town after 6.0 - + that is the last time I wore a jacket Normally for dinner + staying in we wear shirts sleeves + long trousers - same as in those photos I sent you I have started another film in my borrowed camera now + will have some taken in shorts + putters + so on I do not wear my topee at all. I hate the things + my skull is quite sufficient protection in these parts. There is an order to wear them but it is not enforced & seems so silly with these Jews who have been used to wearing no hat at all for year & years. By the way, my officers & CSM & several other people were very pleased to learn the good news that you & the baby are doing well & send their best regards to you, which won't mean very much to you! Goodbye darling sweetest sweetaheart. I am still thrilling with happines that you are well & that you love me. I love you so very much. Always your Harry.

2/ I was foolish enough to leave you + go away + play golf then those awful times when the wretched Gil would sit on top of the fire + blow smoke all over us + listen on the radio to a football match from Glasgow Do you remember his awful habit of smoking at breakfast time? Ghastly Every now + again it happens in the Mess here from newly arrived or attached officers - + is the one thing above all things which I will not allow + stop at once + when i take immediate advantage of my position I dont really + truly believe that I mind such a hell of a lot myself but I am so used to you mending very definitely that now I do too I told you in my last letter about my lecture to the landing parties of two destroyers. It duly came off this morning. It turned out to be quite an affair really - quite a large number of men in front of me, all as tough as boots, the officiers at one side. The Captain of the ship I was on introduced me as "This is Major Massey, who has very kindly consented to come along himself & tell about landings & fighting". There I was. I then proceeded to talk for 1 1/2 hours, with a ten minutes break for a smoke. It seemed to go down alright. At least, I did not have a sea of blank faces.