Read Online My Dear Bessie by Chris Barker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chris Barker
Ads: Link
have to keep on having photos done till we get one which says the reverse. Will send you copies later. There are many luscious âcome-hitherâ types around here. I must tell you the whole yarn later on. I have bought a âSwanâ, but as you can see by the bad writing, the nib is not very suitable.
Strawberries are 2s. a lb. here, potatoes 6d. a lb. I am looking forward to getting your letters upon my return. For me that is theonly âsnagâ of this leave. I hope you fully realise just how I feel. My apologies for this very poor effort. My brother is a foot away!
My love.
Chris
11 June 1944
My dear and lovely Bessie,
How can I start to reply to the seven letters that awaited me when I arrived here, the two that came the day after, and the one I received yesterday? Shall I reply to them chronologically, or in order of importance?
These letters of yours are just like an English river running through green fields, clear, refreshing, bright, confident. You come rippling down at me, surround me with your beauty and your meaning, and just as I am thinking âthat was wonderfulâ, you come to me again to say that you still are.
So will you accept my humble thanks (you make me feel humble) for these many evidences of your feelings, and allow me to commend you on all the fine, small writing you did. Donât try to make it any smaller or youâll ruin your eyes.
The story of my return from Alexandria is a sorry one. I will leave all the other leave details till I have replied to your otherletters, but I must tell you this. We did not last out the third week, but on the Wednesday had to en-train. I awoke in the barracks with a bad headache (I never have headaches usually) which persisted throughout the train journey which lasted the usual 24 hours. My brother had to cart all my kit about, while I carried only the rifles. Arrived here I saw the Medical Corporal, went to bed, had tablets, slept a little. Following day saw the MO [Medical Officer] who gave me a good general examination and said there was nothing wrong with me. He excused me duty. More tablets and bed. The following day I only had a pretty bad ache around my eyes, again excused duty. Today I am somewhat cloudy in the eye-region, but expect to be bunged on the switchboard any minute.
By the way I have a typewriter, Underwood (cost me £14 14s. in 1938). Would you like to have it, if so Iâll try and think out a scheme. I could get £25 for it any day I think, but it is more useful than money and is just lying about useless at home.
I am glad you like the second-hand bookshop idea.
I am sorry about your gumboils. I should leave your private (acquisitive) Dentist and pay at least one visit to the Dental Hospital at Leicester Square, which is concerned with saving teeth, not making money through extractions and dentures. Donât have your teeth out before you need do, and without seeing the Dental Hospital. They are good people. I shall make some lighter remarks in a later letter. The enclosed photos (most grim) show some of my teeth fairly well. I lost two on my right, upper, through private dentists. You do want me to tell you, here, that I love you though you be molar-less? I do!
I give you my glad sympathy at your efforts to abate the smoke nuisance. You are a good girl, Bessie. We are now getting 50 Players/Gold Flake weekly out here. Pity I cannot send mine to you.
I must again say I donât want you to think of me as a superior. Of course I kid myself I have a sharper perception of some (maybe unimportant) things than most others. But you are better than me at French, Algebra, Arithmetic, and I am confused (and remaining so) about Morse and Electricity and Magnetism.
I love you.
Chris
12 June 1944
Dearest,
It is a little bit pathetic for you to tell me I am âsuch a loverâ, when all I have been able to do is put on paper a few sentences conveying what I mean, but not, surely, the force with
Strawberries are 2s. a lb. here, potatoes 6d. a lb. I am looking forward to getting your letters upon my return. For me that is theonly âsnagâ of this leave. I hope you fully realise just how I feel. My apologies for this very poor effort. My brother is a foot away!
My love.
Chris
11 June 1944
My dear and lovely Bessie,
How can I start to reply to the seven letters that awaited me when I arrived here, the two that came the day after, and the one I received yesterday? Shall I reply to them chronologically, or in order of importance?
These letters of yours are just like an English river running through green fields, clear, refreshing, bright, confident. You come rippling down at me, surround me with your beauty and your meaning, and just as I am thinking âthat was wonderfulâ, you come to me again to say that you still are.
So will you accept my humble thanks (you make me feel humble) for these many evidences of your feelings, and allow me to commend you on all the fine, small writing you did. Donât try to make it any smaller or youâll ruin your eyes.
The story of my return from Alexandria is a sorry one. I will leave all the other leave details till I have replied to your otherletters, but I must tell you this. We did not last out the third week, but on the Wednesday had to en-train. I awoke in the barracks with a bad headache (I never have headaches usually) which persisted throughout the train journey which lasted the usual 24 hours. My brother had to cart all my kit about, while I carried only the rifles. Arrived here I saw the Medical Corporal, went to bed, had tablets, slept a little. Following day saw the MO [Medical Officer] who gave me a good general examination and said there was nothing wrong with me. He excused me duty. More tablets and bed. The following day I only had a pretty bad ache around my eyes, again excused duty. Today I am somewhat cloudy in the eye-region, but expect to be bunged on the switchboard any minute.
By the way I have a typewriter, Underwood (cost me £14 14s. in 1938). Would you like to have it, if so Iâll try and think out a scheme. I could get £25 for it any day I think, but it is more useful than money and is just lying about useless at home.
I am glad you like the second-hand bookshop idea.
I am sorry about your gumboils. I should leave your private (acquisitive) Dentist and pay at least one visit to the Dental Hospital at Leicester Square, which is concerned with saving teeth, not making money through extractions and dentures. Donât have your teeth out before you need do, and without seeing the Dental Hospital. They are good people. I shall make some lighter remarks in a later letter. The enclosed photos (most grim) show some of my teeth fairly well. I lost two on my right, upper, through private dentists. You do want me to tell you, here, that I love you though you be molar-less? I do!
I give you my glad sympathy at your efforts to abate the smoke nuisance. You are a good girl, Bessie. We are now getting 50 Players/Gold Flake weekly out here. Pity I cannot send mine to you.
I must again say I donât want you to think of me as a superior. Of course I kid myself I have a sharper perception of some (maybe unimportant) things than most others. But you are better than me at French, Algebra, Arithmetic, and I am confused (and remaining so) about Morse and Electricity and Magnetism.
I love you.
Chris
12 June 1944
Dearest,
It is a little bit pathetic for you to tell me I am âsuch a loverâ, when all I have been able to do is put on paper a few sentences conveying what I mean, but not, surely, the force with
Similar Books
