338 Coast Bty Folkestone Kent
June 7th, 1942
Dear Mom:-
I’m laying out in the sun, its seven oclock on Sunday and the sun is getting a bit weak although its still sufficient to go without a shirt, it will still be out at ten oclock but I wont, well seein as Im laying here doin nothin I thought Id utilize the time by getting sown a few lines.
First of all let me tell you what a swell town this is, its like nothing I even dreamed of before the gardens are all in bloom and there are great long avenues like leafy green tunnels streaching for miles, lots of Canadians here, they come down for the weekends, The houses are certainly nothing if not modern although there are some old fashioned ones, this is what is known as a ‘beach resort town’ something like Llandudno in Wales, we are billeted in one of the most modern houses and our Miss is a former pleasure house called East Cliff Pavilerin, it has a large ballroom completer with bar etc.
We dont see as many Jerries here as we did
A helluva big price out here, being worth approximately $2.00 a pound, we also got several other fish, strange to me! I think that call then “whitings”
A Squadron of R.A.F. planes Just passed over here on their way back from France they must be pretty big as their still shaking the ground. I guess Ive made a mistake they must be Jerries because although the sirens havent gone, bombs are dropping inland a bit, and Im sure the Raf wouldnt do that, the sky is busy with Spitfires going after them, I suppose to-morrow we’ll read in the papers “Enemy aircraft were over South East England again yesterday, little damage was done.” There were a few casualties” pretty cool people these British, What?
By the way I see by this mornings paper where Churchill is in America again, he sure gets around doesn’t he, Im wondering if they’ll have anyone of those thousand bomber raids while he’s away or will they wait till he returns, personally I hope they dont wait, I like the excitement even though it usually brings a few sleepless nights, its really very exciting, its funny how your old heart gets info in your mouth and tries to choke you when things start to happen.
Believe it or not this is Sunday and I started to write this letter Saturday right after dinner “interruptions and such you know,” to-day has turned out beautiful, even better than yesterday, I can see where Im going to have a pretty swell tan if this keeps up, right now I look like a cooked lobster, I mean my color does.
Quite a lot of action on the French coast again last night, I guess they are catching a bit of Hell. For a change, it having been rather Quite over there the last ten days. I see by the papers where the Jerries have Moved the French people away from the coast, so they cant help the commandos as they have in the past.
Well Mom I expect this is a bit rambly and doesn’t make much sense, but at least its an attempt. So Ill leave you now and get back to work.
Cheerio and all the best:-
Bill
P.S. Tell dad this is the common mans drink here.