#30

July 8. 1944

Dear Mother:

One day we were stooging around seeing nothing but the eternal ocean and even this was being frequently obscured from view by torrential showers which beat down on us with such ferocity that some water found its way through the perspex and dripped down in the proximity of the back of my neck when a voice over the intercom suddenly asks for the date. The navigator, who knows all about such things came back with the necessary inform. and I then remembered it was the day after your birthday. How quickly the last month has gone. I am sorry I forgot and hope you had a happy birthday.

It was quite a trip we had that day. For the first half of it we were nursing a sick engine and because of this and other reasons we had not enough petrol left to get home and so had to drop in at the bell tent station for more. This took time and made rather a lengthy trip out of the whole thing. But we didn’t go to bed on return. It was one of those nights when there was a party in the mess for no particular reason so after a ath and a change we joined in. Then on to a riding club dance in the station NAAFI. I didn’t stay long because I was really tired having been up for 24 hrs and only 2 hrs of sleep the night before.

I had a letter from you and from Dad yesterday. I cannot give you any news of Peter but will try and write him tonight. I imagine his people haven’t heard from him because I believe mail was being held up just prior to D-day from his area. Did you get letters from Dick all along?

I am just finishing my last packet of cigs. I haven’t been without Canadian ones since yours started to come although would have had it not been for 300 from Mrs. Mallam and several packets from my ex-skipper. I will be able to borrow some this time and as the next lot should be 1000 perhaps I will be able to pay back the loan.

With love from
Tony

[Editor’s note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]