A Story of War

Letter from Uncle George dated July 12th sympathising with the loss of Hugh. (JDW: his elder brother, a pilot flying Blenheims for 21 Squadron in the RAF, who went missing over France in 6th June 1940 and is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension ). First I knew of it, and he doesn’t make it clear whether killed or missing. I wire Ma, but I suppose one can’t expect an answer these days. I must have done it by what I said to Bill in my letter – tempting fortune though it was too late then. And me sitting here watching ‘Ek do tin, nama, ek dot tin’! (JDW: a popular dance, ‘One, two, three, let’s dance!’) God!

Letter from Dudley Withers and as he states “after two days I got so browned off with her dumbness and her foolish mother that I have broken off relations”. (JDW: my father must have felt just a little bit pleased, as during their earlier trip to Kashmir they had competed over the beautiful blond Elaine and Dudley had won the contest). Fancy that now!

A helluva walk with John Stephenson last night, three and a half hours, and back at 8.15. Peggy says the boys expect to go out on column in Wana shortly. Russell T.S. and Morgan Wall killed the other day, the former at Tabbi and the latter in Razani. Wish I was there, and not here. Managed to get off a letter to Aunt Molly, for my sins. Am due for a trip to Nasirabad with a draft 250 for 7/13.