A Story of War

August 6th 1945

Saturday night I have Freddie and Hans van Berger to a few drinks in the Club and then we go round to Ellen’s place, collect her and go out to Meerunt (?). I meet alot of people who I know, including Gerard Dogger (JDW: Dutch resistance fighter), and manage to get the lot away at…
August 4th 1945

I am sailing in Kaag with Ellen and then have dinner at the Country Club at Varmont. I then get busy on her on a sort of swinging seat, but nothing doing that day. I also have a few parties with Charlie Colledge and the two ENSA girls in the Hague and Rotterdam, and I…
July 31st 1945

I go down to see Monica, with a pair of silk stockings, and find that she is engaged and going to be married for the third time. I am furious so I don’t mention the stockings, and retire to bed about 9.30pm, having to arrive at 0530 to catch the a/c back. London is strange…
July 28th 1945

I go to 10 Charles Street and find that Louise is in so we nip out for a quick one in the Brevet Club. Later we join Charlie Colledge in Tommy’s Bar, some private joint in Dover Street, and consume Pimms. I then call up Monica, and am told to come round to her new…
July 26th 1945

I nip over to town on a “Charlie” as some people call it, and am now in the Wings Club observing the election results. Yesterday I go to a party at Ellen’s, taking a bottle of rum with me, and there is a beautiful blonde there called Jane, and like the Daily Mirror’s Jane too,…
July 23rd 1945

I have another session with the Van Bergers and we go and call on one Ellen something, who speaks English with a strong American accent and has a voice like Popeye. The Wynbergs had previously introduced me to one Tilly, who has a face like a Pekinese and not much nose. On Friday or so…
July 19th 1945

I arrange to take the gallant Iris to Rotterdam, but she rings up and leaves a message that she is sick. I am out at Hilversum trying to get a spare wheel for the jeep, which I do, and am desolated. So I have a few drinks at the Club, dinner with Betty and Bart,…
July 17th 1945

I go round to see the Van Bergens and find some pongo Major called Mick already there. So Henry and I go out and collect another called Hanni – pronounced ‘Honey’ – and he really is a master – a blonde whoa! However this Mick guy is out to do his worst and to sleep…
July 16th 1945

Henry invites me to a party out at Wassenaar, and the gallant Iris is there and we dance around. I go out fairly tight and get away about 2.30 before they start to break the joint up. Yesterday I fly over in an Auster to wake them up and Henry comes out onto his balcony…
July 13th 1945

I have Henry Druce in to dinner at the Club plus his dame, and an English girl who works in his outfit, one Doris Peake, such a beautiful blonde that it isn’t true. Once Anning, Lt Commander Philips and the Town Major and I were having lunch in the Club when she appeared with some…