Partial letter to Gwyneth

Partial letter to Gwyneth

Relates going to a store and choosing a salesgirl of similar size in order to get item of clothing for her. Asks what she does with her time and about boyfriends. Second page is torn and text missing. Seems to be proposing agenda for evening out. Continues with discussion on dancing. Describes morning in camp and goes on with plans to visit beach for swim and later lunch.

Three-sided handwritten letter

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[underlined] 4. [/underlined]

Lewis’s and upon being queried the size I had a look round the sales-girls and allowing for the fact that it is quite a while since I saw you I chose a girl whom I judged would be the same size and asked for her fitting. When you receive the item you will probably think I am getting a bit fresh, going around stores and asking what size – a girl takes but after all, circumstances alter cases and the sales-girls (most of them are French) think nothing of it, besides I understand this item is difficult to get at home nowadays. (Have [inserted] you [/inserted] guessed what the item is? I’ll bet you five kisses to one you are wrong!) Apparently these items are usually bought in pairs, [deleted] one [/deleted] so not wishing to put all (my [inserted] your [/inserted]) eggs in one basket I shall send them by seperate [sic] mails so that one of the two should reach you anyhow. By the way “Gwgneth” [sic] (I think that’s the word I have copied it from your letter so correct me if wrong) whilst on this gift question I am sorry to have to confess that your most appreciated “Balaclava” gift was mislaid somewhere in Greece, I wonder if I could possibly impose upon you the task of making me another one the same size?. Lets talk about you for a change you know Gwgneth [sic] you don’t mention in your letter how you are spending your leisure time, do you still go in for dancing, pictures, or have you found other occupations? have you tried playing tennis yet? it keeps you fit and trim. What about the delicate subject of young men, I can’t imagine a pretty girl of sweet one & twenty being devoid of admirers, even though most of the boys are in uniform, they, unlike us are blessed with frequent opportunities in the matter of getting home for a spell. I must thank you & Kitty for going along to visit Olive, its rather unfortunate that Olive was out but possibly you have seen her since, I hope so as I think a great deal of Olive and most of my frowns are formed when I get to

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look we see the results of Jewish effort, Libaries, [sic] [missing words] etc., How smartly dressed the people [missing words] they look, one would imagine that we were in a [missing words] than a Near Easter one. Lets have tea [missing word] visit a cinema, shall we see “All this and Hea [missing words]

Quite good wasn’t it? Bette Davis [missing word] Boyer gave a wonderful acting effort didn’t they [missing words]

Since it is only 9.30 pm we’ll go [missing words] lets try the “Roxy” It is out of bounds to other ranks so [missing words] rowdy. That girl (probably an Austrian) is a [missing words] isn’t she? I could have listened to her rendering of Shu [missing words] all night. Now a spell and the troops (mostly officers take their [missing words] [deleted] for [/deleted] to the accompanment [sic] of ‘Vienna Woods’ followed by a [missing words]

You are a fair dancer why not ask one of the girls? [missing words] what they here for or try one of those girls over at the far table [missing words] with those three civilians, if you would rather dance with a free [missing words]

Myself? you know I cannot dance dencently [sic] enough for a place like this, my efforts are confined to the “Lambert Walk” etc. Did you enjoy the dance? you did good I thought you would, these girls are perfect on the ballroom floor. Now an item from the floor-show – a dancer quite [inserted] a [/inserted] fair effort too. We are served with supper and coffee while the orchestra play the “Hungarian Rasphody” [sic] then there is a violin solo (which is really beautiful) and more dancing. We leave at midnight and I decide to get up at six and go down to the beach for a swim before breakfast. We awake at 5 30 AM (the time of reveille in camp) and decide [missing words] an extra two hours between white sheets does not often come our way so we turn over dose off to sleep again untill [sic] awakened at 7.30 by the hotel boy who brings a cup of tea for us. A bath, dressed, breakfast shave, and we are on the sea-front in our trunks enjoying the pleasant sea-breeze [deleted] I [/deleted] and then plunging into the surf which we find gloriously exhilarating, then as we tire of battling the breakers we

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[underlined] 6. [/underlined]

move along the shore a little where there arn’t [sic] any rollers, and we enjoy a pleasant swim. The water is nice & warm & blue as the “Meddy” nearly always is and we have a glorious couple of hours before parking ourselves on the beach in a couple of deckchairs.

There is quite a crowd on the beach but its not too crowded just nice. Look at all those pretty girls in [deleted] varing [sic] [/deleted] various swim-suit fashions, the two-piece seems to be quite popular. Men (both troops & civilians) and girls all look brown, fit, & healthy, everyone is smiling and troubles are left behind for a few hours. Mothers, young & elderly are splashing around with their youngsters who if under the age of five or so do not wear costumes – and how happy, healthy & innocent they look I wonder if in 15-20 yrs time they are destined to wear uniform? – we sincerely hope not.

[deleted] False [/deleted] False & mock modesty is absent here, men [missing word] back in Cairo leer at a strip-tease girl do not pay a seconds thought to the girls on the beach who are wearing probably [missing word] or if [deleted] the [/deleted] we do remark upon some passer by girl, it is to [missing word] effect of the smartness of her bearing, or fashionable [missing word] much as we might remark upon a girls dress, or [missing words]

Its lunch-time so lets dress and stroll [missing words] Henri’s for a meal. Thelma delights as [missing words] piano classics during lunch, she remarks that [missing words] often have requests for classics – mostly swing [missing words] adds that she has noticed that most of the [missing words] good music, which I agree is quite true.

In the afternoon we stroll [missing words] Club where we have a drink and a yarn [missing words] untill [sic] it gets cooler. The climate while [missing words] much cooler than Egypt is a trifle ‘muggy’ [missing words] so we finish our glass of beer and when [missing words] friends to have another we tackfully [sic] [missing words]