January 3, 1944 - Censoring Mail

 

January 3, 1944

Dear Mom + Dad,

               Since I wrote you that long airmail letter I dropped my daily letter. I'm going to continue using the mail for a while anyway and we'll see how it works out.  One of these days they're really going to just put me to work and then I'm not going to like it. The only thing I do is censor mail for a few hours every two or three days and the rest of the time it is my own. It has meant a good rest for me and I've been rather enjoying it. If it was only possible to catch up on back time I would be making up for the schedule I labored under when I was back in the states. I don't know how long my vacation is going to last but I'm afraid it won't be long enough, so I am making the best of it now. I don't expect my mail to catch up with me for a few more weeks but when it does come it sure will be welcome. Almost a month now and no mail has come my way. I was in town as usual last night and as there was no dance I drank beer in the pubs. I took a night off the other night and stayed home and read a book. I believe I will do the same thing tonight, and just plan relax. This is the end of the page. That's all for now.

              

 

All my love

Bob

January 1, 1944 - New Year's Eve Dance

 

 

Date: January 1, 1944

Dear Mom + Dad,

               I've just finished writing you an airmail which I was going to mail at the same time as this. As I told you in that letter I want a comparison between the two types of mail as to the length of time.

               As I just wrote you at quite a great length I haven't a whole lot to say as I covered most of it in the other letter. I just hope that this doesn't get there too far ahead of the airmail as this is not going to contain much pertinent information.

                I had a grand time last night, New Year's Eve, at the dance in town. It at least was a novel New Years for me. - That's it for now. I hope this doesn't arrive too far ahead of the other I just wrote.                        

 

All my love

Bob

December 31, 1943 - Blackouts Around Here

 

 

Date: December 31, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad,

I have just finished a stint of answering mail and believe me that is quite something. As you probably noticed officers are allowed to censor their own mail so mine is of course untouched. Reading some of them reminded me of the days when I used to correct kids papers in school. Some of those were much worse than the stuff my 5th grade kids put out. I went to town last night and attended a dance there. I met a few chicks and managed to get a date for tonight on New Year's Eve. I imagine it is going to be fun starting 1944 with a cute little English chick - the blackouts around here are really something. There are no lights anywhere after dark and you ramble around half lost most of the time. I am now just beginning to get on to the use of British currency which is very much different from our own monetary system. That's about it for now.

                             

All my love

Bob

December 30, 1943 - In England/Vmail

 

Date: December 30, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad,          

I'll bet this form of stationary will be quite a change from my usual letters. I am in England safely and everything is going along fine. I have not yet got to my real base as this is just a replacement center. Thus my APO is still only a temporary one.  However, write to me here and I will receive it eventually.  As soon as I find a little time I'm going to test the merits of US mail and airmail by sending you two letters at once.   They say that this is the fastest so until I find out definitively, this will have to do. There is going to be an awful lot to tell you so far as I can say. At present I'm just writing to let you know everything is OK. I have seen a great deal and have learned a lot since I've been here. It is really quite interesting and I'm enjoying my stay here immensely. I see I'm running out of space. I'll write more later and at greater length. Write me soon.                              

Love Bob

To be continued

 I will fill in with letters between here and Dec 30, 1944.  Thought I'd jump ahead to the Vmails for a change.