Coming Home.It's hard to date/order the following three communications correctly, as only one is dated (October 26th) but this places them around October/November 1943.
POST OFFICE TELEGRAM DATED OCT 26 1943 MRS SAUNDERS 1 POWRIS TERRACE WESTBOURNE PARK LONDON W11 DON’T WRITE HOME SOON LVE DAVID TELEGRAPH SERVICE LETTER We have just arrived in England. This note and the box of fruit are brought to you by the RCN. I’ve not much time for this note but Norton will give you any answers. He is on survivor from his ship, which was sunk. He is new in London as his home is in Canada. I’ll be on leave soon no doubt, so don’t worry. When we get to our base, I’ll send the address to you. All my love Cheers for now David (probably November 1943) HMSLCI 185 C/O gpo LONDON Dear Mother, Well I’ve at last got back into this country, and boy am I glad to see some green again. Talk about White Cliffs, I sent a few prayers up, when I saw them. While we were out there, it seemed as if it would be years before Blighty turned up again, but it’s only been a year (too long) did you get my wire? And the fruit? I rang up, but it seems the phone is not fixed yet. So tonight I rang Phil and had a good chat with her. Leave will come sooner or later. Today we thought, there was some, but no, not yet. When I wrote ‘Don’t write’ on the wire, I thought our address would be changed, but it’s still the same. I know its some time since I wrote, the reason be, that we mucked so much around coming home. It turned out a longer period than counted on, but now all is well. I’ve had a good time on the whole, while away, but boy am I itching?? To get home. There is one or two things I will bring with me, not much, as when we could get our hands on some thing, the price was hellish high. I can’t understand why this is, but the folks round the [censored] run a 100% black market right out in the open. Phil tells me you’ve not been to good, the last few weeks. I do hope your OK by now. The coming winter will not do you much good. The first night here was foggy. It seems so strange after the sun, but still this is home and what would we do without an English climate. If your still on the C.D. job, give me their number and I’ll ring you there. It would be nice to hear your voice again. Tonight we had the old ‘Hot Dog’ and mash. It’s ages since I’ve had it. The first thing after I sent your wire, was to have a good long pint of beer. I’m no drinker (you can count on this) but, gee it was good to stick my mush into it and be able to talk to someone who could understand me. Out in the Med there is nothing but wine, and some of its pretty deadly. Well I suppose it’s now a game of what’s next. The old ship needs a painting and a scrubbing. It looks like an old rusty can. Perhaps we will start selling winkles at ‘South End’ with it. This is a long letter from me, I hope I can keep it up now I’m back home. There’s a small copy of ‘Pickwick Papers’ in the bookshelf, will you sent it to me some time. I would like to read it again. It has such good descriptions of big meals in it. Well I’ll say cheerio now. Don’t forget the number of your CD Centre. Look after your self. All my love David Poor old Jim I’ve forgot all about him. Give him a rub for me. D A/B Dirty Dick
(crossed out and written D Saunders) FX 83787 HMSLCI185 C/o GPO London 14/9/43 Dear Mother, Your picture has arrived at last with the birthday card and a letter from ‘Ding Dong’. Well its the best picture I ever seen as far as pictures go. I’ve shown it all round the ship, even the Old Man and the 1st Lt have had a deko. And passed it O.K. (The Old Man with a fartherly look) I’ve put it in my book of photos right next to Phils kids. Old Jim looks really as if he understood it all and is says ‘well it all in a cat’s life’ Well, heres the local gossip. By now you ought to know where I am. Now dont go worrying your old head off about me, as its me who has to do that ‘sides I’ve a long life line and what with your ring and a pair of lucky ( ) boots, I ought to do ok. You know for one, I always get out of scrapes, any how its a cake walk out here. The Italians welcome us with open arms. A packet of fags buys anything. In one town the people have to wash every day before we give them their grub. The ‘huns’ left them without any grub, soap, or clothing at all, and I think the silly buggers are daft, for keeping on with the war as they have. If the MPs would let them they would have ( ) drunk every night on board ship but as 905 of the wine is whisked away, its impossible to smell a drink. I’ll go daft when I see the Old English pint again. Well, I’ll stop just here as the censor might cut out the lower half of its last page. All my love to you and the family David Ps No socks or fags yet [the top address and date cut off] PSS I’ve got all I need just at the present time A/B D Saunders
FX 83787 HMSLCI 185 Co GPO London England [Undated] Just had your latest Air Mail. The letter with the photos of you and Jimmy have up to yet not arrived. I’m looking forward to them so I can stick them in a small album I have. You still wonder where I am? Well some time ago we called at Malta for a few days, and I told you we were in the ‘Sicily’ do. Now quite a few miles separate us from there but we are still on this side of the world. I wonder if we will be home for Christmas. There’s quite a good chance, but we never know where we are going, until we get there, so don’t count on any thing. Things are on the slow side once more. Just mucking from one place to the next. One day we land up in a little port, with about one mule and two houses and the next a full size town, with modern houses and very fancy prices in the shops. Its still hot and very dusty in these towns. A fly swatter on board is working 24 hrs a day. At a night time when the ship radio is in action, it seems funny and sometimes it makes me feel homesick to hear, all the old programs which I used to hear back home in the old arm chair. It’s just started up and some of the old songs are on. We saw a film last night (English) which had shots of Times Sq and New York. That was some place, I an tell you. One good job out here, that we don’t wear white, but the same as the troops, shorts and shirts. Every body wear’s them even the locals and any prisoners that are around. In fact if every body took of there hats no one could tell the difference. I wish I could get hold of a sun helmet, but we are very short of them, so I where an old straw hat. Well I must get on with a letter to Betty Anne. I’ve not written to her for ages. So cheerio and all my fondest love to you Mother and the rest of them at home. David Note that this letter is dated exactly a year before David's boat sank. HMS (LCI) 185
c/0 GPO London England 25/6/43 My dear Mother, I’ve just received your letter of the 9/5/43. It came with one from Eidiths. I’m pleased to hear about Phil’s baby, and that it’s a boy. Thank goodness some one knows the model I like best. Also of Jimmy on leave’ ‘Ding Dong’ must be pleased to see him. Do you know, I’ve not had a letter from Betty Anne yet. Perhaps you will get ‘ding dong’ to do something about it. Tell ‘Joan’ to write some time too. I’m sorry to say that this is only the second letter from you. Some of the lads have not received any mail at all. You see we are more or less on the move all the time and so mail arrives at one place just in time to see us going out. By the way, the old tub is rocking all over the joint. I’ve just about got the hang of writing when he’s bucking. Yesterday morning while ashore to get bread for the crew I swiped a little cat. It could just about stand on its feed as it’s so young. The poor brat is falling all over the mess deck just now, but up to yet is not sick. I don’t think it’s wise sending any large parcels as they offer a great temptation to one or two people who handle them. Quite a few of the lads, expecting a parcel, have not seen anything of them. One parcel arrived with half its contents missing. I wish I could tell you where we are. Any rate, we wear shorts all day and now in the afternoons the sun trys to burn us up. The lads go around in rig outs which, although are the fashion around these parts, would bring them straight into the loony bin back home. I’ve just written an Air Graph to the ‘Westlakes’. It’s not a very cheerful letter as I felt a bit brown, while writing it. I’llh ave to write again and apologize for writing it. Old Pop Westlake will understand what I’ve written. I hope that S.African sailor comes to see you, but I wish I could be in his place, as I know he does not want to go to England because it is farther away from home and leave. Sometimes I wonder how I have been able to stand life out here. It’s not so hard (easier than I thought) but its the monotony of the routine that gets me. Get up in the morning, breakfast, fall in, workship, dinner, workship, tea, and then just muck around etc etc. The same thing week in week out. Oh well, it will be over one day and it will be something to laugh and talk about. I think I’ll run a pub when I’m about forty and spin more tales than that to the customers (When I was in the Navy). There’s one thing about it, when I come home, there will be no ‘call of the sea’. A solid bit of ground to live on, is more my line. Well look after yourself (there’s really no need to say this as I know you always do.) I’ll end with my love to you and the family and Jimmy (don’t tell him about the cat on board) your son David A.B./ FX 83783
HMS (LCI) 185 c/o GPO London England 18.4.43 My dear Mother, What do you think of [ (censored)]? Pretty good eh. I wonder what will be next. News is very slow in reaching us. I’ve only just heard about the bombing of Berlin some time ago. Things back home must seem brighter now, but you are still getting raiders of a night. You people, are having just the same life as we are, if not worse. I wish I could send you some colour pictures of where we are now. As it is I can’t even hint where we are. It’s as hot as hell though, but it’s only warming up for the summer. The cook says, he is going to start, cooking in the Ice box. Food is a bit scarce though. We don’t do so bad but have to be careful. If you can, will you have a picture taken with Jimmy some how. I’d like one to stick in my wallet. We went ashore a few days ago for a walk. We found a fruit tree. One of the lads climbed up on my back. After he had his fill, down he came, but no fruit for me. Well, cheerio for now. Keep you chin up till I’m home again. All my love David. Leaving America, 1943 would see David travel to Bermuda, Gibralta, Algiers, North Africa, Malta, Sicily and then back home. Letters are sparse, and not all dated. Cross referencing with pictures isn't easy... but the images in 1943 'spring' and 'Summer' give some indication. The 'onboard' pictures are less easy to date. O/D D.Saunders
FX 83787 c/o GPO London England [Undated - some time between February and June] My dear Mother, I wish you could be over here for a short time. The sun has been doing its best to burn us up, but this is nothing to what it is in summer. To day is the first time its been gloomy for some time. Did you ever get those pictures I sent you. I bet they shook you. I’m getting a bit fed up with the winkle boat which I’m on just now. Its about as big as our passage at home and just as wide. Just think of eating and sleeping for three weeks at a time in that space, with engines etc as well. I won’t be able to sleep when I come home, as it will be too quiet. I’m collecting a few things, towels, hair pins etc to bring home. I hope you will be able to use them. I’ve not seen any hulla hulla girls yet! I would like to see them swing there grass skirts. I’ve just had the first mail from home. One from you and two from ding dong and one from Eideth. They are very welcome, you can understand how glad I was to get them. It’s 14 days since I wrote the above line. We have been at sea once more and as its impossible to write while we are on the move as we roll at about 45 degrees to each side. I’m nearer home, but still a few thousand miles from home and very hot. That’s about as much as I can tell you. A few days after we had been at sea we found that all our bread had gone mildew so we had to do with hard tack except when the cook made a bit of bread out of what little flour we have. The spuds ran out so its been beans eggs, and bacon most of the time, with tea which tasted like slops out of a drain. Otherwise, everything in our back yards fine. Once more my guts lost control of themselves so its been six meals a day, three down and three up. When I come home you will have a few things to do in my room. First put a red bulb in the socket, fit a fan right in front of my face, one or two buckets of engine oil on the floor, give me a shake about four a.m. set the alarm clock about 2am for actions stations, fit rockers to the bed and tie Jimmy to the door so that he can bang it all night and last but least, if you can find the odd car engine of about 500HPower start that running too. If you don’t do this I won’t be able to sleep a wink. Now stockings. Well I’ve not got any with me yet. But I’ll try and get some here. They only cost about 35 /- a pair. One place I’ve been to they take English money. I brought a few things, face powder etc. Stuff you could get in Woolly’s for a tanner, they cost me three and four bob out here. These people now what things are like back home and charge accordingly. I must be growing. The pants I have are getting shorter again. Tonight one of the lads is going to cut my hair. As its long since it’s been cut I’m going to learn to play the piano and keep it this way. I’ve just come across a South African sailor who is coming home. I’m cutting this letter short so as to be able to give it to him. I’m fixing some photos that I’ve had taken on board. I hope you like them. It looks as if home won’t be in my travels for some time yet, but don’t worry about me as things are far worse for a lot of my pals who know they will not be home for two or three years. Maybe if he has time the lad who is bringing this will pop over and see you. Perhaps he will b e able to answer all the little questions which I can’t answer. Well, all the best to every body. There is no need to mention them all. The family comes first of course. Love David |
David SaundersLetters home 1943 Topics
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