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 |
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