RH 27th Aug 1939

Postmarked COLNE LANCS 7.15PM 27 AUG 1939
addressed to Miss Kathleen M. Eadie, The Manse, Kilconquhar, Fife Scotland

34 Albert Road, Colne, Lancs

Saturday 5.30

My sweetest angel,

Many thanks for your nice letter. It was a really nice one. I am just afriad you might be in a bad tempter now having misinterpreted my letter you would receive on Saturday. Please don’t be, I was a little disappointed in your short letter but I realise now you must have written in a panic because you wrote some really beautiful phrases later the same. Forgive me sweet if I have hurt you at all or made you feel sad, lonely and unloved.

The news in the evening paper is much better : I must listen to the news at 6 o’clock though I don’t fancy listening as we are now in a big thunderstorm. There wont be any war sweet and I will be here on Thursday so you owe me a thousand pounds. Another good reason is that I have no army trousers. I have just had a pair of slacks made and they are too small so I have sent them back to London to be remade to the measurements of my plus fours which I have also sent so that they can copy them. So if we mobilise I will have to wear an improvised kilt or else just my nice silk underpants.

If you were an observant girl (as you are sometimes) you would perceive many great names in the paper today. I have been reading through and I find in very big print Hitler and Nevile Henderson and a host of other political big wigs and also in large type I see Mealings J and lo and behold a little further on Eadie M.F. How wonderful. Please congratulate the dear girl for me and tell her I am proud to have her as my sister in law. Pa Eadie I know will be pleased. Also in a very remote corner under the Unclassified I espied 2 Lt R. Helme to be LT July 19th. I should think Hitlers Military advisers will have also seen that and have got the wind up now. So the fellow has to climb down as graceful as possible now he sees that we are really serious.

Well honey it is five minutes to six and I had better go and switch on the wireless. I wonder if you will be listening to the news. Somehow I think you will be. Gosh how it rains outside. Wireless on now. I will write a bit more cos I wont have a chance to add more today. I am off to Barlick at 6.35 to relieve the Sergeant again. Gosh it is raining. It was nice and fine at the football match. Quite sunny in fact I think I may have got a bit sunburnt But Now! The match wasn’t bad not quite as dirty as I expected and Burnley had most of the play and yet could only draw. He’s on with the news honey now so I will close for today – the news isn’t as optimistic as the paper but I am sure everything is alright. Goodnight sweetheart I hope you are feeling well and happy – it wont be long now before we are together again.

The Sabbath.
It is morning and I am alone. Mother has gone to church to hear Canon Dempsey preach. I’ve had a bath and stayed in. I am getting on with this now so that I may be able to go to Barlick for the afternoon. I’ve read three Sunday papers. I don’t think there will be any war in fact in a sudden flash of inspiration this morning a thought kept running through my mind saying there will be no war in your lifetime. That’s a consolation anyway. And the stars say my intuitions are correct today. Maybe that’s why I was wise in sending my two pairs of army pants away.

The weather is still close but fine. Now let me look at your letter and comment on it. Oh re your enquiry how long I would be in Barlick in an emergency. This is secret but we have two alternative schemes one where we stay 3 days and 13 days respectively. But they wont be needed now will they.

I’m glad you enjoyed your golf lesson and that you seem quite interested. Maybe the driver wouldn’t cost much. Persevere honey lamb.