In war news at this time the 16th December saw the Battle of the Bulge begin as German forces attempted a breakthrough in the Ardennes region. The main object of Hitler’s plan was the retaking of Antwerp.
On 17th December the Malmedy massacre took place: SS troops executed 84 American prisoners in the Ardennes offensive. Also on this day Typhoon Cobra hit the Third Fleet of Admiral Halsey; three destroyers capsized and almost 800 lives were lost.
69 LAA Reg RA, W/S section REME
SEAC
18th December 1944
My Darling Wife Janie,
I have certainly hit a bad spot with your mail- 15 days since your last letter and I’m getting a bit worried! Though in Dad’s last letter he mentioned that you have your folks were going down to Minehead to visit you so I assume all is well and it’s just the Christmas postal service.
So far I have had two Christmas cards, one from Auntie Edie and one from Diana and a Christmas parcel from Abbey Road Baptist Church which consisted of notepaper, envelopes, toothpaste and shaving soap, all very welcome apart from the fact that it’s nice to know one is not forgotten. Mrs.Webb was the sender from Wharncliffe. I suppose that is Doris Webb’s mother.
Well, now do you like this Christmas writing paper? The crests are those of the various armies and I think that the set up is quite attractive. The unfortunate thing is that I don’t think this will reach you in tie for Christmas and as we are requested not to send cables it seems that you will be without greetings from me so I shall have to hope that your christmas parcel will arrive on time and save the situation.
I’ve been saving this writing paper so carefully for you sweetheart and now Christmas has crept upon me and caught me unawares. Christmases out here are not as I like them but wont the next be wonderful? Brightly lit shops full of toys again, hurrying folk and laughter and talking, and the reflections from wet pavements. Funny, but this last bit is very important to me and some of my most nostalgic memories are wet London streets by lamplight, you and I on one of our Saturday expeditions, generally to the movies. Remember the New Victoria preceded by a hasty tea and was it a Number 16 bus from Edgware Road? Boy, oh boy, how the happy memories pile on one another. Remember waiting on the top of a bus outside Victoria station after the flicks?
Or the evening we came out of that celebrated cinema to find that Hitler had forced conscription to be reintroduced? I realised at the time (though I try to forget it) was the beginning of this lousy shambles, the lousy thing that hung like a cloud over our courting and carried life.
But still the next Christmas is coming when we can really laugh again and make preparations for a real kids’ Christmas. We shall have to have a party for Anthony. I can well imagine happening to him as happened to me and all of us – off to a party with the other kids, come ten o’clock all too soon and Dad and Mum arrive with the car to take us home, only we’ll be the Dad and Mum this time. We’ll be glad to see our kid having so much fun and he’ll be thinking “Why have I got to come home so soon?” same as you and I did.
Christmas is essentially a children’s festival and only in so far as he enjoys it with the other children can he enjoy it. It’s something that I’ve completely missed-seeing my small son undo his Christmas toys, the delight with which he examines the things he wanted, his comments on the other items. Darling, how I’m looking forward to that. Surely they must be among the most wonderful moments of our adult lives, even as examining these same toys were the greatest moments of our childhood.
Goodness sweetheart I have let myself go haven’t I? Hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it sitting here in front of the fire, the others having gone to bed.
All my love is yours my sweetheart and our little son’s.
Your very own,
Johnnie xxxxxxxxx
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