August 20, 1943
Dear Georgia,
Your letter written on the seventh of July was waiting for me when I arrived
home for a few days leave, I’m so glad you wrote and such a lovely letter too.
My letters from Ray have been almost nonexistent for a quite a while, he is
in Sicily, my last letter was written on a boat in the Mediterranean he was
quite contented, glad he was going into action after all this time. I couldn’t
be too miserable knowing how he feels. The letter I had before that was
awful, I’ve been very worried since then, he had received your letter confirming
what he had feared, he immediately wrote to me, enclosing your letter, and
would you ever believe it, offering to let me go. I was very hurt at first, I
thought he knew me better, but after realizing how he must have felt, I was
only hurt for him. Actually, I was relieved, I had noticed a difference in his
letters and himself. I knew something was wrong but couldn’t find out. In his
last letter he is his old self and was sorry he had been such a defeatist. It’s
really the only thing I find wrong with him. He has an awful defeatist attitude.
I wish you could hear us argue about it sometime. I tell him he has no faith
but I’m glad to notice in this latest letter, he has found some, because he
hadn’t had any letters from me when he wrote and he knew how I would take
it.
I hope he has had some letters, I write almost every day, my sister and
mother write once a week, so when his mail catches up, he’ll have plenty.
Mums worries about him as much as she does over Jim, my brother, Ray and
Jimmy had just started to correspond, when this attack commenced. I am
hoping they will meet there because Jim is with the Eighth Army. I’m glad you
think you will like me, I know I will. You and Johnnie and the children are
lovely, thank you very much for the snaps.
It is lovely to be home again. I am stationed quite a long way off. I haven’t
done anything very exciting. I’m just content to be home and relax, I love
the work I am doing and it is all outdoor on the ships. Sometimes I go out for
short trips, about four of five hours, but it is grand. I have been tidying up
my clothes and giving away most of them, they are useless to me and if my
sister and friends can use them I prefer it to feeding the moths. I didn’t
realize Canada was short of anything, over here we are used to it now and it
is very surprising what one can live on if the need arises. I think the clothes
are the biggest problem, not mine fortunately, but I don’t think it can last
much longer, I hope not. My mother, and Father and Joan my sister, send their
good wishes to you and Johnnie and the children.
Bye for now,
Love, Muriel xx