August 6/1944
CR3 GNR. R.H. Francis.
A Battery R.C.H.A.
1st Field Regt.
C.A.A.F
Dear Georgia -
It’s been a long time since I heard from you and vice versa. In fact mail is so awfully poor the last few months. I can count on my finguers mail I’ve received since Cassins. I thought this morning as we have some time before moving along that I’d drop you a line. We have a big job ahead and a decisive one forward the finish of the Italian campaign. Tonight we shall occupy and soon attack.
Burt Good who was my best man recently went to the Paratroops for Artillery O.P and on this second jump broke his arm. He was also shot in the leg the first day in action while we were on O.P and then later had an operation for appendicitis. He has tough luck for not long ago was turned down for his O.C.T.U. I saw Ken Miller a quite a while ago passing by driving a truck and with the proveintial cigar in his mouth. He also rides a motor cycle ad I think he’s in the engineers. I think I told you of seeing him at Ortona last winter for a talk and he was asking of the whole family. Oh! Yes I did receive the pictures and they’re good. The kids certainly are stretching up. The horses still look the same but Bonny must be about seventeen and Molly like-wise. I’m sending some Italian and British or rather A.M.C in another letter (just a plain envelope for the kids).
I’m rather worried of Muriel and those flying bombs for she is stationed in the area they drop them on and from reports they are most devastating. However news is very good and maybe this will soon be over. Let’s hope so at any rate.
I was in Rome and was confirmed C. of C. about two weeks ago and I am afraid I won’t be able to carry out the plan I had. Prices are sky high here and we receive only 800 Lire a month. Equivalent to 8 and a good set of beads costs anywhere from 5 to 10. An instance is eggs on an average run 2 a dozen. (Rather steep, isn’t it?). The Italians never made as much money in their lives and they are as bad as Jews for bargaining and grasping.
I’m running short and will close now hoping you are all as well as I and if you ever see Betty (M Emerson) tell her to drop a lin and a picture of her baby. My little group has certainly broken to the four winds. But I’lll entainly be glad to see some of them. Bye for now,
Heaps of love, Raymond