Dear Family,
Will try and tell you what has gone on since I last wrote a long letter to you.
Our trip on the boat was simply marvelous. The days were cool and the sun was blazing hot. sat around and read or just looked at the sea – etc. while sunbathing. The boat was very nice with plenty of room for us all. Doc, Jr, Frank, Bob, Max, Pete and I lived together in a below decks stateroom. It wasn’t hot down there nice – we all slept real well. The tough thing was the keeping clean, no matter what you touched you got dirty and trying to shower in salt water was terrible. It wouldn’t lather soap at all. We finally took sponge baths then rinsed off with towel and finally hit the salt showers. The food was perfect! We all ate up in the officers’ mess room in three shifts, the ship’s officers & 3 navy men then us then about 20 casual officers. We only ate two meals a day, but they were huge; no one got very hungry during the day but if one did the PX had candy & cookies. I bought and ate a carton (9 boxes) of Fig Newton’s a carton of Almond Hershey’s (24 bars) and smoked a carton of Camels.
Very few of us suffered except we never want to see the cookies or candy again. At night the
Special Service Officer (Coyne) would have entertainment for the Battalion. It was lots of fun – it wound up by having the 5 Batteries put on a show each night. Of course, “B’s” was the best!!
When we sighted land – I was in bed – (not seasick – never had a murmur) asleep. Played
blackjack till 0400 – it was a marvelous sight – Columbus and I sure had a thrill. The next day thru our glasses we could see land on each side. Coyne & McLaughlin sure got a kick out of it. When we landed it was a nice day – it had tried to rain but just couldn’t. We spent a few hours setting watching the railroads – boy are they ever unusual. The goods wagons (freight cars) are about 12” x 8” with two pare of steel spoke wheels. The freight is just covered by a tarp. Their switching is clever; they don’t use an engine at all. It’s simply a system of pulleys and rope and a power winch. They hook the rope on the last car, turn on the juice and pull em up when the last car gets to the winch it drops off. The cars are coupled by a 3’ link chain; the cars have no breaks. The cars stop of their own accord or the engineer stops, and the cars just bump into each other. We all about died laughing while we watched. The passenger trains are like the ones seen in movies – six of us sat up and talked most of the night.
The camp isn’t so bad. Lots of shade trees, bushes and grass – our beds are a steel lattice with no springs – we sleep on a straw tick. The stove for the huts is about 3’ x 18” stoked with coal. The latrines are cold water faucets with a trough underneath; the water drains onto a tile spillway – it’s all very crude. The food is about as good as we can expect. Powdered eggs & milk, etc. We all eat out of our mess kits. All the stuff we left behind is coming in brand spanking new. Driving around here is done on the left of course but what a thrill when your driver forgets he’s in England and drives on the right. All the traffic stops, and people smile and sadly shake their heads. Their cars are tiny similar to the ones used in the Flicks (movies). The big thrill is trying to drive a car when 9/10 of the traffic is bicycles. Single seaters, tandem, and tandem with sidecar and tin rumble seat for youngest child. Boy they don’t regard life or limb. They just go like Hell. They won’t budge either. A 2½ ton truck doesn’t phase’em. Someone said the bike deaths in all England were greater than the Blitz deaths in London in ’40.
The people are very nice to us. They have had a hard time of it. 5 years of war on your doorstep shows. You can see the ruins wherever you go. I have cause I’ve been to several large cities. It really makes you think how foolish the people at home are when they act as if there wasn’t a war on. Their cloths are clean but have a dignified shabbiness to them. Stockings are unheard of for women. Also, a rumor they don’t wear pants!! Kind of chilly don’t you think? Someone ought to look into that matter!
Look in any picture book of England and you’ll see that the buses are the same as the ones I’m seeing. Say!! If I tell you everything in this letter what else can I write about next time? (continued in a day or so)
Now about you – hoe you are all fine and that the heat isn’t getting you down. Jane said it was 94 degrees in their front room for almost a week. Hot, eh? I’ll bet the kids are cute would love to see them how about a picture of all of you including Heine? Just a snapshot will do.
Did you get my cable? I sent it yesterday. Jane said for you to writ – not to call her – when you get it. Anyway I sent her one at the same time. They cast 2’ 6 or half-crown (50 cents to you). Boy their money is great – I’ll tell you about it later on.
Jane’s birthday is the 20th can you get her something and mail it to her? You know about what she’d like.
I’m in increasing my Class F allotment to $165.00 per month. That leaves me with £2,8’6 about $9.00 per. I’m drawing $94.00 the 31st and have $20.00 now – that should last me a long time cause one can’t by a thing here. The things here are all rationed and you need a stamp.
I could ramble on for another hour – I’ve a lot to tell ‘cause I’ve been big eyed trying to see it all. In my Shelby patches I’m in one of the two, it ought to be fun here ‘cause I like to eat them so much.
Don’t forget the present for Jane also if you write her again – give her my love. She loves to hear from you.
My love to all
Yours
Tom.
Your last was #10.
My deepest sympathy to Mrs. Oliver and family.
You can use the RR Express ticket to check on my Bks. bag I spoke of when I left the states. It should be there at least by the 20th.