Twenty-ninth of January, 1945
My dearest one
I've just heard the news that all the army men
who were held POW are to return to their homes
Because of the shipping situation
we may not commence to go before the end of February
but can probably count on being in England sometime in March
It may be sooner
It has made me very warm inside
It is terrific
Wonderful
Shattering
I don't know what to say, and I cannot think
The delay is nothing
The decision is everything
I must spend the first days at home
I must consider giving a party somewhere
Above all, I must be with you
I must warm you, surround you, love you
and be kind to you
I would prefer not to get married
but want you to agree on the point
In battle, I was afraid
for you, for my mother, for myself
Wait we must
my lover, my darling
Let us meet
Let us be, let us know
but do not let us now make any mistakes
How good for us to see each other before I am completely bald
I've some fine little wisps of hair on the top of my head
It's not much good me trying to write about recent experiences
now that I know I should be able to tell you everything myself
within such a short time
What I have my eye on now
is the first letter from you saying that you know I am alright
and the next saying you know I am coming to you
Plan a week somewhere, not Boscombe or Bournemouth
and think of being together
The glory of you
I hoped that you will not start buying any clothes
if you have any coupons left
because you think you must look nice for me
Just carry on as near as possible to normal
I shall tell my family I hope to spend
a week away with you somewhere during my leave
My counsel to you is to tell as few people as possible
to avoid preening yourself, and saying much
That is my advice
not anything but that
I hope you understand
I do not ever want it to be anything but our affair
Do not permit any intrusion
I don't know how long leave I shall get
I could get as little as 14 days, and I may get as much as a month
I'm wondering how I shall tell you I'm in England
Probably it's still quicker to send a telegram than a letter
And I hope to send you one announcing that I am on the same island
I will send another one, I'm actually soon to get on the London-bound train
and you can ring Lee Green 0509 when you think I have arrived there
It's a strange thing, because I cannot seem to get going
and write very freely
All I am thinking about is "I am going home! I am going to see her!"
It's a fact, a real thing
an impending event like Shrove Tuesday, Christmas Day, or the Lord Mayor's Banquet
You have to be abroad, you have to be hermetically sealed off
from your intimates, from your home
to realize what a gift this going home is
The few letters of yours that I had on me
I burned, the day previous to our surrender
So no one but myself has read your words
It is a pity that the winter weather will not be kind to us out of doors
but it will be nice sitting next to you in the pictures
no matter what may be on the screen
It will be grand to know we have each other's support and sympathy
Won't it be wonderful to be together
really together, in the flesh
Not just to know that a letter is all we can send
I love you
- Chris