At the start of February 1944, the Faughs were relieved by Polish forces from their defensive duties in and around Castel di Sangro and, after a period in reserve, the whole Irish Brigade were transferred across to the 5th Army front, along with the rest of 78 Division. There was expectation that they would soon be taking part in offensive action near to Cassino.
In his letters home during the month to his wife Olive, Major Lawrence (Lawrie) Franklyn-Vaile describes this period of rest, as well as continuing to keep up with all the latest news from his family on the home front.
After a number of newly posted senior officers join the Faughs in late January/early February, Lawrie relinquishes command of B Company, much to his disappointment, but after two weeks of mounting frustration, the month closes with Lawrie telling his wife that he was now to take over command of C Company.
3rd February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Have received three letters from you dated 20/1, 22//1. & 24/1. I am always interested to read them and to hear all the news about yourself and Valerie. It will be a great day when we are all together again. I try to avoid thinking too much about it, endeavouring to concentrate upon the job at hand but now and again, one does get a touch of homesickness. I had one this morning for a short time for some reason or another.
We have been relieved from our positions and are now back having a brief rest and doing some training. It is a pleasant change and something of a relief for, although the physical strain was not great, the mental strain did become very considerable. One always had to be on alert against possible mishaps, and I don’t think I had a proper nights sleep during the whole time. I have, rather unfortunately in some respects, developed into an extremely light sleeper. The slightest thing wakes me immediately and I have the advantage of being in immediate possession of my faculties. But on the other hand, I do tend to sleep with ‘one ear cocked’ and often wake up unnecessarily and then have difficulty in going off.
I well remember one exception. On the last night on the Sangro before we were relieved, I was then commanding ‘A’ Coy for those few days and after the battle, we dug in forward of the remainder of the battalion. Each man had a dose of rum as it was very cold, and by some mischance I took an overdose. Normally, I don’t sleep well in a slit trench but that night I slept like a log. Edward woke me up once to report the result of a patrol he had been on and I was very dopey. Fortunately, we were undisturbed that night and the following day I felt a new man as a result of the sleep, so it served a useful purpose although not the kind of thing usually to be advised.
Lieutenant Douglas Room, 1 RIrF
I was glad to get away from our recent positions without a single casualty to my Company and the positions well held throughout our stay. In fact our successful defence against the night attack seemed to frighten the Germans off, because they did not worry us again excepting an increased amount of shelling. The weather improved a lot towards the end, although the nights remained cold. The men kept up their spirits throughout and certainly gave the impression of a good Company.
Owing to the positions, I had not seen Dicky Richards or Douglas (Room) for a month and was very glad to see them again. Dicky had been on a Snow Warfare Course and looked very well. Douglas said he had already received a ‘rocket’ from home for not writing more regularly and his correspondence of late had improved. We had a good yarn this afternoon and he is very pleased that you and his people are corresponding regularly and hopes you will be able to see them soon.
I told Frank (Higgins) and Turner that you wished to be remembered to them and they both sounded very pleased. Turner asked after Valerie and said she would probably be at school, before I saw her again. That was rather a thrust at me for having told the men that they must not count on going home too soon. I have not seen the other runners lately, but believe they are alright. Edward has been evacuated further down the line and I don’t think we will see him for some time.
The Russians seem to have accomplished fine work in the Leningrad front. We miss a map of Russia out here, and it I difficult to assess their exact position.
Look after yourself, darling wife. I love you very, very dearly and long to be with you both again.
All my love and kisses
Lawrence
6th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
As you can see, at last I have had to revert. Everything seemed nicely settled, with the Brigadier agreeing that I should command ‘B’ and McNally ‘C’ and then all of a sudden, a very senior Major (Heidenstam) from the Gloucesters arrived together with two regular ‘Faugh’ officers, (Major Neville) Chance and (Major Larry) Collis. Chance was commissioned in 1936, and was at the ITC in the early days of the War, then with the 6th and instructing at an OCTU. Collis was commissioned in 1935 and commanded a Company in the 2nd for two years before doing a staff job.
Neither has seen any fighting at all in this war. So Chance commands ‘A’, Collis ‘B’ and the Gloucester Major ‘C’ (Jimmy Clarke continues with “D”) and McNally, Norman Bass and I are all to revert to Captain, while Dicky Richards and two other Captains revert to Lieuts.
Well, I confess, darling, I feel very sick about it. I was really very happy commanding ‘B’ and put my heart and soul into the job. The CO was very nice, and he reminded me that he had warned me when he promoted me in December that this might happen, but he had struggled as long as possible against it. He said he was very pleased with what I had done with ‘B’ Coy and my chance would come again. He said at one point he was going to impress upon me was that now we have plenty of officers, in the next battle I would be LOB (left out of battle). In theory, the 2 i/c of the battalion and the 2 i/c of Rifle Companies should always be left out of battle because they would be able to take over in event of anything happening to the Company Commander. In practice, it very seldom occurs, because of the shortage of officers but for the time being our situation is good. In any case, I had managed to get myself involved in a couple of battles that I was not really supposed to go into, but I don’t propose to do that again. Still it is a poor consolation, as I would much prefer to be leading my own Company into action.
The pity of it is that Collis comes to us just when the Company needed a rest after this tiring spell and has started an intense campaign of ‘spit and polish’. He has the real Regulars outlook, whereas I was the most un-regimental of officers -very strict on what I regarded as essentials, cleanliness of the individual and his weapon, clean tidy billets, alertness on duty but he is going to the ridiculous extremes and in a couple of days is almost causing a riot. I was always very friendly with my NCOs and if their obvious pleasure when I took over and the many expressions of regret over this change mean anything, they must have liked and respected me.
The Sergeant Major told me that the NCOs are feeling very bitter about it and consider it most unfair to me and Cpl Nixon, the Company cook, an old soldier and a great personality came up and shook me by the hand and said, ‘I am very sorry, Sir, it is a damned shame on you’. Of course, the others are equally badly off and poor Dicky’s rather upset at the thought of going back again to a platoon commander after all the fighting he has done in that capacity. Nevertheless it has knocked the heart out of me for the moment, as I just feel I cannot rouse an interest in the job of 2 i/c, and under a man whose ideas are so different to mine. I think I mind losing the Company more than the Majority, great pity as that is. Fellowes, my batman, was very angry about it and said, ‘You get a little happiness in this bloody Army, Sir, and then it is promptly taken away.’ Very true, as twice I have been really happy – with John in ‘B Coy and he was then killed and then commanding the Company and now I lose that.
Received your letter of 29/1 darling. I am glad Valerie is in such grand form, and it would be marvellous to see her again and I expect I would notice some very big differences. Sorry this has been rather a dismal letter, darling, but I think you can well understand.
All my love and kisses to your both.
Your devoted husband
Lawrence
8th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Received two letters from you dated 27/1 and 31/1. I am sorry you have had a long wait for letters from me, as occasionally it does happen that I an unable to write for a time but normally I write every couple of days, so I presume the mail must have been delayed. Try and not worry more than you can help and don’t have too many feelings about events that are taking place.
I had a very nice thing said to me yesterday. I said to one of the Coy Signallers, ‘Well, how are you, Hampton?’ and he replied, “Feeling very sick, Sir, at you no longer being Coy Commander, Sir.’ So I admitted that I was feeling a little sick about it as well and had indeed seriously thought of applying for a transfer to another Coy and he said, ‘Don’t do that, Sir, we would all hate to lose you’. I told him it was very nice in one’s disappointments to have a few remarks passed like that and he said, ‘I’m only saying it because I mean it, Sir. If you could creep up behind any man in this Coy, you would hear the same things being said now’. (Lieut) Hansson, a newly arrived officer, who has just been with the Coy a few days said, ‘You must have been a good Company Commander, as quite a number of men have written letters saying they have lost a grand Coy Cmd and it seems to be that if men consider that of importance to put in their letters, they must like you a lot’. Plymen tells me he used to sometimes hear his NCOs discussing the various Coy Comds and they had a very high opinion of me.
It is very disappointing, especially as I did feel I had the confidence of the men and together we were making a grand Coy. My successor is trying to introduce all the peace time methods of the 2nd – everything has got to be polished and scrubbed and pressed, and even ribbons have to be scrubbed and all this at a time when the men deserve and were, in fact, promised a rest and relaxation after a tiring spell of duty. We are in a town (Campobasso) where there are a couple of ENSA shows and cinemas but the men have had scarcely any chance to see them because of all this cleaning – a certain amount, of course, is very necessary after coming out of ‘the line’ but this is vastly overdone. There is a very sullen, resentful atmosphere in the Company, and one can sense it walking around, with nothing like the cheerfulness of the past month which caused the Gunner Officer to say ‘B’ Coy had the highest morale of any Company he had ever met. Well, it is no use complaining, and most people have their ups and downs, Denis (Haywood) rose to Captain, dropped to Lieut, up to Capt to Major and now down to Capt, so I suppose I will just have to hope my opportunity will reoccur.
I am very much in favour of you mating Sadi and Silva if it is all possible. As regards the financial side, I expect you have received the entire £10 for Feb and I will write to Lloyd’s instructing them to pay you £40 for March and thence onwards £25 per month. That extra £30 over February and March swallows up my increase in pay, but should help you to cover mating expenses, etc. Let me know if that’s sufficient and, if it is not, try and find out what my balance is at Lloyds’ Remember my pay as Captain is probably only just being credited to me now and it may well be March or April before my pay as Major is credited.
We have had a lot more snow during the last few days and the weather is bitterly cold. We are billeted in blocks of flats, and quite modern with central heating, electric light and gas. The only disadvantage is that the central heating does not function, the electric light and gas all off for the whole town, so that as there are no fireplaces, we sit and shiver over a miserable oil stove. At the moment of writing, my feet feel like blocks of ice. Oh, for my cosy little house at —- (Castel di Sangro), it may have only been about ½ a mile from the Germans but at least we were able to have a great blazing fire and considering our proximity to the enemy, lived a very comfortable life.
Look after yourself, darling, and keep going strong for the day when we are together again.
All my love and kisses to you and Valerie.
Lawrence
11th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
It is six months today since I left you at Saltfleet and it certainly seems very much longer. An enormous amount has happened in that time, yet the picture of our last day together at Saltfleet stands out very clearly in my mind.
I dearly wish we were together again, and miss you a tremendous amount but perhaps the time may not be too far distant when we are together again.
I was very sorry to read about your attack of lumbago in your letter of the 22/1. I very much hope it has passed away quickly. What do you think was the cause of it? Some kind of chill in the back, I suppose, and I am glad you bought the frocks and hope things will go alright with the mating of Sadi and Silva. It will be interesting to see what kind of offspring they produce. I certainly must have a photo of any pups that appear on the scene.
There is almost a revolution in the Company at present. I have never met a Company Commander who has succeeded in making himself so thoroughly unpopular in such a short space of time. He is a regular of the worst possible type, who treats the men as if they were animals. I was told yesterday that the men had been actually signing a petition asking for me to return as Coy Cmd until told they could be had up for mutiny. Several NCOs have come out and asked me if something could not be done and the Sergeant Major told me that there is an attitude of passive resistance amongst the NCOs. Plymen asked his platoon this morning if they knew the name of the new Company Cmd and was told they did not nor did they want to, so you can judge that the state of affairs is pretty bad. What is going to happen in the future, at this rate, I cannot imagine.
Douglas (Room) and I were discussing the question of handling men and he said the average Coy Cmd and officers did not understand or know how to handle men. I said that, with all due modesty, I thought I was able to and he replied, ‘You know I am the last person in the world to give you any praise to your face, but I think you are in the small minority who can, and I think the reason is, because to you they are individuals and not soldiers’. Oh, well perhaps my chance will come again sometime.
The weather continues to be very cold and we are having a lot more snow. At present, the battalion has become very regimental. An officers’ dance took place the other night at which were present a number of Italian women and Army Nurses, including the one that had nursed me after I was wounded. However she does not arouse any feeling of great sentiment in my breast. The Italian girls are very sternly chaperoned. Ma is there all the time and Pa turns up beforehand in the end so there is little opportunity, for those who want to, to have a good time. Some of them were quite good looking, a few very blond and they are all extremely good dancers making the English nurses appear very lead footed in comparison. I was rather bored, the more especially, since nowadays I hardly ever have anything to drink – the only drinks I like are beer, port and sherry and none of these are available. Usually, about once a month we have ½ a bottle of whisky each and I generally give my share away. The last lot was given to the Company cook for the excellent dinner he turned out on Xmas Day. Hot sweet rum is rather pleasant in the evenings and it is curious how one develops a taste for rum, and one day I will tell you rather an amusing story in that connection. Remind me when I come home.
Look after yourself, darling, and don’t have any more bad backaches. Another month and Valerie will be 2!
All my love and kisses to you both, sweetheart,
Lawrence
16th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Received a letter dated 4/2 from you a couple of days ago. I hope, by this time, you have completely recovered from your lumbago, as it must have been very painful and a confounded nuisance. We had quite a pleasant time in the town in which we were staying – several parties took place and some of our officers did quite well for themselves with the local girls. The CO pulled my leg about it the other night. He said, ‘I think you must be the most faithful married man of all, Lawrie, I did not see you engaged once. However, wait until you have been out here a few months longer’. Nevertheless, I don’t think the extra months will tempt me. I have a charming wife and daughter and I am waiting to rejoin in England some happy day.
We gave the Sergeants a very good party in return for the one we received from them on Christmas Night. Our own Sergeants in ‘B’ Coy received quite a good deal from our hands and towards the end, some of their remarks about the new boy Commander became rather personal and a certain amount of ‘hushing’ was necessary. Frank (Higgins), in particular, came out with one very amusing crack under the influence of Italian ‘vino’ and fortunately was not heard beyond our immediate circle. Incidentally, he has done very well since his promotion and Plymen, his platoon commander, thinks very highly of him and always has a talk with him whenever they meet.
I ran into Jones the other day. I was out on a route march and suddenly heard a voice, ‘Mr Vaile, Mr Vaile’, and there was Jones seated in a truck. He is now a driver with the Royal Coy of Signals, and is quite a nice job which well satisfies him. I also had a long talk with Porter the other day, and he is still just the same and asked to be remembered to you.
Sgt Payne who was in all three of my Companies at Omagh has just arrived here. He told me that Tom is, of course, discharged from the Army but although he lost his right arm he made a magnificent recovery and very quickly learnt how to write with his left hand. He was just as cheerful as ever when he visited the ITC after being discharged from hospital The place is more ‘Skin’ dominated than ever, apparently. When Payne and Moyle returned from a drill course in which they had done very well, Col Heard congratulated them and said he wished they were ‘Skins’ NCOs! Moyle has gone to the 6th Bttn. They had a daughter. Payne said to me, ‘With all due respect, Sir, the Company was never the same after you left, the NCOs never took to the other Company Cmder in the same way and there was not the spirit. Shale and Byron are both Sergeants, but Slowley when warned for a draft ‘went sick’ and apparently, they vowed they would never get him onto a draft. Comment is superfluous John Corbertt is still the Adjutant.
I am sending by surface mail a photo we had taken of the officers a few days ago. It is a shocking photo and makes us look like a bunch of crooks. The officers of the battalion are not quite as ugly as depicted, but you will just see how few of the ‘old hands’ are still here. Dawson has left the Bttn but he was staying in the same town and I thought it rather cheeky on his part to push himself into the photo, especially the front row. Incidentally, I am the only rifle Company officer still with the same Company as when we came into Italy! In addition, Dicky Richards and I are the only two rifle Coy officers still with the battalion since we arrived in Italy, so you can get some idea of the changes that have taken place.
We had a certain amount to do with the Poles recently. Their anti-Russian bias is most marked. As many of them introduce it into the conversation at the earliest possible moment, one suspects that it is done deliberately, and a lot of them speak quite good English. From a social viewpoint, I prefer them to any of our other Allies I have met. Their manners are very good, and their conversation, apart from Russia, quite interesting and intelligent and they impress as being hard headed and good soldiers. They are certainly anxious to have a ‘go’ at the Germans. One of them told me that the finest fighting troops he has met in his experience, which included Poland 1939, France 1940 and the Middle East, since then were the Australian 9th Division and he did not know I was an Australian.
I am quite well, a little bored at being 2 i/c after being Coy Cmd. The tactical side always interests me much more than administration.
Look after yourself precious, I am eagerly awaiting the day when I return to you and Valerie.
All my love and kisses to you both, darling
Lawrence
19th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Am writing this letter with a new pen which Fellowes bought for me this morning. I lost my old pen a few weeks ago and have been existing on his, until this one arrived. It cost 250 lire which equal 12/6d. Two letters arrived from you this afternoon dated 6/2 and 8/2. Very sorry that you have had a touch of lumbago again – look after yourself, darling, you are very precious to me.
It is hard to know what to suggest regarding a birthday present for Valerie, because I do not quite know what you can obtain at home. I think the best plan is for you to buy whatever you consider most suitable, tell her it is from Daddy, let me know how much it costs and I will let you have the amount. Try and buy something really worthwhile, and I don’t mind if it costs £2 or more. I wish I could be with you both now, as she must be very adorable in her funny little ways. Naturally, there is bound to be a certain amount of shyness when I return, but the fact that you have kept me in mind with her will make an enormous difference and will enable us to become very good friends quickly.
At a Company football match this afternoon, the CO during a conversation with me said, “If a certain adjustment takes place in the Brigade during the next few days, as I anticipate it will, I will be able to give you back command of a Company, Lawrie”. He went on to say that he would give me command of “B” and Collis could go to another Company as he knew how attached I was to “B” Coy. Very nice if it takes place and I will be delighted to get command of my old Company again as I am rather bored with being 2 i/c, but I will endeavour not to count too much on it as sometimes these adjustments, whatever they may be, do not occur.
I think the CO has rather a soft spot for me, and it is curious how one gets an affection for a man one has fought beside, and ever since the day the Germans broke through in the centre and endangered Bttn HQ and I launched the counter attack with my depleted Company which saved the situation, we have got on extremely well together. The other day, a number of us were discussing that dramatic day when the CO turned to me and said, “I thought I had seen the last of you, Lawrie old boy, when you went up that hill”.
(NA 15652): Major General C.F. Keightley, Commander 78 Division ( right) with Brigadier T.P.D. Scott, DSO., Commander, 38 Irish Brigade, and other officers.
We have a new Brigadier (Scott) – he commanded this battalion when they came out to N. Africa so you can probably guess who I mean. He and the CO are, of course, very great friends, and they have been together for some considerable time. The new Brigadier came round at yesterday’s match against the London Irish. He asked me when I had come out here and when I left the ITC. He did not think much of the 30th Bn during the short time he spent there after McCarthy’s departure, but I told him it greatly improved under Burke-Murphy’s rule.
I met Williams, who was Dental Officer at Ballykinler in late 1940 and early 1941. You remember he wore spectacles. We had quite a chat and I was able to tell him about various people. He was very interested to hear about Valerie and sent his kindest regards to you. He has been out in the Middle East since 1942. Douglas (Room) is still going strong and is at the moment sitting opposite me at a table reading a ‘Punch’, both of us endeavouring to read and write by aid of a rather dim hurricane lamp in a farm house which “B” and “C” Coy officers are sharing as a mess. The Germans carried out a systematic destruction round here, every upper story roof of buildings, no matter how small has been removed.
If letters are rather irregular for a time, don’t worry, circumstances often prevent a good postal service. Tell your Uncle Harry I was pleased to see Major Buckley has gone to Notts County. Things ought to look up for them. A large parcel of papers arrived from Jim Lawrence.
All my love and kisses to you both, my dearest sweetest wife. I have always loved you more than anything in the world.
Lawrence.
22nd February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
A much awaited for event occurred yesterday when Valerie’s photo duly arrived. I was delighted to receive it and very pleased indeed with the photo. I think she looks absolutely lovely and everyone very much admired her. I was amazed at how much she had developed. I still visualized her as the little girl I left behind in Saltfleet and I think she has come on in extraordinary fashion since I left home. She is certainly a fine advertisement for the care and attention given to her by her Mother. Her legs and arms appear to be very firm and chubby and most people thought she was older than 20 months.
You can tell her that Daddy is very pleased with the photo and very proud of his little daughter and hopes it will not be too long before he sees her again in person. It amused me the way she appeared to be just about to break into a smile, but was a little uncertain as to whether to do so or not. Most people seemed to think she is rather like me – the general remark was that she had my eyes and nose. To me, she does appear to be very much like Pat was as a little girl. Dicky Richards said he refused to believe that I could produce such a pretty daughter. I hope you will have a photo of her taken on her 2nd birthday. It will be interesting to see the progress of another 4 months.
I also received a letter dated 10/2 from you, and letters from Muriel Glennie, Ted and Miss Clinton. Miss Clinton enquired anxiously about my wounds, and said it was a long time since she had heard from you and would very much like to hear from you again. You remember Mrs Smith of Leytonstone? Well, Miss Clinton told me that her husband had deserted her and she was very broken up about it. Seems incredible to me as they always appeared a very devoted pair, perhaps living with her family wore him down. A great pity they never had a child as they were both very fond of children. I also had a large number of papers from Jim Lawrence and the “Herts Advertiser” from Freda Revill. Curiously, you know the Lawrences seem to have turned out the most faithful of our friends in St. Albans. He writes quite regularly and has sent out a number of papers as well as 200 cigarettes.
Last but not least, a very anxious letter from Helen who said Mother was ‘nearly frantic with worry’ over my wounds. Apparently, they cabled Florence about the extent of my wounds. I have written quite a good deal since then, so I presume they have had a number of letters by now but Helen says they very much wish you would write to them. I wish so too, darling, and I have asked you on a number of occasions and you have never told me if you have done so. After all, we feel very sorry for Mrs Glennie, but it would be equally bad for Mother if anything happened to me and it would be all the worse because she is so far away. They are very anxious to hear how you and Valerie are progressing and, for my sake, I hope you will write, darling, and send the photo of Valerie. She will be delighted with it and if she ever comes again to England, you will find her a very devoted grandmother. Also, if anything ever happens to me, please let her know or write to Helen, as soon as possible. I know it would be terribly hard for you, precious, but the suspense for her would be dreadful.
Your remarks about Edward (Gibbon) were very sensible. He is still away at hospital and, somehow, I should not be surprised if we do not see him here again…..Personally I hope he finds a job somewhere else – it will be the best thing.
We are in a rather pleasant part of the country, quite fertile and the climate is very much milder. The Germans carried out a systematic destruction in this part of the world, and every building, no matter how small and out of the way, has had its roof removed all of course with the object of preventing us from having winter quarters. We have managed to find a farmhouse to establish ourselves in, very crowded and rather uncomfortable but better than no shelter. ‘B’ and ‘C’ Coys share the same mess and Douglas and I have quite a lot to do with one another. I am glad to have him with me, we get on very well together.
Look after yourself, darling, and keep cheerful. It will be a great day when we are together again and something worth looking forward to.
All my love and kisses to you and Valerie
Lawrence
24th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Once again I am Company Commander – this time I have taken over command of ‘C’ Coy. The ex-commander of this Company, one of the three senior officers (Heidenstam) who recently joined the battalion has gone to a higher appointment. I rather thought Collis might be changed over and I would remain with my old Company, but the CO, in his wisdom, decided otherwise and after about 24 hours of suspense, I was informed at midday that I was to take over ‘C’ Coy. I am sorry to part from the Company I have been with for so long and known the men so well, but ‘C’ Coy is a good Company and the people that matter seem to be pleased to have me.
Dicky Richards is my second in command and I am certain that I could not ask for a better one, while Douglas (Room) is one of my platoon commanders. The other two are both South Africans, (Len) Manson and (Pat) Howard, both having plenty of fighting experience in the Western Desert, very sound fellows with that rather typical Dominion toughness. The men of ‘B’ Coy seem very sorry that I am departing but I felt I could not stay on much longer under existing circumstances. Collis simply took everything into his own hands and I just felt I had nothing whatsoever to do, which as you know does not suit me at all. The platoon commanders were very much in the same boat and Plymen, when he was offered a job at Brigade, promptly accepted it although, as he told me, he certainly would not have taken it under previous conditions. Now I feel again I have something to occupy myself and interest myself in.
Received a letter dated 16/2 from you today. It is good indeed to have a wife who can take the ups and downs of life in such good spirit. I don’t quite know how soon I am likely to regain my majority because the position is rather complicated by the fact that McNally is commanding ‘S’ Coy as a Major which means that one rifle Coy commander will have to be a Captain and both Chance and Collis are very much senior to me, so it looks as if I may have to wait a bit for the crown. However, except from the monetary standpoint I am not worrying too much about that. I also received a letter from Tyldesley – he tells me that the BU are making good progress and have big post war plans. He says they have divided the country into areas and started a system of Area Organisers. Barnett showed him the letter I had written to him on my experiences after the battle in which John was killed and Tyldesley seemed to think them rather and terrible.
The day before yesterday, I bought a doll for Valerie and three pairs of stockings for you – two pairs are supposed to be silk and the third half silk, half rayon. The first doll I fancied, I walked in and asked the price and was told 2,400 lire. In English money £6! Finally I got one for £1/10-, nothing extraordinary but quite pleasing to the eye. The stockings were also very expensive costing about £2/10-. The Pioneers have made me a box and all the articles are despatched with a duty free label. As the gift to Valerie was the largest, the box has been addressed to her. It will be something to show her that Daddy in Italy is thinking about her, and I will be interested to hear her reactions. I hope it does not take too long to arrive.
I went with Douglas and we had a very pleasant time together. Everything is shockingly expensive, and it is an absolute scandal the way prices are put up here. Handkerchiefs cost 15/-, a set of women’s underwear about £10 (ten pounds), silk pyjamas about £8 and so on ad lib. The Italians after fighting against us for over three years are now trying to make as much money out of us as they can. Douglas and I did a taxi tour and it was like a Laurel and Hardy film. The taxi chugged its way up a hill belching steam, the driver lost his way, it got dark and he had no lights and, even so, he would persist on driving while he turned talking to us. There was Douglas shouting at him, ‘Look at the road you bloody fool’ and the driver would grin and laugh at us as if he was receiving some compliment. Finally, he complained he could go no further so Douglas seized him and pushed him back into the car. Altogether, it was almost more dangerous than German bullets.
Look after yourself, darling, all my love and kisses to you and Valerie
Lawrence
29th February 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Several days have lapsed since I last had a letter from you, but I am expecting some will arrive in the next few days. I am very happy in command of my new Company and like them a whole lot. It is very pleasant having Dicky Richards as my second in command and Douglas (Room) as a platoon commander, my two best friends in the battalion. It certainly makes for a happy and helpful atmosphere.
Lawrie Franklyn-Vaile’s batman, Fusilier Fellowes
The Sergeant Major, who was CSM of ‘B’ Coy in Sicily, said to Fellowes the day it was announced I would take command of ’C’ Coy, ‘I think I will get on very well with Captain Vaile’. Fellowes said ‘Why, Sir’ and the CSM replied, ‘He believes in working hard and playing hard and he always takes a keen interest on the Company’. So far, we have got on extremely well together – he is a first class chap.
We are training hard at the present time and I am out with the Company as much as possible in order to get to know them properly before going into action with them and so far I have every reason to feel confident of their ability to acquit themselves well. Last night, we held a very successful inter platoon quiz. Followed by a Sing Song and everyone enjoyed the evening very much.
The weather has been extremely wet of late with almost continual rain and we are knee deep in mud, but this afternoon for the first time for some days the sun is shining. Progress seems very slow at the moment, but it is no doubt affected by all this rain which makes conditions so difficult to move in. I had no idea an Italian winter could be so unpleasant.
This letter is rather disjointed as I keep on having interruptions as we are doing a ‘Coy in Attack’ exercise tonight: rather more pleasant than the real thing. I am anxious to practise the Coy at working together at night time as a compact body and also to practise myself in leading them. Night attacks are quite a tricky business and need plenty of practice and the responsibilities of the Commander is very great.
The ‘blitz’ on Germany appears to be as heavy as ever and it looks as if the way is being paved for the ‘The Second Front’. According to the Eighth Army News, Montgomery is very much in the public limelight in England and seems to be very energetic. The Russian advance seems to continue slowly and remorselessly and it certainly is a marvellous effort.
I see Churchill states that he and Stalin have agreed on the Curzon Line as the Russian-Polish boundary after the War. I am glad to see he has shown such good sense. Bye-elections at home appear to be getting rather more violent, and the W. Derbyshire election must have created quite a sensation. An editorial of the ‘Eighth Army News’ had a very scathing ‘leader’ on the Conservatives trying to push in Harrington. This paper, incidentally is very refreshing in its views and very progressive, at times and it would certainly put the ‘Daily Herald’ to shame. It is always preaching reconstruction and what the soldier wants and should have after the war is over.
Douglas showed me some photos of his parents and home the other day. It certainly looks a delightful house and his parents seem very pleasant people. His sister, Mary, is a very jolly pleasant looking girl, not exactly pretty but very nice looking. I have a feeling that you and she will get on extremely well together and I hope you will be able to visit them shortly.
How is my dear little Valerie getting along? I often admire the photo you sent me. She is really a lovely little girl, and I am very proud of her.
Since writing the above, have just got back from our night exercise. It was highly successful and the Company worked extremely well and showed any amount of enthusiasm. They are really a fine crowd, and I am getting quite attached to my new Company.
Look after yourself darling, and remember I love you very dearly and am eagerly looking forward to the day when we are together again.
All my love and kisses to you and Valerie, sweetheart
Lawrence
