Bournemouth
(Return Address Censored)

Mar. 18. 1942
 

Dear Mom. Dad & All:-

     I received the latest package and the second bundle of newspapers last week and was glad to get both.  The pajamas are swell but a bit small about the waist.  Better increase the measurements about an inch.  It was interesting to get the American side of the news, too.  Have begun on the vitamin tablets already, though the food here is much better than it was at [-- (censored)--]. We usually have oatmeal and some kind of sausage meat, bacon, or kippers, tea, and bread & butter for breakfast; two of the following vegetables, carrots, peas, turnips, cabbage, boiled or fried potatoes, bully beef, sausage, beef or mutton, pudding, and soup for dinner; pickled beets, Welsh rabbit, baked beans (Heinz), bread & butter and tea for Tea (at 4:15-5:30); and usually whatever is left over for supper (8:15).  As you can see this is much more palatable fare than I've had anywhere.

(Half of the next few lines, which were at the top of page 2 of the original letter, were destroyed because of the censoring of the return address at the top of page 1 of the letter.)

...underwear and other articles.  I haven't received that one as yet so if you sent it before the pajama package you'd better inquire about it, if it was insured.  From now on you'd better number the packages (so I can refer to them in a cablegram without using so many words to describe a particular package) and keep a list of these numbers and the contents of each package.  I have received three so far.
     I believe I wrote about the Cablegrams before, but will repeat as some of my letters may not have gone through the battle of the Atlantic.  For $2.00 I can send 25 words in a Deferred Night Letter, but the word count includes the address, hence my brevity in just addressing them to Martin, Wakefield, St. Paul, Minn.  I have figured there's only one Martin and only one Wakefleld so they should get there okay, which they have.  You have to sign your surname so I have just used that alone.  This leaves me 19 words in the body of the message.  If you want to cable me you can send them to CTC 314-Martln-Bournemouth, England and I will get it, regardless of where I'm located, in about three days.  The Xmas cable I sent was turned in on Dec. 22nd, but the cable lines must have been swamped as you didn't get it until the 29th.  It costs me just over $4.00 to send one like that in which a 25 word answer is prepaid.  I received your answer the tenth of January.  Well, enough of that.
      I'm getting fairly well acquainted with [censored] now and like it very much.  I have joined the Central Services Club and am going sightseeing as soon as it warms up.  I went for a walk along the Rocky North Sea Coast Sunday and took a few snaps of the pounding surf.  The wind blows here like it does in North Dakota I intend to visit Braemar on my first 48 hours off.  This is the summer home of the King and Queen.  One of the sights to see there is Balmoral Castle.  Braemar is in the mountains about 100 miles [--(censored)--] of [-- (censored)--] and from the description in a book I bought "Motoring In Scotland" it's really worth a visit.  I also have hopes of spending a week end in Edinburgh with two of my pals from [--(censored)--] who are posted in this vicinity.  It is the capitol of Scotland and full of historic buildings.  A fellow on the station here whose home is there has invited me to spend that weekend at his home, an invitation I shall take advantage of.  I never get tired of traveling about.
      I'm enclosing a picture of myself taken with my camera before I left [--(censored)--].   It's not too good as [--(censoring on other side of page destroyed the next couple of words)--]  pretty small for enlarging, but it'll at least show you I'm still in pretty fair health and not too unhappy.  The fence is just a gate along the highway from [--(censored)--] to [--(censored)--] part of the rustic scenery which is everywhere in this country.  As I've written before, there are no barb wire fences here, the fields are divided by hedges and mortarless stone fences which give that fairy-land aspect to the countryside.
      Beekman is in Northern Ireland now so I don't suppose I'll see him for quite some time.  He had a son in the American Army and by some queer quirk of fate he was sent to Ireland with the AEF and when Beekman found out about it he asked to be sent there and his request was granted.  Pretty swell, isn't it, to be posted near a son you didn't know was within five thousand miles of you?
      Have been wondering if George is in the Army or Navy yet.  He should get a commission of some kind.  Don't forget to send me all the Military Correspondence you receive for me.  I'll then be in a position to get my own status fixed up.  I wrote to the Executive of the First Military Area before I left Canada telling him of my enrollment in the CTC and stating the terms under which I was working.  I suppose it was filed and forgotten as soon as received.  I'm glad you got it straightened out.
     I received a letter from Dorothy Trottner the other day and one from George Knoll.  Will answer them today when I finish this one.
     Well, I seem to be running out of words.  Unfortunately I can't tell you anything about my work as the censor will only cut it out so there isn't much to write about until I go sightseeing again.
     As yet I haven't heard or seen a German plane and haven't even heard a gun fired except in target practice, so you needn't worry about me on that score.  I guess Jim will have to do fighting for the Grindall family.  I seem to be at the wrong end of the world.
     I have to do a little work now so I will sign off for the present.  Keep on writing when you find time.  Pete might work in a letter sometime and let me know what goes on around the car office these days.

Well, anyway, Cheerio for the present.

Bob

P.S. Second bundle of newspapers and magazines received.  Many thanks.

Bob.