"I had to have two innoculations. When I went in to be done he was standing there with the hypodermic needle in his hand and a leering grin on his face and when he stuck the needle in my arm he must have thought he was on bayonet practice or something"
I found this letter 20 years ago whilst clearing out my mother’s house. My father was originally a pen friend to my mother, initiated by my mother’s brother. He was at one time in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, as well as the Essex Regiment.
The letter is from my father to my mother about a day in the life of being in the army and having to drive members of their band to an officers club. I found the wording quite funny and, of course, very old fashioned.
My father was in Trieste at one point, although we never did know from him how bad things were. Like many soldiers, my father never spoke of the war. The only thing he did say was that (it may seem weird to us in this day) the soldiers used to take the chocolate from the dead German soldiers and give it to the children!
I am fortunate to have many photos of him whilst he was in Italy, but of course the mystery is, who took them and exactly where they were.
In the photo, my father is in the back row second from the left.
Transcript:
Dear Dot,
Very many thanks for your welcome letter I received on Monday, glad to hear that you are all keeping in the best of health, as I am pleased to say it leaves me at present. So you have heard from Bert, I have'nt up to yet, I shall be writing to him tonight, in any case. No I don't suppose he likes the idea of sleeping on the floor, I know I don't. I am glad he had a good time when he was on leave but I wished he had spent it at home so as we could have gone out together, still perhaps we will next time. So he has got a new girl friend, has he packed Hilary up, but I don't blame him if he has seeing the way she treated him, do you? You need not worry about me telling him what you told me. Yesterday I was the victim of the butcher (medical officer) I had to have two innoculations. When I went in to be done he was standing there with the hypodermic needle in his hand and a leering grin on his face and when he stuck the needle in my arm he must have thought he was on bayonet practice or something. I don't know why these blokes find such pleasure in sticking a needle in a chaps arm, do you? I would find much satisfaction in having a go at him sometime. Its a good thing we only get them once a year but that is once to many in my opinion. For that I was supposed to have been excused dutues for twenty four hours but in actual fact I worked harder than usual as some blinking high ranking officer took it into his stupid head to come round to inspect the Battalions transport so consequently I had to work like blazes to get my truck spick and span. Today is a recognised holiday for this Battalion owing to the fact that many years ago men of this regiment won a great battle and succeeded in capturing a town (in Germany) called Minden. Since then the first of August every year is known as Minden day. The men were supposed to have worn roses in there hats when they went into the attack so keeping to the true tradition we all have to wear roses in our hats, look a lot of twerps to I can tell you, still we can put up with anything for a days holiday. Last Saturday I had the job of taking some members of our band to an officers club where they had to supply music for a dance that took place there. As I never had anything to do while I was waiting to bring the chaps back I was given the job, in the bar, of pouring out the drinks for the officers. Beside the usual beer, there was rum, whisky, brandy and many kinds of wine. Quite a number of the officers got properly drunk and made themselves look right stupid. I had the opportunity of having all the drink I wanted but it so happens I don't drink. A good job too, seeing I had to drive a truck thirty miles back to billets at two o'clock in the morning. That's the time the dance finished. We got a slap up feed when we first got there. I am glad you are getting better weather now, at present the weather is quite nice but I expect it will rain again it usualy does.
Well Dot, I am afraid that it about all for the time being, give my kind regards to your Mum and Dad.
So I will close wishing you all the best of luck.
Your's Sincerely
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