Jun 041942
 

Thursday
Aberdeen
Darling,
I wrote you a long letter last night so I’m afraid your weekend letter will have to be shorter again because, as usual, I’m back at Torry tonight and time is very limited. How are the children today? I was glad to see the continued improvement of Wendy reported in the Johnson Medical Report, received today. Has Michael past the worst part of his attack now? I hope so for your sake as well as his.
There is very little news here except that I have wasted three mornings this week through going about my glasses. Eventually, I went to sick bay at 9am today, was taken by ambulance to Kingseat Hospital ten miles away, spent some time there and eventually got back to Torry at 3 o’clock, thus losing three-quarters of one day’s instruction. Tomorrow I go on guard for 24 hours so that I will miss all Friday afternoon and all Saturday morning. Then on Monday we will have an S.B.X. Not too good, but I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do except hope results are better!
I did intend to write a letter to the children tonight, but it is quite impossible so I’ll have to leave it until the weekend, but don’t mention it to them. I may be able to utilise some of the time on guard to get back some of my arrears of correspondence. I’ll get that parcel packed up and sent off some time during the weekend if I can, so that you should get it fairly early in the week.
Don’t forget to tell the children that I hope they are better and give them my love. If the weather at home is anything like it is here, they will find it a great trial to be stuck indoors all the day and I can see one or two spots of bother on the horizon with them. You certainly have my sympathies having to deal with them single-handedly. I only hope they will not prove too much for you.
I’m sorry this is such a short note and I do hope that you will manage to get a few quiet spells so that you can get out into the garden or plot and get a bit of fresh air. Don’t forget to look after yourself properly. I’ll try to write you a decent letter over the weekend and get it into the post as early as possible. It really is hopeless to try to write home at school tonight. Instead of just sliding in to school, where we can shout out the names of the missing lads, we had to line up in the road outside and the chief in charge of the school walked down each rank checking the names off. There will be a few sad hearts in the morning! And a few days’ jankers for some people!
Must be off now, sweetheart. All my love and look after yourself. No silly tricks you know!
Ever your own,
Arthur X
P.S. Sorry! But I did not dream of you THAT night. If only I’d known. Thanks for telling me, just the same.