Authors

Mary Metcalfe

Document Type

Personal Letter

Transcription

[Transcription begins]

Jan. 27, 1943 (1944)

Dearest Mommie,

I have been shifted around a bit + so haven’t had a chance to write for a while.

First of all, where was Uncle Bob’s house. I am very much interested in knowing that. I don’t remember hearing him say when we visited them in Colorado.

Last Sunday morning I took off on the train with a group of other girls including Sally Peters, + Jane Phillips. I went with them where they are for a temporary assignment, and spent the night there. The next day I went on my alone as I was being sent on my permanent assignment, which is just a couple of hours distant from there.

The countryside was perfectly lovely to watch as we rode along on the train. It does seem strange for everything to be so green all year round as it is over here. I couldn’t help but think how you would have a fit over the scenery, all the lovely stone walls, and it is so pretty to look out in the distance and see all the different fields outlined with the dark green hedges.

I have a room at what is called a hotel. It is really more like a private house. It is run by Mr. + Mrs. Andrews. They have a son, Andrew, 15 years old, who is very much interested in the Americans + all that goes on. He couldn’t understand how I could be joining the other two girls in the Clubmobile here since the insignia on my uniform reads Military Welfare Service + not Clubmobile as it will when I receive my new coat, uniform + better dress. We had to cable home for Clubmobile boots as they were completely out when we arrived. They are most essential as we have to tramp around in the mud so much. I bought some WAC field shoes to tide me over until mine arrive.| The field shoes are high brown oxfords.

This town is right on the water + as I look out my window I look over at a golf club + course.

As usual there is no central heating and all the rooms are freezing. I have a tiny room which has a little heater sitting in a tiny fireplace which cannot be used. As I write this letter I am sitting practically in the fireplace. There is a sitting room which I have to come through to get to my room. This is usually the room the Andrews sit in at night. When in use they light a coal fire in the fireplace in there. Mrs. Andrews is going to try to give me another room when one is available.

The two girls I work with are very nice. One of them, Elizabeth Chatfield (called Bibbie) from Cincinnati lives here in this same house. She knows Ada Alpaugh very well. She says Ada is married to a boy named Herb Brown who has a very good job + they are living in Washington. This girl is lots of fun. The boys are all crazy about her as she carries on a wonderful line of chatter with them.

The other girl who is the Captain or head of the Clubmobile here is Leslie Hart Fenn from Hartford. She went to Farmington with Muffie + Nancy Sullivan + knows a lot of St. Louis girls. She is very nice, attractive + efficient, + it is some job being in charge of one of the Clubmobiles. Ours is named the Nevada. They are all named after States or cities. We are on a Bedford type (1) which is smaller than the one shown on the postcards I sent. We drive this one ourselves. I drove for the first time yesterday + it was queer not only driving a truck but driving on the left side of the road, shifting a different type of gear shift with my left hand, and having the drivers seat on the right side instead of the left. Much to my surprise it wasn’t too hard.

I was telling you about Leslie. She is a dead ringer, I think, for Mrs. Sam Conant. They have exactly the same type of face. She wears tortoise shell harlequin glasses which you wouldn’t like, but they are quite becoming to her. Strangely enough Bibbie looks a lot like Tom Standish. She has the same eyes as his.

I have only been out with the Clubmobile for two days so I don’t know too much yet. We leave at eight o’clock in the morning, drive out a couple of miles to the field, park next to a hangar + get the Clubmobile all hitched up. I wish I had a picture of a Bedford so you could see what it looks like. Anyway on one side there are two counters which are made by pushing up + out two kinds of trap doors as you can see from the picture of the other bus. The mess kitchen at the field sends over two or three urns of coffee, whatever we ask for each morning. We have a push thing like for chockolate (sic) sauce in a drug store where we put our canned milk to serve with the coffee. Then at the other counter we have a tray which has life savers, gum, cigarettes and K ration chockolate (sic) in it. Also books like the Pocketbook Editions, + postcards like the ones I sent home. At the the (sic) end + on the other side behind the drivers seat is a victrola (2) + records just above it. There is a microphone which carries the music out of the Clubmobile + also which the boys can have fun with. Next to this is the doughnut machine which turns out 7 doughnuts a minute. We make about 3 mixes in a morning which is quite a few doughnuts. Next to this is the sink where we wash all the cups. Just across from the sink is a big container for coffee water. This is heated by a primus stove. (3) Just under the counters are the drawers where the coffee cups are kept.

Having just started here, I have been called back to join the girls I just left (where I told you I spent the night) as they need extra help. I shall be gone from here for about a week. There is one thing about being with the ARC (4) + that is that you have to be prepared to set off for anywhere at any time. It seems to be the policy in Clubmobile work that you only stay in one place for 3 or 4 months.

I am not working today so I can get ready to go join the others. I shall be so happy when my battle dress + other uniform arrives. Also our bed rolls + footlockers arrived just before we left so again they have to follow me around. In case anyone is still going into the ARC from there tell them not to get too small a suitcase as I did in spite of all they say in Wash. It is too terrible having to try to get everything you need in for such a long time. It is going on two months now since I have seen mine + naturally most of my warm underwear + clothes which I need most are in them.

Just before I left I got my first mail for a long time. This consisted of two packages, the stockings Louella + Mrs. Strong sent me for Xmas, and a bow knot pin with a locket for two tiny pictures attached to it with the crossed cannons (for MP) on the locket. Although there was no card I know it is from my young friend David Pritchard. Wasn’t that cute of him. Please tell Mrs. Strong + Louella how I love the stockings + I shall write when I get the least bit settled. I have worn lisle or wool stockings almost altogether as they feel so much better in this damp coldness.

Of course the climate being what it is, I have had sinus trouble but they have some drops at the dispensary which keep it checked quite well.

I purchased several fascinating maps in the place I was visiting before I came here. Tell Jane I am at last learning something about geography + she had better take it up or I shall far outshine her in knowing how places are situated. Also in window shopping I saw silver ware + jewels which would make your mouth water. I don’t know whether I told you that I purchased a red square wool scarf at Jorgers (I need red gloves or mittens now) (White or red scarfs + gloves) are uniform over here. This is something that Washington knows nothing about, in fact they seem to know very little about the setup over here.

I forgot to tell you that everything on the Clubmobile is free. Whatever we have we give away. I know that May will be pleased to hear that. There are two R.C. clubs here, one for enlisted men and one for officers. There is an Aero Club being set up here too.

Having been here only a couple of days I have everything to learn + can tell you more of our routine after I come back + have been here awhile.

The favorite past time over here seems to be eating every other minute so don’t think I am going to waste away. Both Bibbie + Leslie have gained untold pounds since they have been here. We eat at different places, sometimes at one or the other of the R.C. Clubs I mentioned + sometimes especially for lunch to the Officer’s Club (not R.C.) or the enlisted mens mess both some distance from the place we make the doughnuts in the morning. Yesterday after we made doughnuts + served all morning we went to two other places + just served + played the victrola in the afternoon.

This is good bye to pretty finger nails as this is real manual labor, up to your elbows in dough, washing cups + cups + cups and fixing + toying around with all sorts of mechanical things. I know it is going to be fine when I catch on to the way to do everything.

I wonder if Tommy Taylor was ever here. I shouldn’t be at all surprised.

I have been all morning writing this letter so now I must start getting my things together.

Lots of love to Jane, Bud, Carol, Terry, Davie, Gran + Tantie, Mrs. Culver, Davie when you write him, + May.

I hope this letter gives you somewhat of a picture of my activities + setup. (When you send a box I would like some Kools or Spuds). (5) We get 7 packages of regular once a week but they haven’t any mentholated at the PX. Our other rations per week are 2 or 3 bars of candy, a couple of packages of gum, matches + soap. This is what we are allowed to buy at the PX each week.

Lots + lots + lots of love to you. I can’t wait for that first batch of letters to arrive.

Chichi

(1) The first Clubmobiles were remodeled London buses. The Bedford truck was a smaller Clubmobile made by Vauxhall Motors and eventually owned by General Motors.

(2) Victrola was a record player first made in 1905 by Victor Talking Machine Co.

(3) The primus stove was a portable stove that ran on kerosene.

(4) ARC or R. C. is the American Red Cross.

(5) Kools and Spuds were menthol cigarettes.

[Transcription ends]

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