Authors

Mary Metcalfe

Document Type

Personal Letter

Transcription

[Transcription begins]

May 30, 1944

Dearest Mommie,

I am sure you are standing on your head at this point because you have not heard from me. It is almost impossible to get any letter writing done around here. The one I wrote you last week is the only letter I have had a chance to write since I left London.

Our little Hillman car has broken down on us so we have not been able to whisk about + ferret out all the camps around here we are supposed to serve. Also we have to walk about a mile up two long hills to get to the mess hall for breakfast + we must be there at 7:45 A. M. We cook doughnuts + make our coffee + serve all morning, then in the afternoon we go off to wherever we are going to serve. A couple of nights we have not been able to get home before 9:30 P. M. since we must clean out the coffee urns + put the Clubmobile to bed when we get back.

The C. O. here is very nice, Lt. Col. Rusek, young + attractive. He looks like a little boy, has very rosy cheeks + is fun + terribly nice. He + one of the company commanders, Capt. Roberts are crazy about playing golf. There is a nice little golf course not far from here + that is the reason you have not had a letter.

Last Thurs. we got our sitting room setup + Bibby + I moved into another bedroom.

Here it is Thurs. June 1st + I am still trying to get this letter written.

Last Thurs. Col. Rusek, Lt. Cork, Lt. Wiebolt, Lt. Berthlot + Capt. Brenner came over to try out sitting room. We managed to get three cases of beer. There is a portable victrola which goes with the Clubmobile equipment so we brought that home with some records + after a while we turned back the rug + did a little dancing. The Col. is a very good dancer.

On Friday the Col. asked me at supper if I didn’t want to play golf. Of course I said yes so he came by in a command car + off we went to the golf course which is about 3 ½ or 4 miles from here. It is a nice little 9 hole course with sheep roaming all around over it. There are beautiful + unusual trees all around the course.

On Sat. we took the day off. I slept until about 10 o’clock, went + picked up our laundry, came back + washed my hair. We ate lunch + then lay out in the back yard which is a croquet ground. There is a pretty garden all around the yard, columbine, poppies, iris + roses climbing on the stone wall which surrounds the yard. While I was out there I put on some nail polish as we were going to the theater to a city about 25 miles from here that night.

The play we saw was “Madelaine” + it was awful. We went in a couple of command cars. I was with Col. Rusek + Capt. Brenner. Les + Bibbie were with Lt. Frischman + Capt. Hodges. When we came back Col. Rusek + I went to a dance at the YMCA Allied Officers Club here in town. I wore my black dress with the lace collar + cuffs + my high heel black suede shoes had just come the day before so I was all dolled up. The officers seemed so pleased to be going out with girls all dressed up. It’s nice for us too to get on our pretty civilian clothes.

On Sunday we worked all morning + I had the afternoon off. Col. Rusek, Capt. Roberts + I went out + played golf + had a wonderful time. We play for six pence for every hole we win. I lost nine pence to Col. Rusek + six pence to Capt. Roberts. We came back here + ate sandwiches + tea up here in our sitting room. Les + Bibbie came back + joined our tea party. The three of us went back + played another nine holes after that. We finished playing about 9:45 P. M. + they came back + we had some pineapple juice + orange juice which we had left from our PX rations.

On Monday Vicki Atkinson, our supervisor arrived. We had cooked doughnuts + made coffee all morning + we took off about 2:30 P. M. to go serve at a camp about 12 miles from here. We went around + found some of the other camps we are supposed to serve after we finished serving here. Sat., Sun. + Mon. were all hot days so by the time we came home on Mon. we were thoroughly exhausted.

On Tues. we served a couple of camps just out of town here, + after supper at about 8 o’clock Les, Col. Rusek, Capt. Roberts + I went out + played 9 holes of golf. Doesn’t it seem ridiculous to be able to play golf until after 10 o’clock at night. They came in + we had some tea + we sat and chatted.

On Wed. night I told Col. Rusek I would play golf. Just as we got to the golf course it started to rain so we had to give that up. We came back here + I trounced him at gin rummy for the rest of the evening.

We received a call that our Clubmobile was to be taken from us in exchange for another one just like it only better equipped.

That meant that yesterday morning we had to clean the doughnut machine + entire Clubmobile + put everything back on it to get it ready for the driver to pick it up. We finished the job in the morning + had dinner at the mess hall. The mess hall is just about 75 yds. down the road from where we hitch up to do our cooking.

We won’t have anything to do now for a couple of days until the driver comes back with the other Clubmobile. I had yesterday afternoon all planned for getting this letter written but there was a message when I came in that Dave Pritchard was on his way here to see me. He had discovered that I was not far from here so he got a pass + there was nothing for me to do but entertain him. He left at about 6 o’clock. I can’t think why he wants to run around after me since he is only about 20 or 21. I think he is a little nutty.

We had gotten a couple of cases of beer yesterday so we asked some of our GI friends to come over last night.

This morning I slept until eleven, had breakfast, washed some stockings + finally got to this letter. Bibby + Les have gone off to borrow some bicycles and have a ride somewhere about the countryside. I didn’t join them because that would mean putting off this letter again. I finally told Bob Crozier, a very nice sergeant, that I would go to the movies with him tonight. I know I shall regret it + want to play golf instead but I have put him off too many times.

I think I told you that the officers + men eat in the same mess hall. We take turns eating sometimes with the officers + sometimes with GIs. We have plates + cups if we sit at the officers table. If we eat with the enlisted men we stand in the chow line + eat out of our mess kits + canteen cups + use the knife, fork, + spoon issued to us.

Three packages arrived last Fri. They contained my summer dresses + hats + suit hat, my black shoes, + that good taffy, toffee, + figs. These last three made a tremendous hit. I never tasted anything like those figs, they were wonderful. Did you know they had an almond inside each one? (Please send more of all three. That Maurakoes taffy is really good, + I always take some of those Brown Betty toffees + we eat those as we go around the golf course. I would love some gum if you can get some. We only get one package a week in our rations. I was delighted also to get the Spuds, (1) + I’d love more of those.)

My summer dresses have come in handy for golf, but I have really missed having saddle shoes. Bibbie has some moccasins I have borrowed + I have worn my tennis shoes a couple of times.

Our group was the tenth + last in the first group of GMC Clubmobiles to be attached to different divisions etc. of the army. Since we are attached to 1st Army Hdqs. as you saw by the program they are making us group A instead of L as we have been. That is the reason for the change in Clubmobiles. The A Clubmobiles have been in operation for a couple of months + their equipment is complete. Ours came with quite a few things missing. One blow is that we shall not have a Hillman. They are going to take that away + not replace it. It is especially sad since we only used it for 2 days before the starter broke + it has been sitting idle in the Motor Pool ever since. It takes forever to get anything done over here + heaven only knows when they will get around to getting another starter.

The second copy of a letter from Davie you sent was the same as one you had sent in the letter before. The one you thought you sent + didn’t was about being moved to another place.

Isn’t it amazing that Davie + Harrison were on the same ship?! That certainly was a coincidence.

The picture of you + Davie taken on the street is really terrible. I can’t figure out what you have on your head + it is awful of Davie.

I am enclosing a picture taken at one of the camps we serve. One of the boys took it last week when we were out there + it gives you a good view of the Clubmobile. That is Leslie standing at the side. The Clubmobile is a heavy thing to drive with all the equipment in the back. It has a rough time making some of these hills around here. The countryside around here is beautiful, lots of flowering trees, beautiful flowers, + all these lovely old stone walls. All we have to do to get a flower for our hair is to lean out the sitting room window + pick one of the big beautiful yellow roses growing right up the front of the house. On the other side out Mrs. Taylor’s window, there are great big red ones climbing up the front of the house. There are some red peonies in the garden in the back which are just about to open + they will be lovely.

I told you that you can’t do anything around here without having everyone know it. Even when we go to play golf, one of the GI’s has to drive the jeep or command car because officers cannot drive themselves, but must be driven. I don’t know why they have this rule in the army.

About half of the camps we have to serve here are colored troops and of course we don’t like that anything like as much as serving the white boys, but it must be done. There was a very good quartet at one of the colored camps we served the other day. We have a microphone which is attached to the same battery as our victrola. It has a long cord so we put it out through the serving window + the quartet really gave us some good songs.

I must get dressed now before I have some tea + get ready to go to the movies.

I was sorry to hear that Carol was sick. I hope it was nothing serious. I loved her cute letter.

Had a letter from Mimi + she is thoroughly enjoying herself in China.

I hope you can understand why it is so hard to get letters written + explain it to everyone. We feel that we must entertain + do things with the boys while they have a chance. Then the only time to play golf or do anything else is when we get through in the evening.

Lots + lots of love + please thank everyone for all my nice birthday cards. I loved all of them, and thank you for those three good boxes.

Chi Chi

(1) Spud was the first menthol brand of cigarettes.

[Transcription ends]

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