Saturday.

Indian Medical Service

My dear Mother.

Many thanks for your letter which has just arrived. What a krewst all those gold hats arriving, & what a good thing Ted was there. I am sure it would be a good thing if you went to Pitney as it’s quite time you had a rest, and I could get over to see you I daresay.

I went through Langport the other day when I went to Plymouth. Jim came to the dance & we all enjoyed it awfully, tell Ben Vinny nearly killed himself going there. Went at 60 mph down the hill from the triangle & of course came off. Bust the bike & ought to have been killed.

Jim is over again today, I must try and get Topher somehow. Fancy Ben & Dreda sleeping in the garden. Mad I suppose. Ben hasn’t got a job yet then. Yes it is nice having the car again. I never knew I owed Specs 50. I will see if I can’t pay him. He lent it then, did he?

The hospital is empty now except for about 1 man. Bournemouth is frightfully full now, everyone on holiday I suppose. Please tell Jane I’ve absolutely cleaned the bath now with Zoy & Brookses & I also washed Susan today in Lux

Many thanks for the slacks. Ask Ted if he can send the derzi 10/-

Best love to all. Yr loving son

Richard

It’s difficult to tell when this was written. Richard  says “it’s nice having the car again” and Paul mentions an accident in his letter of the 30th June in reply to a letter from Gertrude, so I have posted this on the first Saturday after then, the 3rd July.

Richard wrote this before Ben got a job in August, but in weather good enough for Ben and Dreda to sleep outside and for Bournemouth to be full of people on holiday. Ted was with Gertrude when she was visited by senior officers (“Gold Hats”), so it was after he was wounded in May but before he was declared fit for service which in August. On 24 August, Paul mentions Dick and Jim looking for dress suits, but they presumably went to more than one dance.  

When I first read this, I wondered who or what was Susan that she could be washed in soap? A dog? A bicycle? We do eventually find out….