No Date · Postmarked Nov. 10, 1942
A really homesick man.
All I can think of is you and the baby.
Letter #1 · Somewhere in British Isles (No Date)
Dearest Ginny
From now on I cannot date my letters—new rules. I lost my pen last night and had to buy this one which doesn’t work any good.
Thank God I was able to get some of my letters which had been forwarded. I got your letters airmailed on Sept. 26 and Sept 29. and mother’s letter via regular mail posted on Sept 29. It looks as though they both came the same way. No packages have come yet & I hope they come soon or I may not get them for quite some time.
Are you buying cigarettes yourself or getting the tax free ones from Philips Morris. They only cost 70–75¢ if you get them that way.—postage pd.
Your letters state that you still didn’t know whether I had received your letters. They have come in since.—You should have received a telegram which so stated. I sent it about 2 weeks ago.
I’m praying your picture gets here today—as I want it with me badly. If not today I hope it gets to me—sometime soon
I hope you are able to find a place you like to live in. Don’t rush into some place you will want to move out of right away.
I wish I could see the little Princess putting on her cute little stunts. It must be a thrill to watch her when she does something cute—like spanking baby for wetting panties.—and standing on her head
Honey I love you with all my heart. I can only hope that all this will be over soon and that I can …
… be back with you soon. Who knows? All I can think of is you and the baby and I’m a really homesick man—I get a [sickening?] feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I think of home & you. Darling, I kick myself all the time for not appreciating you fully and giving you the love and affection you should have had. We never appreciate what we have until you can’t have it. Always remember & know honey that I love you and think of you—keep writing to me no matter what. Those letters keeps my spirit up and keep me going.
Last call for mail is coming up, so will close and get this posted.
All my love
Your
John.
About this letter
John marked this one “Letter #1” and headed it “Somewhere in British Isles (No Date).” Starting now, the Army would not let him date his letters.
ABOUT THE DATEIt was written after the Oct. 23 letter, while he was still in Britain, most likely in late October 1942, just before the division sailed for North Africa. Mail was held during the invasion, so it was not postmarked until Nov. 10, two days after the landings.
THE ENVELOPEIt went to Ginny at the old address in Glendale and was forwarded to [street address left out], the house she rented while he was away.
READING CLOSELY
“Keep writing to me no matter what. Those letters keeps my spirit up and keep me going.” His wife, Ginny, was looking for a new place to live. The envelope was readdressed after it reached Glendale.
“Spanking baby” is probably Linda spanking her doll.
Philips Morris: cigarette companies sold tax-free cartons, postage paid, to be mailed to servicemen overseas.
The Big Picture
A secret invasion
By fall 1942, America had been at war less than a year. The Soviet Union wanted a second front: a new Allied attack on Germany to take pressure off the Russians.
American generals wanted to invade France. The British said it was too soon. In July, President Roosevelt decided Americans would fight Germany in 1942, in French North Africa.
The plan was called Operation Torch. About 107,000 American and British troops would land in Morocco and Algeria. The target was kept secret.
Where he was
Somewhere in the British Isles, most likely on the Firth of Clyde, where the 1st Division was loading ships for the invasion of North Africa. Mail was held until after the landings, so this was not postmarked until Nov. 10.
In this letter. The new rule against dating letters was security: a date and a postmark could tell an enemy when a unit had moved.