438th AAA AW BN
APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
25 March, 1944 1900
My dearest darling –
This is a real Saturday evening if ever I saw one. The boys have all gotten dressed and walked down town to go pubbing. I didn’t get around to dressing and besides I hadn’t the opportunity to write you earlier today. So I’m in my room where it’s nice and quiet and I feel close to you again.
Gee I had a swell dream about you last night darling; no plot, no story – all I was doing was kissing you and boy! was I kissing you! I’m sure it lasted several hours because I was even tired in my dream. Oh well – it won’t always be thus, Sweetheart. It’s bound to be real, one of these days.
There was no mail again today and the boys are kind of put out about it. There’s a good reason, no doubt – and soon we’ll get a bunch of it. There would be one of those periodic delays – just when I’m most anxious to receive my mail promptly. Maybe tomorrow.
Today, dear, Saturday – was the routine inspection day and Charlie and I inspected all the kitchens. We walked – because it was so nice out and spent the whole morning doing it too. It was a kind of busy day in town, today. A very famous boy’s school is situated here, the equivalent of one of our better prep schools. The boys – anywhere from 12-17, I should say, wear wide brimmed hard straw hats with colored bands, and neckties to match – and every one of them wears the inevitable gray flannel suit. The school ranks next to Eton and Harrow in exclusiveness, was founded in the year 705 and was attended by King Alfred the First – so you can gather something about the age and background of this whole area.
Saturday is a half day now, for us, but I went back to our Dispensary and finished my map board. It came out fine and now I can get lost by the map – instead of asking my way. When I returned here to the Castle it was about 1500 and I was going to write you. But the fellows had rigged up a Volley Ball court on one of the lawns and I was called on to fill in one of the spots. We played until 1730 and then I had time just to bathe and dress. The bath-tubs in this place, by the way, are big enough to hold about 3 people and deep enough to sail. When I got into one of them today I yelled “man overboard!”, and 3 fellows ran to my rescue. The result was that we all got wet.
When I get through writing you and my folks, darling, I may dress and walk down town to meet the boys. The town has about 30 pubs – two of which are for officers only – so I know I’ll find them in one of the two places. That’s the height of excitement to be expected – but we sing and manage to have a little fun. The names of the pubs are “The Plume and Feathers” and “The Half Moon”. All thru England you see very quaint names of pubs – usually with a fancy painting of the title on the sign. There are names like “The Green Man”, “The Proud Peacock”, “The White Horse”, “The Bird Dog” – and a million others.
I’ve received several Boston Heralds recently and Charlie gets the Philadelphia Inquirer – so we have plenty of old reading material. In addition – I’m now getting my New Eng. Journal of Medicine – and that keeps me up to date somewhat.
So, darling, there you are again – up to date with my activities – but unfortunately – not so with my love. Boy is that mounting up too, dear! My love for you, sweetheart, just keeps going up and up – and since yours I know must be doing the same – well, we’ll be up in the clouds when we meet once again. And what’s more – we’ll stay there – because if ever I was sure of anything, I’m sure of our love for each other and therefore of everything that goes with it. And to think, darling, I once was considered almost too practical to be able to love! Just you wait and see! Fondest regards to the folks, Mary and everyone else you see. So long for now, dear and
This is a real Saturday evening if ever I saw one. The boys have all gotten dressed and walked down town to go pubbing. I didn’t get around to dressing and besides I hadn’t the opportunity to write you earlier today. So I’m in my room where it’s nice and quiet and I feel close to you again.
Gee I had a swell dream about you last night darling; no plot, no story – all I was doing was kissing you and boy! was I kissing you! I’m sure it lasted several hours because I was even tired in my dream. Oh well – it won’t always be thus, Sweetheart. It’s bound to be real, one of these days.
There was no mail again today and the boys are kind of put out about it. There’s a good reason, no doubt – and soon we’ll get a bunch of it. There would be one of those periodic delays – just when I’m most anxious to receive my mail promptly. Maybe tomorrow.
Today, dear, Saturday – was the routine inspection day and Charlie and I inspected all the kitchens. We walked – because it was so nice out and spent the whole morning doing it too. It was a kind of busy day in town, today. A very famous boy’s school is situated here, the equivalent of one of our better prep schools. The boys – anywhere from 12-17, I should say, wear wide brimmed hard straw hats with colored bands, and neckties to match – and every one of them wears the inevitable gray flannel suit. The school ranks next to Eton and Harrow in exclusiveness, was founded in the year 705 and was attended by King Alfred the First – so you can gather something about the age and background of this whole area.
Saturday is a half day now, for us, but I went back to our Dispensary and finished my map board. It came out fine and now I can get lost by the map – instead of asking my way. When I returned here to the Castle it was about 1500 and I was going to write you. But the fellows had rigged up a Volley Ball court on one of the lawns and I was called on to fill in one of the spots. We played until 1730 and then I had time just to bathe and dress. The bath-tubs in this place, by the way, are big enough to hold about 3 people and deep enough to sail. When I got into one of them today I yelled “man overboard!”, and 3 fellows ran to my rescue. The result was that we all got wet.
When I get through writing you and my folks, darling, I may dress and walk down town to meet the boys. The town has about 30 pubs – two of which are for officers only – so I know I’ll find them in one of the two places. That’s the height of excitement to be expected – but we sing and manage to have a little fun. The names of the pubs are “The Plume and Feathers” and “The Half Moon”. All thru England you see very quaint names of pubs – usually with a fancy painting of the title on the sign. There are names like “The Green Man”, “The Proud Peacock”, “The White Horse”, “The Bird Dog” – and a million others.
I’ve received several Boston Heralds recently and Charlie gets the Philadelphia Inquirer – so we have plenty of old reading material. In addition – I’m now getting my New Eng. Journal of Medicine – and that keeps me up to date somewhat.
So, darling, there you are again – up to date with my activities – but unfortunately – not so with my love. Boy is that mounting up too, dear! My love for you, sweetheart, just keeps going up and up – and since yours I know must be doing the same – well, we’ll be up in the clouds when we meet once again. And what’s more – we’ll stay there – because if ever I was sure of anything, I’m sure of our love for each other and therefore of everything that goes with it. And to think, darling, I once was considered almost too practical to be able to love! Just you wait and see! Fondest regards to the folks, Mary and everyone else you see. So long for now, dear and
All my deepest love
Greg
* TIDBIT *
about Sherborne School
Postcards of Sherborne School Enclosed in Letter
CLICK ON POSTCARDS TO ENLARGE
about Sherborne School
Postcards of Sherborne School Enclosed in Letter
CLICK ON POSTCARDS TO ENLARGE
Some historians have speculated that a school must have existed in Sherborne since the 3rd century AD, but that is mere speculation. The school's definite origins date back to 705, when a tradition of education in Sherborne was begun by St. Aldhelm at the Benedictine Abbey. According to legend, Alfred the Great was one of the school's early pupils. The earliest headmaster known was Thomas Copeland in 1437. After the Dissolution of the monasteries, Edward VI refounded the School in 1550 as King Edward's school, a free grammar school for local boys. The present School, which has gone through various changes of fortune since the Protestant Reformation (and no doubt before), stands on land which once belonged to the Monastery. The Library, Chapel and Headmaster's rooms, which adjoin the Abbey Church, are modifications of its original monastic buildings.
The school stood in for Brookfield School in the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Here is a more current photo of Sherborne School, with the Abbey in the background.
The school stood in for Brookfield School in the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Here is a more current photo of Sherborne School, with the Abbey in the background.
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