438th AAA AW BN
APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
January 14, 1944 1100
Dearest darling Wilma –
I’m enjoying a short pause in my morning’s activities and I thought I’d start a letter to you. You are so omnipresent in my mind, dear, that with the first free moment in a day – my first reaction is to write you.
If the lines are crooked, sweetheart, excuse it please. I’ve been writing so long on my fancy lined paper that I find myself concentrating on trying to write a straight line. This paper isn’t much better – but as a matter of fact, paper is quite a problem in England and stationery is just about unobtainable. So G-I paper comes in handy.
I really expected a letter or two from you last night, but none came. It was one of the fullest, longest evenings I’ve spent since we arrived here, darling. There was no movie on – and the only entertainment was a U.S.O. show which was visiting here. Somehow I didn’t feel like going to that. A few of the fellows did – and consequently there were only 3 of us around our recreation room most of the evening. I listened to the radio and sat in an easy chair, with my eyes shut – just thinking of you and home. Always, darling, I find myself noting the day, date and hour and imagining what we, you and I, would be doing if I were in the U.S. (Note: it always ends up satisfactorily!)
A month from now is Valentine’s Day and I’ve already hunted high and low for something as a remembrance – Sweetheart – England is cleaned out of everything. It’s amazing. I can’t even find a Dunhill pipe – which I wasn’t particularly interested in buying, but which I like to look at. Nevertheless I don’t give up too easily and as a substitute I’m having something made right here in camp – just as a little token, dear. Now there’s no sense in asking me what it is – because I’ll only tell you just as much as I want to. You’ll just have to wait, sweetheart. I suppose it isn’t fair to tease you over a little thing like this. One of my boys is making it and he got the idea (with my help, naturally) from some boys in the Air Corps. I will further enlighten you, darling, by telling you that it’s made out of glass – not ordinary glass – but plexi-glass, from the nose of a Flying Fortress. It’s really interesting to see what can be done with it – but that’s all, darling, no more will I say. After all – you went and guessed what I was giving you for your birthday – and trifling as it is – I’ll be darned if you can guess what this is. It ought to be ready soon – and I’ll send it our immediately. If it reaches you before February 14th – I know of course that you’ll wait until then, dear. (heh, heh)
There are other ways of being remembered on Valentine’s Day, darling, but being in England does not help one bit. However – but that’s all, definitely!
This afternoon I have nothing particularly to do, dear, except kill time – which is very difficult to do these days. Late afternoon I begin hounding the mail clerk –
Darling, I was interrupted and then lunch hour was on hand. I’ve just finished a couple of details – and I’ll try to finish this, this time. You know, dear, there’s one subject I’ve been neglecting to remind you of – namely – that of kisses. I might pun and say that’s a ‘sore’ subject with me – but since you were never really affected, I’ll not mention it. However I figure that I owe you, you owe me – or anyway you want to put it – exactly 4006 kisses. Now you just can’t take a pencil and paper, put down 69 days since I last saw you, divide that into 4006 and get a daily average of 58.1 kisses. No dear, it’s not that simple – because several factors enter into it. For one thing, you don’t ration kisses in such a manner that you end up a day saying, “well 52 kisses, 6.1 more to go”. I think you’ll grant me that.
The subject actually brings into question – moods, situations, how much of a day I might have been near you etc. How I arrived at 4006 for a grand total to date, will have to remain my secret for the time being, sweetheart. Suffice it to say, I would settle for 3000 in cash kisses right now – but not less, mind you. And remember, darling, when I return – there will be the current kisses to take care of beside those in arrears. I thought it only fair to remind you.
Wouldn’t just one little kiss taste so wonderful, right now!! Ah well – I’m trying to mix the present with the future, and I guess that’s not the way the game is played. I’ll wait it out, darling, but you can’t blame a guy for thinking, can you? That’s all for now, my sweetheart and
I’m enjoying a short pause in my morning’s activities and I thought I’d start a letter to you. You are so omnipresent in my mind, dear, that with the first free moment in a day – my first reaction is to write you.
If the lines are crooked, sweetheart, excuse it please. I’ve been writing so long on my fancy lined paper that I find myself concentrating on trying to write a straight line. This paper isn’t much better – but as a matter of fact, paper is quite a problem in England and stationery is just about unobtainable. So G-I paper comes in handy.
I really expected a letter or two from you last night, but none came. It was one of the fullest, longest evenings I’ve spent since we arrived here, darling. There was no movie on – and the only entertainment was a U.S.O. show which was visiting here. Somehow I didn’t feel like going to that. A few of the fellows did – and consequently there were only 3 of us around our recreation room most of the evening. I listened to the radio and sat in an easy chair, with my eyes shut – just thinking of you and home. Always, darling, I find myself noting the day, date and hour and imagining what we, you and I, would be doing if I were in the U.S. (Note: it always ends up satisfactorily!)
A month from now is Valentine’s Day and I’ve already hunted high and low for something as a remembrance – Sweetheart – England is cleaned out of everything. It’s amazing. I can’t even find a Dunhill pipe – which I wasn’t particularly interested in buying, but which I like to look at. Nevertheless I don’t give up too easily and as a substitute I’m having something made right here in camp – just as a little token, dear. Now there’s no sense in asking me what it is – because I’ll only tell you just as much as I want to. You’ll just have to wait, sweetheart. I suppose it isn’t fair to tease you over a little thing like this. One of my boys is making it and he got the idea (with my help, naturally) from some boys in the Air Corps. I will further enlighten you, darling, by telling you that it’s made out of glass – not ordinary glass – but plexi-glass, from the nose of a Flying Fortress. It’s really interesting to see what can be done with it – but that’s all, darling, no more will I say. After all – you went and guessed what I was giving you for your birthday – and trifling as it is – I’ll be darned if you can guess what this is. It ought to be ready soon – and I’ll send it our immediately. If it reaches you before February 14th – I know of course that you’ll wait until then, dear. (heh, heh)
There are other ways of being remembered on Valentine’s Day, darling, but being in England does not help one bit. However – but that’s all, definitely!
This afternoon I have nothing particularly to do, dear, except kill time – which is very difficult to do these days. Late afternoon I begin hounding the mail clerk –
1430
Darling, I was interrupted and then lunch hour was on hand. I’ve just finished a couple of details – and I’ll try to finish this, this time. You know, dear, there’s one subject I’ve been neglecting to remind you of – namely – that of kisses. I might pun and say that’s a ‘sore’ subject with me – but since you were never really affected, I’ll not mention it. However I figure that I owe you, you owe me – or anyway you want to put it – exactly 4006 kisses. Now you just can’t take a pencil and paper, put down 69 days since I last saw you, divide that into 4006 and get a daily average of 58.1 kisses. No dear, it’s not that simple – because several factors enter into it. For one thing, you don’t ration kisses in such a manner that you end up a day saying, “well 52 kisses, 6.1 more to go”. I think you’ll grant me that.
The subject actually brings into question – moods, situations, how much of a day I might have been near you etc. How I arrived at 4006 for a grand total to date, will have to remain my secret for the time being, sweetheart. Suffice it to say, I would settle for 3000 in cash kisses right now – but not less, mind you. And remember, darling, when I return – there will be the current kisses to take care of beside those in arrears. I thought it only fair to remind you.
Wouldn’t just one little kiss taste so wonderful, right now!! Ah well – I’m trying to mix the present with the future, and I guess that’s not the way the game is played. I’ll wait it out, darling, but you can’t blame a guy for thinking, can you? That’s all for now, my sweetheart and
All my love
Greg
Regards to all the family.
L.
G.
* TIDBIT *
about The B-17 Flying Fortress
about The B-17 Flying Fortress
Here is a 10 minute video about the Memphis Belle, a B-17 Flying Fortress made famous by the movie made about it. At several points there are good shots of the plexi-glass nose like the one from which Greg had a gift made for Wilma. As for the mission, pretty scary stuff.
