10 February, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

10 February, 1944      1400

Dearest darling Wilma –

It’s a dark, gray day today and I’ve seen snow falling for the first time in a long, long while. Remember, dear, I was South on maneuvers last year and saw no snow then. Actually here – the snow is melting as it falls and so there’s no accumulation. I am now in my quarters, it’s windy and cold outside, but really quite comfortable here, darling.

This morning it was quite clear out and instead of riding around to the various sections in a jeep, I thought I’d use the bicycle. As I once told you, dear, everyone uses the bike in England and the American soldiers have taken it up too. The reason for this is that bicycles are made available for almost anyone who wants to use it. So I have one for my own use. Naturally, they’re all of English make and darned good. The brakes are applied by hand levers and the bikes are very speedy. I covered several miles this morning with very little effort. I thought my legs would tire, darling, but they didn’t. I must be in pretty good shape. No wonder though, – plenty of sleep, good food, plenty of fresh air, plus exercise. Sweetheart – if I should embrace you now, there’s no telling what would happen (you can interpret that in any way you like, dear).

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE THE HAND BRAKES

8th Bomber Command, B-17 Flying Fortress
ground crew on English bicycles.

Well last night – as the night before – I received a letter from you. This one was dated January 28th and although you said you felt blue – your letter was swell, darling, and made me feel very good – so you really weren’t too blue for me.

I’m glad you finally got the little book I sent you. It wasn’t so much the story – which incidentally was light and amusing – as the title that attracted my attention. I try, darling, in as many ways as I can to tell you how much I love you and miss you. When I can get the aid of a book which blazens forth I Love You, I Love You, I Love You – I couldn’t help but use that too.

I’m glad, too, that you’re receiving Yank now. I wondered if it would get to you. As you see, we get it weekly, and some of the items are interesting. I thought it would help you project yourself a little bit more easily into our environment. You’ll get to know and like “Sad Sack” who exemplifies the Army “Ne’er-do-well”; I find “Mail Call” particularly interesting. It concerns the enlisted men mostly and they discuss, or try to – any and all subjects – not always in the choicest language either. When I get back, darling, I’ll expect you to understand my G-I talk completely. Incidentally the newest in the Snafu, Sasfu series is Fubar which stands for ‘fouled up beyond all recognition’.

Cover of Yank - The Army Weekly
9 January, 1944

Anyway – having received the book etc. – I feel that anything else I might want to send you ought to get to you. And by the way darling – you remember I promised you a Zippo lighter. Do you still want one – or does anyone in the family want one? If so – I can get one. They’re different over here – in that they’re black – for camouflage purposes – but it’s the same good lighter. If you don’t want it, I might send it to my brother. Let me know, dear. They’re just as difficult to get here – as in the States.

In a letter of a couple of days ago, dear, you mention the possibility of being at my house for Passover. Gee – I hope you can make it. I know though how you must feel about Grandma B. – and I can’t blame you. Maybe you could get over on one of the nights; it seems to me they celebrate on two nights. Your presence at my house for one of the Sedars would be very symbolic to me – as I always pictured no one but my wife or wife-to-be at one of those Jewish Holiday things. I’m glad anyway, darling, that my folks want you to come because it shows me how much they think of you, dear – that they want you to be present at anything resembling an intimate family gathering.

Sweetheart I know my folks love you – and since I do too, everything will work out fine. I love you, dear, – I can’t tell you often enough – because I want you to know how much. Do you?

I’ll stop for now, darling, and I’ll write again tomorrow. Until then, so long and be well. Keep your spirits up, dear – we’ll be so happy when we’re together again that this sacrifice now will not seem too hard.

All my love, dearest –

Greg.

* TIDBIT *

about "Sad Sack"

"Sad Sack" was the creation of Sergeant George Baker, a cartoonist who had worked for four years at Disney Studios contributing to Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. After being inducted into the Army in June of 1941, he spent his evenings drawing cartoons of Army life using the "Sad Sack" as the bewildered civilian trying to be a soldier. Yank magazine, which was then forming as a magazine written entirely by enlisted men, invited him to join their staff. In his three and a half years with Yank, he was sent at various times to five overseas bureaus, in Panama, Italy, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan. A humorous, interesting and brief autobiography of George Baker can be read at: Sad Sack - George Bakers's Autobiography.

Many examples of "Sad Sack" as it appeared in Yank can be seen on the official Sad Sack web site. Here is an example from there:

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

09 February, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

9 February, 1944 1030

Dearest sweetheart -

At last the pieces are coming together and as the mail trickles in, dear, I’m learning about your job, its problems etc. Today – a little while ago I received three letters from you from the 9th, 11th and 12th of January. I really can’t figure the mail out at all. Sometimes it’s so rapid and other times – it takes a month for airmail. I don’t really care, though, because as long as I hear from you I’m happy.

I also got two cards from you, dear, my Birthday card and a swell Valentine card. Both were perfect, darling, and I’ll put them up on my shelf on either side of your picture – just in case there’s any doubt in any one’s mind who you are, dear.

By the way, you are much prettier than the girl portrayed under the apple tree – but the sentiment throughout could not be any prettier, sweetheart, – and I believe you. In that connection you mention in your letter of January 12th that you’ve had no desire to go out at all – and how about me? I guess by now you must know how I feel about that – but there’s no harm in repeating myself on that score. Darling – you don’t have to go to a pub for the opportunity – as you put it. You can find it on the streets of any town or city in England. Actually it’s disgusting to me – and even if I had the desire (which I assure you I don’t, dear) I would hesitate to have anything at all to do with any one of the girls that float around. The status of disease among the British, incidentally, is appallingly high. No, sweetheart, I have had nothing and don’t intend to have anything to do with any of them. When we do go to a pub – and it isn’t often – I find it pleasant to talk with some middle-aged British couple, who are usually very friendly and like to ask a lot of questions about America. Most of the time, as you know, I actually spend my evenings in camp, writing, reading or listening to the radio. Although I’m naturally lonesome, darling – I am never bored and I never miss the company of girls – except one. That’s the truth, sweetheart, and I know I won’t change. I’m saving myself for you exclusively, and no amount of time, travel or change of position will make me feel differently.

Well – Maggie – by now you may not even be working on the job – but you’re still very magnetic as far as I’m concerned – and it was a good choice of names.

You mention Stan in one of the three letters I got today – and again there’s that recurrence of his telling you one thing, and everyone else – another, in respect to him and Shirley. His reason for that I don’t know – but in his last letter to me he made no mention of it at all. He said that Shirley had received my letter and he thanked me for writing to her. I don’t get it at all, dear, but then it’s none of my concern. The fact is that we understand each other and that’s what I’m really interested in.

I haven’t as yet told you about my attendance of the Conference on War Medicine. I got to London Sunday evening, checked in at a Hotel and had a few Scotches in the lounge. The hotel is a quiet one, with a few soldiers and mostly civilians. I read and relaxed and retired early. In the a.m. I proceeded to Wimpole and the Royal Society of Medicine. The building is much like our Mass. Med. Society building in the Fenway.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Once the Massachusetts Medical Society
8 The Fenway, Boston, MA USA


Royal Society of Medicine
1 Wimpole Street, London, UK

The meeting started at 1030 – went to 1230 and then we had a buffet lunch. There must have been about 150 MD’s there from the U.S., Britain, Free France, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, Poland, Norway and a couple of other places I can’t remember. All the officers in this country who are from occupied countries wear the name of their country on their sleeves and that’s how we know them.

The meeting reconvened at 1400 and closed at 1600. The subject matter, darling, is classified as more or less secret – so I can’t discuss it. I got to the Station and headed back here.

Yesterday – as I’ve mentioned – we had a big Medical inspection of our own men – by a visiting team. They questioned them on basic, technical, tactical and practical problems. The boys came thru with flying colors and I’m certain we’ll get a good grade on it.

So there you are – sweetheart – up to date with me. I’m glad you find my letters “newsie” – as you put it. I’m trying always to let you know what my activities are – so you can imagine what I’m doing all of the time.

Darling – as far as beds are concerned – believe me, it won’t make any difference to me at all. It will be your choice entirely, and that goes for anything else you want, too. I’ll be glad to help you – and I think you’ll find me cooperative.

I got a letter from Dr. Finnegan today – bringing me up to date with Salem. Apparently everything’s about the same; also heard from Dave Becker – whom you don’t know, I believe. He manages the Kay Jewelry Store in Salem. He mentioned that a former patient of mine – a Mrs. Mary Walsh – was in the store some time ago. She’s expecting a baby and stated she wished I was around to deliver her. I was glad to hear she remembered me. Darling – some of them are bound to come back to me – you’ll see.

I better stop now or I won’t be able to get this into an envelope. Sweetheart – again I tell you I love your letters – and the things you write in them. Maybe it’s because I love you so much. But keep it up, dearest, your spirit is excellent and everything will turn out as we want it to. Best regards from Pete and Charlie who ask about you often. Regards to your family and for now – so long.

All my love, darling

Greg

08 February, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

8 February, 1944       1600

My dearest sweetheart -

You are so sweet to me I don’t know what to say or write. What you make difficult for me to understand, dear, is how I made you love me, so earnestly and sincerely in so short a time. I still find it hard to realize that I’m so fortunate in having so lovable a girl interested in me. Darling, believe me when I say I appreciate it. I always will, and that no amount of attention and love that I show you when we’re finally together again, will ever repay the warm feeling of satisfaction and comfort you give me when I read your letters and thank the Lord that I have you and am able to hold you – even though we’re so far apart, even though our courtship was so relatively short, even though – I must confess – I wondered whether you would continue to love me after I left and the months slipped by. I wanted you darling – more than I told you, wanted you and yet I honestly feared I couldn’t hold you for myself and yet leave Boston. I knew you were attractive, desirable, very datable – and I was afraid of the competition. None of this is written to belittle my estimation of your avowed affection, sweetheart. I believed you but felt that I hadn’t been around long enough to cement our feelings. Being older I was surer of my own. Your courage and ability to instill courage in me are unbelievable – and when I read a letter of yours, straightforward and with spirit – why, dear, I just don’t know what to do. Were I near you, I could show you, do things for you, send you flowers, call you – and in as many ways as possible show you how much I really loved you.

It’s so maddening to feel all these things, to read your letters, to look at your picture – and yet not be able to embrace you, hold you tightly to me and say nice things to you that you could actually hear. The fact is, darling, that when I write the word, it seems so cold and matter-of-fact. It’s just there on paper and no amount of effort seems able to convey to you my actual emotions. You must remember then, dear, that I love you and cherish you as I have no other girl; you must always remember that no one exists for me in my future but you – and you must have the patience to await my return until I can prove to you that I was worth waiting for.

No matter how long the delay in getting my letters – you must – and I know you do – feel that I’m writing you constantly – and thinking of you even more than that, if it’s possible. I was sorry to read in your latest letter that a week had passed without your hearing from me. By now you no doubt have – Why there should be that much delay, I don’t know. Your last letter – which I found waiting for me when I returned from the Medical meeting late last night – was written and mailed January 31st, dear, and that breaks all records for me for delivery. It means it arrived on the 6th of February and that’s almost too good to be true. There are several letters between the 21st and 31st that must be on their way.

Your good wishes on my birthday, sweetheart, were wonderfully expressed and I’ve already re-read that letter several times. Whatever you wished, dear, will be for both of us, and I know we’ll deserve it all.

I still can’t get over the fact that we grew to care so much for each other in so short a time. But the how, the when and the why are immaterial. The fact is we do and I thank God for that.

I’m pretty tired right now, darling, and I’m going to stop soon. I’ll tell you about my trip to London for the Medical Meeting tomorrow. Today – was the day of our inspection – and it seems as if I’ve been tearing along at top speed ever since Sunday afternoon. I’ve just come back from the inspection and all went off slick.

For now, Sweetheart, I’ll stop – but I do thank you, in every way I know how, for your swell birthday wishes. I’ll write again tomorrow – and until then – my sincerest love is yours.

All my love

Greg

Regards to the family.

Love

G.

* TIDBIT *

about Medical Proficiency Training

Along with an inspection, Greg had been training his men for First Aid Medical Proficiency testing. The three main areas to be covered consisted of Application of Drugs and Compounds, Application of Dressing and Bandages, and Application of Medical Forms. There is a very detailed list of items and their usage at the WWII Medical Research Centre site. During training, medical department troops would have been familiarized with the majority if not all of the materials used for these applications, since they may soon be called upon to use any of them.

Here are a few examples of what the men needed to know:

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Burn Injury Set (Sulfadiazine Ointment [5%]
Use wooden applicator to spread ointment evenly
over burned surfaces or onto dressing
which is to be applied to these surfaces.


Bandage, Gauze Compress, 2 x 2 Inches:
For dressing small wounds.


Field Medical Record Jacket:
Used for enclosing the field medical card, emergency
medical tag and any other clinical record of value.
Note the substantial metal eyelet and string
structure for securing the form to the patient.

07 February, 1944

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about the Inter-Allied Conferences on War Medicine

While in London, Greg attended an Inter-Allied Conferences on War Medicine. The conferences were convened by the British Royal Society of Medicine and included the following three topics: medical organization techniques in connection with paratroops and airborne troops, personal experiences as a prisoner of war with special reference to dietetics, and operational strain (psychological casualties in the field). There were a total of 11 speakers, some British and some American, each speaking for 10-20 minutes followed by a question and answer period. Lunch was served at 12:30 pm and tea was served at 4 pm. The agenda is shown at the bottom of this post.

The first speaker, Captain Alexander Lipmann-Kessel, a 29-year old South African surgeon, later proved himself a hero and was a recipient of the British Military Cross.

Alexander Lipmann-Kessel

This text of his award was copied from the website Pegasus Archive.

Captain Lipmann-Kessel commanded one of the surgical teams of 16 Parachute Field Ambulance which established a Dressing Station in the Elizabeth Hospital, ARNHEM, after the capture of the main bridge. The hospital was subsequently recaptured and came under German control. Captain Lipmann-Kessel must have saved many lives by his skill as a surgeon working under most difficult conditions. On several occasions the hospital came under both German and British fire. The windows of the operating theatre were blown in and, apart from these difficulties, the Germans often interferred and attempted to remove the personnel from the surgical teams. Later when most of the wounded had been evacuated, Captain Lipmann-Kessel was left behind with 30 seriously wounded cases. He continued to perform his duties as a surgeon with the greatest skill and, at the same time, forestalled the Germans in any attempt they made to interfere with the working of the hospital. Finally, Captain Lipmann-Kessel showed great initiative in escaping from captivity. This officer has a great reputation for his gallantry, skill and devotion to duty while carrying out his work under the most difficult and dangerous conditions on many occasions. I, Brigadier Lathbury, recommend him most strongly for the immediate award of the Military Cross.

British POWs at Arnhem

Captain Lipmann-Kessel was taken prisoner when the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Arnhem, was occupied by the Germans on 18th September 1944. Following the evacuation of the lightly wounded, Captain Lipmann-Kessel was one of a small rear detachment who, whilst they were unguarded, were not asked to give their parole. In addition to his medical duties, Captain Lipmann-Kessel found time to organise a "transit camp" for evaders in the area. It was due to his efforts that a wireless and a quantity of Machine Guns and detonators stored in the hospital reached members of the Underground. On 13th October 1944 the remainder of the patients and staff were removed to Apeldoorn. As the majority of the wounded had already been sent to Germany, Captain Lipmann-Kessel received permission to escape, and two nights later he left the building unchallenged, with 3 other members of the R.A.M.C. After marching North for two nights the 4 escapers came into the hands of friends, and were hidden for a month until an evacuation of a large number of Allied personnel had been arranged. Captain Lipmann-Kessel acted as interpreter to the expedition, which unfortunately was not entirely successful. When he and two officers found themselves alone after an encounter with Germans, they returned to the Otterloo - Barneveld area.

Captain Lipmann-Kessel made two more efforts to reach safety before he finally met a British Unit near Lage-Ewaluwe on 10th February 1945 after a very hazardous journey.

This officer's work in keeping lightly wounded personnel on the 'danger' list, in order to give them a chance of escaping, has been warmly praised by Brigadier Hackett.

In 1958, Lipmann-Kessel wrote a book of his experiences, Surgeon at Arms, under the pen name of Daniel Paul. The book was reprinted in the 1974 under his real name. Lipmann-Kessel died in 1986 and, at his request, was buried in the Netherlands close to Arnhem, to be near his airborne friends.

Grave of Alexander Lipmann-Kessel in Arnhem, The Netherlands

Here is the agenda for the meeting at which Lipmann-Kessel spoke first.

CLICK ON AGENDA TO ENLARGE

06 February, 1944 (Salem News)

[Note from FOURTHCHILD: Here is the newspaper clipping from the Salem Evening News, referred to in Greg's letter on this date. As usual, his last name is edited out for privacy reasons.]

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

06 February, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

6 February, 1944     0835

Dearest sweetheart -

This is pretty early for a Sunday morning, dear, but if I don’t write now I probably won’t be able to get a chance to write you later in the day. As I wrote you yesterday, darling, I’m off for London – but I have to take off this p.m. – because the Conference starts early in the a.m. tomorrow. In order not to cancel my review of first-aid – etc. which I have been doing in the afternoon, I moved it up to the morning and we’re going to start at 0930 and go to 1130.

Again – last night darling – I got another letter from you – and if there’s a better tonic than getting a letter from you every day or so – I’d fail to know what it is, dear. And your letter was written on the 21st of January – which is the very latest from you to date.

The sweater you describe sounds peachy, dear, and I’d love to be wearing it now. Now darling, don’t wear it out showing it to everybody! After all I want to be able to surprise a few people with it. Did your Mother ever get through that other sweater she was purling on for what seemed so long a time? I certainly thought it would be a duration’s project, but here she is starting another one.

Little by little I’m getting to know more and more about your job, sweetheart. The one letter which must have told me just what it is – has not come yet. In yesterday’s letter I first hear the name Filene’s, street-floor, and upstairs and I’m beginning to get an idea of what’s what. So Filene’s would know me if I walked in? The other girls, I assume, have boy friends, of course – only between sales! I’m glad, dear, that the neighbors are getting to know me – so when I drive up they’ll all be able to say, ‘Here comes Greg for Wilma,’ and a little later, ‘Here comes Wilma with Greg’. I’m also glad about your relatives, darling, because I want to know them well and have them like me. I’m certain that I’ll like them all – because that’s the way I felt when I met them. So Grandma B. got my letter? If you’ll jot me her address from time to time, dear, I’ll keep in touch with her. She always seemed very friendly to me – and that’s more than you can say for a lot of Grandmothers.

You asked me in a letter of a couple of days ago whether or not I was keeping in contact with various people in Salem. I guess you know by now that I am – I certainly don’t want to get out of contact. In that connection – I’m enclosing a clipping which a former patient of mine sent me – with the statement – “this appeared on the front page of the Salem Evening News”. That paper, by the way – is the bible and paper of Salem, conservative etc. etc. The underline with pencil was put down by the patient, by the way, dear and not me. So you see I’m still considered an integral part of the Salem Hospital – which I knew anyway. By the way, dear, I hope you don’t mind the H. Gregory part – but that’s the way they carry me on their records at the hospital.

Darling, I’ll have to stop now and get going – or my boys will think I’ve overslept (I’m writing this in my quarters and not from the dispensary!) I don’t know whether or not I’ll have a chance to write you tomorrow, dear; it depends on what time in the evening I get back from London. At any rate – you’ll be with me in spirit, Sweetheart, as you always are wherever I am.

You sounded a bit tired in your last letter, dear, and I hope you are not over-working. Until tomorrow, then, darling – I’ll say so long and I sure would love to carry out the words of “Embrace Me” which you mentioned. Do you get black and blue easily, dear? Seems to me you once mentioned that. Oh well – I’ll be able to treat you, anyway. Solong for now – Sweetheart and

All my love

Greg

Regards!

Love, G.

* TIDBIT *

about Embraceable You

This song was originally written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named East is West. It was eventually published in 1930 and included in the Broadway musical Girl Crazy, where it was performed by Ginger Rogers in a song and dance routine choreographed by Fred Astaire. The orchestra for the performance was the Red Nichols Band which included Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, and Gene Krupa. George Gershwin conducted the music at the premier before handing the baton over to Earl Busby. Girl Crazy would run for 272 performances.

The Broadway show was adapted for film versions by RKO in 1932, by MGM in 1943, and again by MGM in 1966, with the title When the Boys Meet the Girls. The 1943 MGM version of Girl Crazy was the eighth Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland film and was generally well reviewed. Over sixty years after making its debut, Girl Crazy was once again on Broadway, this time as the basis for the 1992 hit Crazy For You which ran for 1622 performances. Seven of the songs from Girl Crazy were included in the score along with 13 other Gershwin songs. Here is Judy Garland singing Embraceable You as Wilma most likely heard it around this time. The lyrics follow the clip.

Embraceable You
Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, 1928

Dozens of boys would storm up.
I had to lock my door.
Somehow I wouldn't warm up
to one before.

What was it that controlled me?
What kept my love life lean?
My intuition told me you'd come on the scene.
If you listen to the rhythm of my heartbeat
You will get just what I mean.

Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you.

Just one look at you my heart grew tipsy in me.
You and you alone bring out the Gypsy in me.
I love all the many charms about you.
Above all, I want my arms about you.

Don't be a naughty papa.
Come to baby, come to baby do
My sweet embraceable you

Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you.
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you.

In my arms I find you so delectable, dear.
I'm afraid it isn't quite respectable, dear.
But hang it! Come on let's glorify love!
Ding Dang it! You'll shout "Encore!" if I love

Oh, don't be a naughty baby.
Come to papa, come to papa do
My sweet embraceable you

05 February, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

5 February, 1944     1745

Dearest darling Wilma -

I have just finished my evening meal and I’m ready to say ‘hello’ again. I didn’t eat much for supper dear – because I thought we’d eat at the Copley later, but then I remembered I forgot to make reservations, so we’d better put it off.

Today I did a bit of traveling around in the morning and got back here for lunch. In view of our coming inspection next week I thought it wise to conduct a comprehensive review of various subject matters. We started at 1330 and continued almost until 1700. I think we accomplished quite a bit.

Late yesterday, darling, I got a swell letter from you – written Jan. 13th. You mentioned that Mary had brought you one of my letters to the store. It was nice of her to do it, Sweetheart, and thank her for me. Dearest – it was a sweet letter and very thoughtful – and if you are trying to endear yourself to me, darling, you can’t imagine how much you are succeeding. Gosh – I love you so much and so hard, I don’t know what to do, except to tell you about it. You thrill me beyond anything I have ever experienced just by your sincere expression in words, of your love for me. Do you know what I mean, dear? Just to see in words written by someone so dear to me – gives me the warmest, most stimulating sensation I have ever had. We seem so close to each other in our letters, closer almost than when I last saw you, and yet normally so. It has all been natural, steady and sincere between us, and darling your love and mine must end in happiness for both of us. I surprise myself in writing this way – which I admit was most foreign to me before I met you dear. I hope I don’t sound gushy. I don’t feel so, but then – it’s hard to put feelings like this into words and yet have them retain their full meaning.

In connection with your work, dear, my brother wrote that he thought you were working three nights a week. Is that true? Are you sure you’re not working too hard? I couldn’t help laugh at your father’s predicament with the locked car – although I know it wasn’t very funny at the time. The fact is I laughed because it has happened to me and I remember how disconcerted I was. That’s the trouble with General Motor’s cars. By the way, dearest, I still haven’t heard when you go to work, when you get thru, how you go etc. I try to fit you into each part of the day, darling and if you’re in a streetcar at a certain hour – I want to be able to picture you there.

Tomorrow, dear, I’m giving another long review. Tonite – after I finish this letter – I’m going to relax and read a novel by Kenneth Roberts – ‘Oliver Wiswell’ – I believe I mentioned it to you before.

Well, Sweetheart, that’s all for now – but before closing I want you to know again how much I love the sweetness and sincerity of your letters, and therefore – of you. I shall try to be the same, darling. Until tomorrow – and eventually for always, dear. You have

All my love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Kenneth Roberts and Oliver Wiswell


Kenneth Roberts on the Cover
Time, 25 November, 1940

In the 25 November, 1940 issue of TIME, a review of Oliver Wiswell and its author, Kenneth Roberts, was featured. As mentioned in a previous letter from Greg, his intern friend at Beverly Hospital, Ken Cuneo, was Kenneth Robert's doctor in Kennebunk, Maine. Excerpts of this article (taken out of order) can be read below.

Kenneth Roberts's respect for cold facts, his tirelessness in tracking down historical obscurities and his fearlessness in publishing what he finds, have resulted in some shocking reversals of U. S. cultural myths. In two of his books, Roberts has heroized traitor Benedict Arnold. This week the same qualities resulted in another first-class historical shocker.

"Oliver Wiswell is a sustained and uncompromising report of the American Revolution from the Tory viewpoint. As a story, Oliver Wiswell is one of the best yarns Novelist Roberts has spun. It is packed with people, battles, sudden flights, escapes, rail-riding mobs, secret service, forlorn defenses, intrigue, massacres, exile, and there is the usual restrained Roberts love story. There are also great scenes: the headlong flight by sea of thousands of Tory refugees and British troops from Boston; the heroic stupidity of the repeated British frontal attacks at Bunker Hill, seen through Tory eyes from Charlestown windows and roof tops.

The novel's plot is simple. Son of a distinguished Massachusetts Tory lawyer, Oliver Wiswell comes home from Yale to find himself caught in the early stages of the American Revolution. When he rescues Tory Printer Thomas Buell from a mob that has tarred and feathered him, Wiswell has already taken sides. By the time a sadder and wiser Wiswell starts a new life in Canada years later, he has fled from Boston to Halifax to New York to London to Paris, back to New York, and down to Virginia in search of Burgoyne's lost army. Most of the novel reports Wiswell's adventures in all these places as a British spy.

Its 836 pages are sustained by Novelist Roberts' wrathful consciousness that while history is always written by the victors, a historical romancer sometimes has a chance to tell the truth. Roberts tells the truth (as he sees it) about the lost cause of American loyalism with as much passion as if he himself had been tarred and feathered by a Massachusetts mob.

Until Kenneth Roberts was 40, he seemed perfectly content as a newspaperman. Out of Cornell (where he had edited the Widow), he went to work on the Boston Post, where he stayed eight years as reporter, feature writer and humorous columnist. He went to Manhattan for brief spells on Puck and the old Life. Then World War I took him to Siberia as a captain in the military intelligence. Thus began nine years of roving in which he covered Europe, Asia and Washington, D. C. for the Saturday Evening Post. Twelve years ago Kenneth Roberts was a top-flight U. S. foreign correspondent. Then he settled down to write novels.

Among other books, key historical novels by Roberts and their topics include:

• Arundel (1929) - The American Revolution through the Battle of Quebec
• The Lively Lady (1931) - War of 1812
• Rabble in Arms (1933) - Sequel to Arundel; the American Revolution through the Battles of Saratoga
• Captain Caution (1934) - War of 1812
• Northwest Passage (1937) - French and Indian War and the Carver expedition
• Oliver Wiswell (1940) - The American Revolution from a Loyalist's perspective, from the Siege of Boston to the United Empire Loyalists
• Lydia Bailey (1947) - The Haitian Revolution and the First Barbary War
• Boon Island (1955) - 1710 shipwreck on Boon Island, Maine

In 1957, two months before his death, Roberts received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation "for his historical novels which have long contributed to the creation of greater interest in our early American history."