REGENT PALACE HOTEL,
PICCADILLY CIRCUS,
LONDON, W.1. May 25, 1942
Dear Annilea:
Well my vacation is coming quickly to a close. Took most of the day wandering about London at random. I was out on the new bridge which is almost completed & on which there are 6 lanes. What a span. You know, as I stand to gaze up & down the Thames River & then at the emense stone buildings on either side I can’t help but think of the sweat & blood that must have gone into the making of all these. Imagine! 2000 years ago Caesar invaded this tiny island, never dreaming at the time, that it would at some future date become the heart beat of an Empire spread all over the globe, & house the largest city in the world. Wars have succeeded wars, just as Caesar had to fight in the first instance, & here we are, just another generation, ready to defend its shores from another. Looking back, one wonders if man doesn’t become more primitive rather than civilized????
Love to my Loved Ones,
Arnold
REGENT PALACE HOTEL
PICCADILLY CIRCUS,
LONDON, W.1. May 26, 1942
Darling:
Well! Here I am back in camp again & ready to go to work. Sweet! I never realized how much before, the little wife at home really stands for in my life. If I could hop a plane by walking 100 miles I’d start now, & make record time too, just to be beside you again if but for a few moments. All the boys are here, men everywhere & in London 10 girls for every man & all you have to do is speak & there yours for the evening or what have you, but darling, with all this, I am lonesome, so lonesome for you. To hold you in my arms & have you whisper; “you know I love you darling & always will”. Makes me feel like breaking down completely. Perhaps this will give you an idea why I always had two women with me to talk to & not one. I didn’t want to be alone with any girl, except one, & that one's home waiting for me, the one & only girl in the world worth any man’s attention. To see your eyes sparkle, to see those beautiful lips of yours curve into a beautiful smile to say nothing of feeling there touch on mine & feel your arms around me, holding me tight as though something might part us. The longer we’re apart (and I hope thats not to long) the more we’re going to appreciate each other later.
Love to my gorgeous Wife & Daughter,
Arnold
Letter 10
REGENT PALACE HOTEL,
PICCADILLY CIRCUS,
LONDON, W.1. May 29, 1942
Dear Sweetheart:
Heading down to the Unit, 4 of us, the first of the week 7 are we tickled. We fully expected that we would have to stay up here for at least 2 or 3 months, so its really a break. Poor Bob is not one of the four & he’s furious because he was the most anxious of the lot. I’m really sorry, because I was just getting to like him, but life’s like that you know. Incidentally, I’m making use of any note paper I lay hands on, paragraphs mitted(?), also letters from now on will be numbered. Lost track of number in London.
Spent most of the morning turning in our extra stores in preparation to leaving & getting in return equipment we shall require. Had to spend part of the day, noon & supper, in the adjunct’s office to relieve the Orderly Officer while he was eating. I’m on tomorrow, Saturday. Isn’t that just lovely! We had a scrub game of basket ball to-night & had a heck of a lot of fun. To bed I go early.
Well! It’s under canvas I go & wouldn’t a real live girl with lots of pep & go do a lot to keep a man warm on these cold gray mornings, (after all its still May so what can we expect). Perhaps its just as well no though, because if you were here I just wouldn’t bother getting up at all & so I wouldn’t last very long. Anyway Darling; you are much safer at home, where you can get lots of milk for baby & give her all the proper nourishment & care. Hope you are having a little fun, you know what I mean, I trust you absolutely Sweet.
Love to m Lovely Sweetheart,
Arnold
