11th December 1918: Edgar isn’t very pleased with life at the moment – presumably he has broken the news to Adela that he can’t get Christmas leave. Meanwhile his birthday present from Adela has gone to the wrong Reception Camp – the shop’s fault but they won’t post out a replacement immediately. They are waiting for the original to be returned and will then send that to the correct address! More rumours of Adela’s department closing in the New Year – but help is at hand from unexpectedly high places: “Col. Rhind is looking out for a job for me!! & also a man in the Ministry of Shipping. I don’t know his name, but he is the man who invented those concrete bottomed boats.”
Commission Internationale De Ravitaillement,
India House,
Kingsway WC2
Wednesday 11th December 1918
…I got a letter from you this morning. I waited for the post to see if one would come. You don’t seem very pleased with life dear, what is the matter? Is there anything I can do for you? It worries me terribly. Do tell me if I can do anything. I wait daily for your letters, to see if you are yourself again.
Nella [Samut] is staying at No3 for a few days. I’m going to S. Dawson today to get the reps ticket they sent with your pin. I might as well have a shot at getting it back.
I’ve been working out some horrible sums this morning. Somebody is going to lose money !!! I shall be counting in my sleep soon. Shudd is fairly all right again, nothing special… This place is going to close down. Shudd’s department is one of the first. I expect the New Year will see us amongst the unemployed. Col. Rhind is looking out for a job for me!! & also a man in the Ministry of Shipping. I don’t know his name, but he is the man who invented those concrete bottomed boats.
We get a week at Xmas !! Do I remember 2 years ago? I don’t think there is a day in the last two years I’ve forgotten, some more to the front than others.
I’ve just come back from lunch & I went to S.D. about the pin & the fools sent it to the 4th R.C. [should have been 49th Reception Camp]. Never leave anybody to do anything for you nowadays. They are sure to do something like that. However it will be returned to them eventually & then they’ll post it to the right address.
Xmas is so near and I haven’t done hardly any shopping yet. I hope we shall get an afternoon off. Cheero now I must do a bit more work. I will write soon…