QMAAC Quarters
Bulford
Jan 27th 1919
My own dear Cyril
Two letters came from you this mail, dated December 30th and January 4th. You tell me about your fall and injured arm – I imagine it is your left arm, as you are able to write. It is really marvellous that it did not break considering the upper arm had been smashed about when you were wounded. You evidently are not made to be broken!
The cutting from the newspaper showing the wages offered to a nurse and those offered to a laundry maid, and their respective off duty hours needs no comment, as you say. I should have thought the work done by nurses during the war would have raised their status but it does not seem to have done so at all.
I am having a difficult time now that the Armistice makes the workers think that peace is near. There is a lot of unrest and breaking of rules. It has taken me nearly 2 months to get them in hand. They are not absolutely in hand yet but there is an improvement.
The Controller tells me that although I have not been awarded the OBE my name was sent up for the Honours List, but I suppose there were not enough to go round.
Both amongst men and women the Southern Command has barely obtained any recognition. Still it is rather nice to think that the Command recommended me for it. The only reason I should have liked – to have had it would be to compete with you!!! It would be jolly if we could both wear decorations.
Mother tells me Wilfred has had malaria. Can you find out how he is? He is sure to make light of it himself.
I hope it won’t be long now before I get my discharge. I am getting weary, darling, and want to get away from khaki and red tape. It will be grand to have our own little home. We shall be our own OCs! I expect you’ll find me more difficult to handle than a whole battalion of men! It will be difficult for me to fall into civilian ways of homekeeping after army rations and NACB stores.
I like your description of the Afghan carpet for our dining room. It is splendid to have had this opportunity to buy good carpets – we should never have got anything so good for the money at home.
Your people are simply delighted about your DSO. You see Wilfred sent us the Army Order to read so we know exactly how you won it – so anything you feel about not deserving it doesn’t alter our opinion in the slightest – it is one of the finest accounts I and others have read. A man told me too that all the men who went on that Baku Expedition were “picked” men, which would make the award even more valuable.
So now dear you know what I think about it. Uncle Ben heard about it from Wilfred and wrote to me. He says you’ll be such a swell when you come back he’ll be afraid to meet you!
With lots and lots and lots of love. God bless you, Sweetheart mine.
From
Your ever devoted
Mela
