My dearest one

I've just heard the news that all the army men

who were held POW are to return to their homes

Because of the shipping situation

we may not commence to go before the end of February

but can probably count on being in England sometime in March

It may be sooner

It has made me very warm inside

It is terrific

Wonderful

Shattering

I don't know what to say, and I cannot think

The delay is nothing

The decision is everything

I must spend the first days at home

I must consider giving a party somewhere

Above all, I must be with you

I must warm you, surround you, love you

and be kind to you

I would prefer not to get married

but want you to agree on the point

In battle, I was afraid

for you, for my mother, for myself

Wait we must

my lover, my darling

Let us meet

Let us be, let us know

but do not let us now make any mistakes

How good for us to see each other before I am completely bald

I've some fine little wisps of hair on the top of my head

It's not much good me trying to write about recent experiences

now that I know I should be able to tell you everything myself

within such a short time

What I have my eye on now

is the first letter from you saying that you know I am alright

and the next saying you know I am coming to you

Plan a week somewhere, not Boscombe or Bournemouth

and think of being together

The glory of you

I hoped that you will not start buying any clothes

if you have any coupons left

because you think you must look nice for me

Just carry on as near as possible to normal

I shall tell my family I hope to spend

a week away with you somewhere during my leave

My counsel to you is to tell as few people as possible

to avoid preening yourself, and saying much

That is my advice

not anything but that

I hope you understand

I do not ever want it to be anything but our affair

Do not permit any intrusion

I don't know how long leave I shall get

I could get as little as 14 days, and I may get as much as a month

I'm wondering how I shall tell you I'm in England

Probably it's still quicker to send a telegram than a letter

And I hope to send you one announcing that I am on the same island

I will send another one, I'm actually soon to get on the London-bound train

and you can ring Lee Green 0509 when you think I have arrived there

It's a strange thing, because I cannot seem to get going

and write very freely

All I am thinking about is "I am going home! I am going to see her!"

It's a fact, a real thing

an impending event like Shrove Tuesday, Christmas Day, or the Lord Mayor's Banquet

You have to be abroad, you have to be hermetically sealed off

from your intimates, from your home

to realize what a gift this going home is

The few letters of yours that I had on me

I burned, the day previous to our surrender

So no one but myself has read your words

It is a pity that the winter weather will not be kind to us out of doors

but it will be nice sitting next to you in the pictures

no matter what may be on the screen

It will be grand to know we have each other's support and sympathy

Won't it be wonderful to be together

really together, in the flesh

Not just to know that a letter is all we can send

I love you

- Chris