1st October, 1939
Mrs. Kenneth Penman,
Maycot,
12 Commonside,
KESTON,
KENT
60th City of London Regt.
R.A. (T.A.)
194 Battery, Section 4
No. 6 Militia Depot
Poperinghe Barracks
Arborfield
Nr. Reading
Sunday 8:30
My Dearest,
I wonder if you have had my letter yet, you may notice that the address has changed a bit, it wasn’t until today that we has any official notice but you may be sure that the first one found me alright.
Yesterday we had a tetanus injection in the behind of all places, they are finding it a little difficult to find vacant parts now; we expect to get the…
…typhoid one tomorrow morning with you will remember from my last letter we are not relishing.
This afternoon we had a dental parade, which of course was quite easy for me consisting of merely putting mine on the table. I managed to have a look at my medical record sheet and my physical condition is down as very good.
Mr. Chappell and Srgt Ascole arrived this morning and Ascole who got his leave on returning from Ireland told me that he had seen you on the common yesterday while passing in his car. It gave me quite a thrill, as you know they don’t tell us anything but it seems pretty definite that we…
…shall be leaving here on Thursday and it seems easy to guess where.
The Major said when we were on a route march this morning when we fell out for a rest on the left side of the road that next week we should be falling out on the right bit I don’t thin that even the Colonel knows. One can’t help feeling a little funny bit I have great faith in my own star and feel very secure in your and Jill’s love.
You mustn’t worry about me and I will try not to worry about you. I feel now I ought to have dug you a trench at the bottom of the garden on my last leave, it’s a great comfort to me to know that Win will be with you at night.
The 60th has been handed…
…a very great honor in being the first Ack Ack Regiment to go abroad. I think I told you our ranks were very much depleted bu the exclusion of the men under 19 and those over 38. We have been receiving drafts, ever since we arrived, of volunteers for overseas service from nearly all the RA Batteries in the South of England. We are now over 1,300 strong and it appears that we are going to be a 4 Battery Regt. We have with us some men from Jim’s Battery, I made eager enquiries for him but it appears that he would have had to give up his stripe is he had wished to volunteer.
My vaccination has not taken and the boys suggest, rather rudely I think, that I must be a “carrier”. I am going to ask to…
…have it done again.
We had three hours leave last night and Vic and I went into Reading and had a glass of beer. We were taken in by car being picked up by one of the Boots who are building this place. You will remember that they built a lot of houses in Hayes. On the whole we are not very keen on this place, it is regimental in the worst sense, we get orders and count orders, and orders again. It isn’t at all like the happy family we were at Hayes but I expect we shall soon get used to it.
Well darling Vic has finished his letter and we are going to stroll down and post them together, all my love and…
…as many kisses as you can digest, and give Jill a big hug from her daddy, you are both always in my thoughts,
Yours terrifically affectionately,
Kenneth.
PS we have all been issued today with tan trousers, tan books, tan gloves, tan helmet and tan tunic. I’m going to use it as a courting costume. Very natty suitings. K.
Sunday 1st October, 1939
All British men between the ages of 20 and 22 are told to report for military service by the 21st of the month.
Churchill gives a speech in which he describes Russia as “a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma.” (N.B. This phrase is often misquoted with the addition of “an” before the word mystery)
What is the second event of this first month? It is, of course, the assertion of the power of Russia.
Russia has pursued a cold policy of self-interest. We could have wished that the Russian armies should be standing on their present line as the friends and allies of Poland instead of its invaders.
But that the Russian armies should stand on this line was clearly necessary for the safety of Russia against a Nazi menace. At any rate, the line is there, and an Eastern Front has been created which Nazi Germany does not dare assail.
When Herr von Ribbentrop was summoned to Moscow last week it was to learn the fact and to accept the fact that the Nazi designs on the Baltic States and upon the Ukraine must come to a dead stop.
I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.
It cannot be in accordance with the interests or safety of Russia that Nazi Germany should plant itself upon the shores of the Black Sea or that it should overrun the Balkan States and subjugate the Slavonic peoples of South-Eastern Europe. That would be contrary to the historic life interests of Russia.
- Kenneth’s comment about putting his teeth on the table suggests he had a full set of dentures. He was only 31 but at this time people often had their teeth removed at 21 as a present in order to save them from pain and decay.
- Typhoid injections seem to be a clue to Kenneth that he is heading to North Africa as that’s the only theatre of battle in a tropical zone at this time.
- Jim is unknown to me, not a relative I am aware of.