Mrs Kenneth Penman
Maycot
12 Commonside
Keston
Kent

[Postmark: BIRMINGHAM 8 – PM 25 OCT 1940]

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Brum.

Friday 25th Oct

Darling,
Thank you “tres” much for your little letter received this morning. I had been rather hoping you might. A letter from you always brightens things considerably. I thought I’d answer yours this afternoon as I have a free hand, although I intend if possible to write to you again tomorrow, the reason being I heard today that I with four others are moving tomorrow morning. We imagine it will be to another site in the Birmingham area although one never knows where one is going in this army, however when you get this don’t write me again until you get a further letter letting you know my new address.

I dont dislike the idea of moving particularly, although there seems…

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…to be a possibility that we shall miss our trade test scheduled for tomorrow, this is a nuisance as we are all keen to get it over with. That seems to be the only “con”. The”pros”, we shall probably be in huts instead of canvas, which most of us appreciate at this time of year and it is unlikely that we should be any further away from civilisation than we are at the moment. One snag presents itself in that I cant bank on getting home to you darling next Sunday week, but there is no reason to believe that leave will be any less frequent. In fact the probability is that it will be a bit more so.

I was sorry to hear the guns had been moved again, it shouldnt be long now though. I think the idea of this mobile stuff is to keep Jerry guessing all the time.

On Tuesday evening, the night of my return, it being my usual evening out and feeling a little howly I took…

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…myself to the pictures and saw Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamaar in I Take This Woman it was quite good. With it was a documentary designed, I imagine, chiefly for American consumption called “Britain can take it”. It featured almost completely London airraid damage. The commentator was American and he punctuated almost every remark with the tittle words. It gave the impression that there was very little of London left, although it was pro British to a marked degree.

Jerry was over and we fired on Tuesday night. Wednesday night was very dark with foul weather and we were not visited at all. Last night however, the weather being better although cold, he had the signal success of burning out C&A of modes premises in the centre of Birmingham which made quite a blaze for a time but was eventually got under control.

Darling, dont you get terribly…

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…bored with my habit of filling up space with silly little stories I come across occasionally? Here is one that rather amused me! ’tis about another Jerry, pilot who crashed. He was picked up suffering from abrasions and taken to hospital. Apparently he could speak English for while his wounds were being dressed he never ceased making rude remarks about everything that caught his idea. Doctor, nurses, beds, sheets, dressings, etc. however eventually the doctor decided that a blood transfusion was neccessary as he had lost quite a lot of blood. Upon completion the doctor who had been quite silent during his patients outburst said “Now my lad, you’ve two pints of good Jewish blood in you, perhaps it will help to mend your manners.”

Well darling I’ll write to you again tomorrow, meanwhile all the love in the world Terry mine.

God bless you and keep you safe,
yours,
Kenneth