3rd November, 1939
PASSED BY CENSOR No 621
On Active Service
Mrs. Kenneth Penman,
Maycot,
12 Commonside,
Keston,
Kent,
ENGLAND
Letter No V.
The Chateau.
Nov 3rd, 1939–10.45
Darling,
You will see from the address that we have moved again after [CENSORED] days at Gun Position. We have come back to BHQ to rest. BHQ are about [CENSORED] kilometres back and we are in a large house in its own grounds, it has central heating which is very much appreciated although we have no straw nor is the grub so good, which as you know are the main ways to a soldiers heart.
I haven’t had a letter from anybody at all for nearly a week now, so am indulging in the luxury of a little melancholy.
I wrote to Hampstead the night before last.
After lunch I got nabbed for a fatigue, a mail…
…has just come in. I’m beginning to get lowly.
Darling you must have thought it awfully casual of me in my last letter I forgot to thank you for the gloves you are making me. Could you, do you think, make me a sort of khaki woolen helmet? One of the lads has got a ribbed one in quick knit. They look rather funny but are fine for guard in the small hours. Herewith illustration.
[ILLUSTRATION]
Rather natty don’t you think.
Gunner Bashful to you!
Oh Darling, I do adore you. I long so much to hold you close, very close again. For eleven days we have been working very hard with very little time to think. We have been here since yesterday afternoon and now we are resting. Thoughts and lovely memories of you, and home, come crowding upon me. It’s a sort to mental luxury to shut out the present world and think and think and think of you. We shall have to try and manage a little honeymoon when I come home to you again,
When we were at the Gun Position we had a wireless and I always listened to the 8 O’clock news after breakfast and to the 6 O’clock at tea time. I know you were probably listening as well and it seemed to make a sort of link, wondering what you thought of each piece of news.
You dwell, Darling, very much in my thoughts. After years of loving you and even of being married to you dearest, I feel sort of shy of telling you all you mean to me but I know you must think me ridiculous.
Bye By my sweet for a little while.
Your very own,
Kenneth.
Friday, November 3rd, 1939
Today America amended the 1937 neutrality act to allow for the sale of weapons to countries at war, but added a clause to require cash payment. Following WW1 the US had experienced difficulty getting loans to Britain and France repaid and wanted to avoid a similar situation occurring again.
American ship “The City of Flint” entered a Norwegian port without permission while crewed by the Germans who had previously taken the boat and crew hostage. In response the Norwegians return command of the vessel to the captured American crew after raiding it by force. The German crew are interned.
In the UK the film, “The Lion has Wings” (watch online) is released in cinemas. An early propaganda exercise shot in 12 days and completed in 4 weeks, its effectiveness was a factor in allowing the British film industry to continue operating throughout the war.
It reused footage from earlier productions to save time and expense and is shot in a quasi-documentary style. It highlights the difference between relaxed life in the UK and the militarism of Nazi German as well as the, then new, Royal Air Force, promoting their as yet unproven ability to fend off the German Luftwaffe.
Background notes:
- BHQ presumable means Battery Headquarters.
- This is the first letter we can see has been censored. Interestingly the number of days Kenneth has been in his new location which is censored on the first page seems to be hinted at strongly on the second and has not been removed. You can see the top of what could be an ‘l’ peeking over the top of the censored word. That lines up with in form and length the word “eleven” which is how long he says he’s been working hard later on.