by Vicky Unwin
She calls him Paddy. She is heartbroken when, later on, John’s regiment who were house-training him take him to Cairo.
Sheila’s letter with sketch of Paddy.
In a letter on 10 October, she ruminates on the relationship with John and her other boyfriends:
John has returned to his regiment and, although we had a marvellous time together, I’m not sorry – at the moment anyway! He is quite miserable I gather from his letters. He is so nice, but quiet and serious – with not very much sense of humour. That’s bad for me, I think, as I love laughing and joking and mad things. Jaap and Paul were full of laughter and fun. I heard from the latter recently – a sea mail letter all the way from Canada, of course he is back in the UK or thereabouts now.
Riding becomes a serious hobby. Her friends, Eve and Clement Barber, have some horses, and she, Putty and Tony plan some outings with them. Sheila, ever ambitious and competitive, wants to take lessons and become proficient:
C in C Med 13/10/42
My dear Ma – Today I have had my first riding lesson and am very thrilled in consequence. I went out to Smouha where there is a Frenchman who has stables and who is a very good teacher. He learned from a Russian who taught the Tsars and he himself has taught the King of Egypt. Me and Mrs Barber were there, as arranged, and to begin with I was taught how to get on and off, then did exercises on the horse’s back and then (me on a leading rein) we all 4 of us went, via the road to Smouha race course. There we trotted (yes me too) and it was just grand. I didn’t find it a bit hard and got on very well. It’s much easier when you aren’t frightened. I am going to have lessons, and then I shall be able to ride the Barber’s horses. Unfortunately, they live rather a long way from here, but never mind!
Riding at Smouha; Kay Way and Sheila are far right of the photograph, with the French teacher M. Delrieux wearing the hat.
The Barbers are ‘charming people … very musical’, and great entertainers and it is through them that she meets Elizabeth Vegdi, her singing teacher, ‘a funny little woman, small and birdlike, and terribly nervous. She is German, but not a pro-axis I’m glad to say!’ She is to provide another great escape from the rigours of wartime duty and the sadness that accompanies the impending departure of Tony and Putty to Malta: ‘it will seem queer without them’, the absence of John, in Cairo, and Robin ‘in the desert’. This letter describes her first visit to Cairo, where she went in hope of finding John. It seems she can’t keep away from him, despite saying she is not stringing him along!
Office of C in C Mediterranean
19/10/42
My dear Ma –
…Well, I have had a very full week again. Starting with dinner out last Tuesday with Mary Henie, a man I knew in Ismailia and another man who used to be in a ship that called at Methil but whom I didn’t know in those days. Then, of course, I have been continuing my riding lessons and last Thursday I arranged to go after night duty. So off I went and was allowed to trot all by myself. We went around the race course, all great fun. I had then arranged to have lunch with Tony Frank, Ian Lepraik and his fiancé, all friends of John. Well, we did have a session, and didn’t finish lunch till a quarter to five! When I returned home I found an invitation from an awfully nice Naval Lieutenant asking me out to dinner that evening, I at first refused, but was persuaded into it and I did enjoy it, dancing, dinner and cabaret at the Metropolitan, a new place here.
The following day Tony Frank was going to Cairo by truck and asked me if I would like to go too. So I swapped 2 watches and went. It was an open 15 cwt truck. Cairo is four hours from here and we travelled through the Delta. Oh how filthy the Gyppos are, they live in mud huts and are the dirtiest people imaginable. We had a bit of a dust storm, so when we arrived certainly looked the worse for wear. However, it was getting dark so Tony took me straight to John’s mess, where we learned he was on an operation. The colonel was there and so invited us in for a drink, but horrors, they were all dressed up in mess kit, complete with spats, all ready to go and dance before the King. Imagine how awful we looked after our dirty ride. Luckily we soon managed to escape and I was introduced to Shepheards, the famous hotel there. The next morning Tony was going to take me to see the pyramids (we had seen them in the distance) but was unable to as he had to pack before being drafted elsewhere. So I set off on my own and ended up by visiting an information bureau where 2 A/Bs [Able Seamen] offered to take me to see the Blue Mosque. However, we ended up at the Citadel and visiting the mosque of Mohamed Ali – a beautiful, fairly modern place on top of a high hill fort like Edinburgh. They were so sweet to me, insisted on having taxis and paying for them themselves. They wouldn’t hear of me doing so. Eventually I met Tony for lunch, bade him farewell, and set out on my long journey back with a tough Scot to drive me, a commando. Alas, there was the strongest wind I’ve ever known – I could scarcely breathe. Twice it poured with rain and I was soaked to the skin and then we had a puncture. Luckily the Gyppo army turned up trumps and produced a jack, otherwise I don’t know what we would have done! And so I arrived home drenched, the colour of earth and shivering but happy! (I haven’t a cold either!) I then worked till 1am the next morning.
Today I have been riding again and hope to go out tonight with 2 local people, Putty and Tony (another one, who works with me) but the latter isn’t well so it may be cancelled.
Paddy, my dog, is improving in manners, but feels rather sorry for himself today as I gave him a strong dose of caster oil (good for worms) and it has given him a pain! Today it is quite cloudy, and as I said before, we’ve had a lot of rain. It is very early for it, they say. I have bought no winter clothes at all, but must really get down to it soon. They will always be useful when the war is over. I have had a nice pair of grey gabardine jodhpurs made which are really quite good. I do love riding and hope one day to become good (??). Am told I shall have to have 30 lessons before I can jump and then only about 6 inches, but we shall see!
I wonder if it is time for tea?? Must go in and see as I’m in the garden on account of the dogs inside!
Tons of Love
Sheila
Oh the flies - they are so tame!
❖❖❖
The Second Battle of El Alamein started on 27 October and ended on 11 November, Armistice Day. It also coincided with the beginning of Operation Torch on 8 November, when the US army began their advance eastwards from Casablanca and Oran, with the aim of joining up with the Eighth Army and routing the Axis forces. Alan Moorehead’s descriptions of the final push in North Africa are brilliantly recounted in The African Trilogy:
The Eighth Army had stalled the Germans after the First Battle and there had followed a period of stalemate, but General Montgomery, taking command of the Eighth Army in August 1942, knew that he had to retaliate before the Germans, who had vastly superior guns and tanks, were able to re-supply themselves from Italy. But decisive action by the Navy ensured that the Axis supply lines were not replenished, and the Eighth Army now had the US Sherman tanks for the first time and with these, together with superior intelligence work which fooled Rommel, Monty inflicted a great victory over the Axis forces. Their casualties were 2,349 killed, 5,486 wounded, and 30,121 prisoners, and the loss of 500 tanks. Montgomery’s casualties were 2,350 killed, 8,950 wounded, and 2,260 missing, as well as around 200 tanks.
It was to be the first major victory for the Allies since the war began in 1939 and provided a tremendous morale booster for everyone, civilians and services alike. Churchill summed it up thus: ‘This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’
John Pritty is back in Alexandria still in hot pursuit of Sheila, prior to joining his regiment in the desert for the battle, but her other friends have left: ‘There is only Geoff and I left, the 2 originals, and 2 new people who have joined us. Naturally, we are very busy just now (and a very good thing too) so have to keep our wits about us. Last night I worked every single minute of the night watch – I have slep
t this morning – a thing I haven’t done for ages. The news is most heartening, I am glad to say and we all hope that things will be cleared up out here quite soon.’
With all the activity in the Mediterranean a lot of mail has ‘gone down’ and she is worried about ‘two food parcels, 1 tin of Turkish Delight and a pair of scissors’ that she had only just sent. Sheila has received a lot of mail herself but is in sick bay and has mixed feelings: ‘It’s marvellous rest really as quite honestly we’ve been working so hard since we returned 3 months ago. I was quite worn out. Our watch has always been one short!!’
She takes the opportunity to write a long-overdue letter to her father:
Office of C in C Mediterranean
C/O CPO London
8/11/42
My dear Daddy –
Thank you very much indeed for part one of your birthday letter to me, and part one of your present, which has mighty delighted me. Part 2 hasn’t put in an appearance yet, but mails are so queer one never knows what to expect. I’m afraid this isn’t going to reach you in time for your birthday and may not even arrive by Christmas, but anyway, here’s all the best of wishes and luck.
You do make me laugh with 49 tomato plants! Why not 50, to make it even. I hope more have ripened off, otherwise I can see chutney will be indicated – not that that’s to be scorned at. How I love it! I do envy you your apples and pears, for we don’t get them here and you always want things you can’t have! I’ve no doubt you’d willingly be in my shoes and be having bananas, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, figs, dates etc. though, I’m ashamed to say my banana for dinner tonight almost choked me! and I couldn’t even look a date in the eye! They are so good, too!
Well, in spite of all your warnings, I haven’t found Alexandria an unsuitable spot to live in, and I very much liked Port Said! Granted Tewfik is an unpleasant enough spot, but a great number of Wrens lived there at the time of the evacuation, and very many of them liked it a lot. They all lived in what was once a transit camp for soldiers, all wired in – they called it the Aviary. Actually, they all had a very good time socially, as every unit for miles round used to invite them to parties, some of them quite a journey into the desert. Even now there are about 50 still living in Tewfik but they are installed in a house. All this while we were living in the YWCA in Ismailia, a simply charming spot and run by some delightful Scottish people. Of course, we had a wizard time, too, and I was awfully disappointed when I was told our section of the staff was returning to Alex, for a long time we were the only Wrens in Alex, and lived in the convent, which was really ratings’ quarters, but eventually almost the whole flock returned and we were cast out to Rue Rassafah, our old officers’ quarters.
This was a most unpopular move, but actually now we’re back again, we’re quite happy. I have my dog Paddy, and share a room with 3 great friends, so all is well. At the moment, I regret to say, I’m in sick bay, but it is a marvellous rest, and if we weren’t so busy I’d be completely happy. All this activity in the desert has livened our work up considerably and it doesn’t do to be short these days.
I’ve had to forego my riding lessons lately, as really I’ve had too much to do and been far too tired – but I certainly intend to carry on with the good work. It is all such fun – we go on one of the racecourses here – with a golf course in the middle and it is all so green you can easily imagine you are at home. I shan’t be happy till I can jump and it will take 30 lessons I’m told.
We are all very thrilled to hear about the desert news, though even tho’ we are at the Mursa Matruh it doesn’t mean we’ve driven the Germans out completely. However, since a great deal of our work is built up around these things you can guess it is very exciting for us. I am very annoyed at being away from the office at such a time (I’m in sick bay not very ill with a streptococci bug in my throat!) Have told you this twice owing to lapse!
We are still in whites, tho’ we anticipate changing to blues any moment now. The weather here, is, as you probably know, very mild, tho’ I hear wild tales of terrible cold and everyone shivering. Never does the temperature reach freezing, that’s one thing certain, so I can’t imagine what everyone is so worried about! They do have snow in Syria, but as the Navy never gets leave on Med station, I can’t think that we shall ever get proof of this fact! Pity, because I should love to go there – mountains, green trees and grass, waterfalls and beautiful scenery, so I’m told. Not so here, the Delta reminds me of the Fens, all very flat and rather dull. Actually our life here is extremely pleasant and again I smile when I read letters from home full of imaginations as to how unpleasant our surroundings are!
…We have plenty of food and safragis to wait on us, plenty of friends and countless opportunities of going out, helping in canteens, sport to play, tennis, hockey, swimming – horses to ride, sailing, in fact everything anyone can want for, except beautiful country to live in – so I don’t think we are too badly off, do you? We all wonder frightfully what it is like at home, but letters seem to be most reassuring, tho’ of course we never know whether it is just a gallant front put up for our benefit.
Good heavens, 20 to 10 and me meant to be an invalid (I feel fighting fit except for the rotten throat, actually!) So no more.
With very much love to you and mama,
Sheila
And to her mother, also on 8 November, she says :
It makes me laugh when you say in your letters what hardships you think we are going through. Admittedly I think we’d all rather be in UK, but life out here is just a picnic – we live in comfortable houses, have tons to eat, can buy clothes and food without coupons (provided you have the money). In fact it all boils down to the fact that you can do anything. I feel sorry for the troops, because they don’t get paid so much as we do, and there aren’t nearly enough girls to go round, not English ones anyway, and beer is very dear here …
The desert news is excellent isn’t it? I am rather annoyed I am stuck away here at such an interesting time because our work is formed to a very great extent from these activities. I hope we shall clear up Africa this time, and can then turn our attention to other fields.
Yes I did hear from Jaap – most queer, he certainly had written before, but nothing had reached me and one had even been returned to him! I’ve heard quite a lot from Paul, one even from Canada, but nothing much lately.
John is having a birthday party this week, but I don’t know whether I shall be up for it. Maybe they will put it off! I feel fine, except for this foul throat – I sound awfully tonsilly when I speak! I am handing Paddy over to John for complete house training, as he hasn’t quite got the knack yet.
With heaps of love,
Sheila.
Once back at work she concentrates on organising the Wrens’ social life. A hockey match between John’s regiments and the convent turns out to be embarrassing for her, following one of their famous ‘disagreements’, for they had decided ‘not to see one another and there he was, large as life on the pitch, but however, we’ve managed to patch things up and all appears to be settled once more.’ It didn’t last long, however, as John is posted back to Cairo, with appendicitis ‘all very miserable’. They had two ‘tremendous bust-ups’ before he left but managed to make it up and become ‘firm friends’ once more.
Even more annoying is a change on the work front:
… perhaps the most revolutionary that there will be no more Wren head watches, (a little blow for us, who have been here longer than many of the men and have seen more months of service as an officer – even cyphered longer!) However, we have to accept this, hard tho’ is may seem – I have been in the office now longer than any Wren tho’ of course haven’t the long seniority several of them have. We have about six new O.T.C. Wrens with us – a good thing as they are all most conscientious and work harder than most men.
This is the first sign of dissatisfaction since Sheila has been in Egypt and is the beginning of an unsettled period.
Of her friends, Sybil Hoole has got en
gaged:
… we are all thrilled, as she has been rather unhappy here … Kay is leaving us for a more Northern place – lucky girl, but it is not far away. As a matter of fact I’d like to be there myself, with the kind of boats I’m interested in, and quite near dear old Bert, whom I haven’t seen for ages. Diana Booth, (the one who travelled out with me and who married the padre) is back here recovering from a septic appendicitis. She is very week, poor dear. We sorted out her goods yesterday and she is now on a fortnight’s sick leave.
Anne Halliday has left for Cairo, so only Mary Dugdale and Sheila remain.
And so the year draws to a close with another Alexandrian Christmas, which seems to have been the greatest of fun:
In bed 28/12
My dear Mama – First of all, I hope you had a very good Xmas – if half as enjoyable as mine, it would have been grand! Was Rosemary at home? Well, as space is short, I’ll tell you what I did now. We began the week by carol singing – a huge party of us with big lanterns and a lorry. We started off in RN Barracks, and then proceeded to the A.O.C.’s house, where we were warmly received. After that we passed on to a nearby hotel, and from there to the C in C’s house, where we were all invited in, and entertained with drinks. A very exalted party with admirals galore! From there we drove on to the FSO’s house, and after singing outside, were all invited in to drink a hot punch! It was all such fun, most picturesque with all the lanterns, but most unfortunately, I had a bad cold and was not allowed to sing, so I just had to be content with collecting. We made £22 – not bad! Another drawback was that I had to go on night duty afterwards, but luckily we weren’t busy.