It is hazingly, stiflingly hot here with terrific rain and thunderstorms which do more harm than good.

19^th July 2018

My Dearest Mother

Thank you so much for your lovely long letter of the 14^th which I got last night.

Before I forget it will you write at once to Lieutenant A Van Hoorde, Bureau des Conges Militaire, General Buildings, Aldwych and ask for a demande de conge for me. You know what to say as you’ve done it before, and when it comes fill it up and ask them to send it off by return.

There is heaps of time really as I’m not coming on conge until the first week in September but they are rather careless and dilatory people and it is as well to have it in good time. It is ripping getting leave again so soon, but several of the people who were due for leave before me are leaving so that puts me high up on the list.

Now I want very much to have Isabel to stay with me during my time at home. I’m afraid it is a bit inconvenient for you with no housemaid, but couldn’t Lib come in for that time! Isabel would share my room from preference and she is not an exigeante person at all in the house. She is so used to a haphazard menage. You see she is going to be married in the autumn unless anything untoward happens and will then go off to India for 18 months and I shant see her all that time and I don’t want to cut into my leave with you by going to stay with her, because the time goes so quickly and it would be just ideal having her and you at the same time. So do let me invite her down for a week or ten days. She’ll understand that things are bound to be different form pre-war conditions and they are used to a very happy-go-lucky rough and ready life. She had just had an operation for a varicose vein in her leg poor dear.

It is hazingly, stiflingly hot here with terrific rain and thunderstorms which do more harm than good. There were hailstones bigger than walnuts on Wednesday evening.

Coud you go to Badley and stir him up about my bits of gear. There was an important part missing of my gear that you sent out: I have written to him about it but he hasn’t answered. Please excuse this wobbly scribble: I am terribly hot as  have just spent nearly two hours shut up in a room devoid of light or air doing X-ray screen work and one feels rather like chewed string afterwards !

Must stop now, let me know soon about Isabel as I want to write and ask her.

Best love to you all

Your loving D