PURCHASE DIARY'S HERE:
December 2, 1944
We had no rockets during the night, though seven fell in this neighborhood yesterday. The one o’clock bomb fell at Lyndhurst Drive, Harrow Drive, and Osborne Road, rather near to Arties place. He told his father Hilda was extremely upset, and the baby too had a screaming fit. Just after eleven this morning another one fell near here. It was a most terrific crack and shook me pretty considerably. It must have been in this town somewhere.
December 17, 1944
The war news is bad, especially the news from Greece. I have not noted this before, but Civil War has been going on in Greece these past two weeks, and our troops firing on the “rebels”. It is a shameful story. I will leave it for the history books.
December 21, 1944
The compulsion of men over women; how we hate it! Another instance was given out on the B.B.C. on the one o’clock news. Mr. Bevin, it seems, has decided, that women in the A.T.S. will now be compelled to serve over-seas, though they will not be sent to Burma or West Africa, and they may “volunteer” for India. It was bad enough to conscript our girls into the Services at all, but to compel them to go overseas is an absolute tyranny. The conscription of British women in this war has been one of the very worst things about it. Women as soldiers, women with guns, what blasphemy. That’s how men run the world. No wonder women hate men. If men will have wars, women can’t stop them; but that women should be dragged into the atrocities of wars is positively devilish. Women suffer and feel no compensating glories; but that they should be compelled into fighting them, that’s fiendish. It is Mr. Bevin’s bright idea. Another comfortable old man who allows the young fight and die for him. God curse Bevin.
The war is going very badly anyhow. Civil War in Greece, and we, the English, fighting the Greeks! In Belgium, the Germans are achieving victories over the First American Army. Rundstedt has thrown in fifteen divisions against us, though today’s news reports the Americans are holding their positions. Losses on both sides are very heavy. This lunacy! When, oh when, will it end?
December 23, 1944
We received today a card from Cuthie, dated the Twentieth of October. It reads:
Dear Folks, Just a card to wish you a good Christmas and New Year. I would not be surprised to get home before then but I send this in case I shall still be here. (Then there are three lines blacked out. When we can decipher again, he goes on) I am now reading “Dombey and Son” and have just finished “Barnaby Rudge.”
Cuth
That’s all. The poor prisoner boys are still in prison.
December 26, 1944 Boxing Day
I was surprised at midday to hear on the news that Mr. Churchill and Mr. Eden are in Athens. They flew there yesterday. They are convening a conference, with all parties, to try and settle the troubles, the Archbishop to preside.
December 29, 1944
The B.B.C. reports that an earthquake was felt last night in Northern England. The tremors lasted nearly three minutes. One man was thrown out of bed, but nobody hurt anywhere. It was the severest in Manchester to Leeds area, but was felt as far north as Darlington. What’s an earthquake these days, when men themselves are blasting the world to pieces?
It is three-thirty p.m. and the B.B.C. has just announced that on the advice of Mr. Churchill the King of Greece has agreed to permit Regency in Greece, and has signified his sanction by cable to the Archbishop of Athens, Damashinos, whom he has appointed as Regent. So yet another King has stepped down, perhaps only temporarily, perhaps permanently.
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