David to May                     Sheerness                           Friday [21st March 1919]

My Darling,

There is no prospect of getting weekend leave as you have probably guessed by this time.

However if nothing happens to prevent me I shall try to come up on Sunday & will come on to Beckenham in that case. Of course as usual I shall not know definitely until Sunday morning, so I cannot let you know in time.

If I do come I ought to get to Beckenham about one o’clock.

I do not think your guide book description of Sheerness describes the place really well. I could give it quite a number of much more expressive adjectives. By the way one name for it down here is Sheernastyness.

The latest tale down here is that we are all going to Rugeley some time next week but which day nobody knows. Lovely prospect isn’t it?

Sheerness may be all sorts of things, but I imagine Rugeley is worse, at any rate I shall not be able to run up to see you which at present I can always look forward to.

Last night I went to bed fairly early as I have got a cold in my head & it has given me a headache. I slept pretty well except for waking up once or twice for a short time, but I did want you there really. I am alright today.

The commanding officer has just been into the mess & says he expects that the list of officers for the Army of Occupation will be here in a day or so, when those who are being demobilised will be allowed to go off. This sounds hopeful, but then this sort of thing has been said ever since they stopped it.

This afternoon having nothing to do as usual I sat in front of the fire & read “The Canon in Residence”. I have got about two thirds of the way through it.

Its awfully cold down here & it was as much as I could do to keep warm, the fire being a very small one & the room a large one. However after a time I managed to get a good fire going, but one has to go carefully as the coal supplied is very limited & we are not allowed fires in our quarters until the afternoon.

Be careful with yourself & don’t catch cold & don’t work too hard.

Somehow or other in spite of the Rugeley rumour I have felt much less humpy today & have had a sort of feeling that I shall get some good news shortly. I do hope so, don’t you?

Wont it be lovely to have you all to myself for a whole month & ever afterwards. I am longing & longing for the time to come. Goodbye, Dear, hope to see you on Sunday. I want another now. That’s lovely.

David