��ѿ��ý

Extracts from a Letter from Pte E.J.Elliott to his sister.
Royal Corps of Signals
Gibraltar. 1940

Many thanks for your interesting letter and the P.O. which was very generous of you. It will enable me to buy some suppers at the Naffi and seats at the R.N. Cinema. The films have been a little more up to date at this cinema lately. This month I have seen so far “Good Girls Go To Paris”, “The Saint in London”, and “Destry Rides Again” with Marlene Dietrich. She was very good and what a different role for her. ……….

It was a great shock to me when I read in Muriel’s letter about the bombing of Newton (Abbot). ….. Mind you look after yourself and don’t forget to take good shelter. It was strange we should have a raid here the same night. Our defences brought down one Italian bomber. …. The collapse of France was a big blow to us. No one ever dreamed that was going to happen. I think it is going to be a long struggle but we shall beat these Nazis in the end. ………

My job now is a Mess Orderly. I have to serve all the meals each day, look after the Mess Room and food stocks. So you can think of me washing dishes, floors and tables. I like it here very much because the food is excellent, much better than with my company. I also get staff pay the first of each month, which comes in very handy. The other fellow with me in the mess is a Spaniard. He does not understand very much English so that we have some very unsatisfactory arguments at times. Most of the local fellows here joined what is called the Gibraltar Defence Force for the duration of the War. ……..

There are many attractive girls here. Most of them come over daily from the neighbouring towns of La Linea and Algerias to work. Who knows, perhaps I shall fall madly in love with a sweet Spanish Senorita and settle down out here!

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.