My Dearest Olive,

Received letters from you dated 5/4 and 7/4 and last night one dated 26/3. There was a gap between 30/3 and 5/4 so possibly there are a couple floating around somewhere, which will turn up eventually. I gather the mating of Sylvia went satisfactorily, and it will be interesting to await the results. I bet Valerie will be excited when the puppies appear and you will probably have some difficulty in keeping her away from them, and it will be certainly not be to Sylvia’s liking if she starts trying to handle them roughly. I expect she will be more jealous than ever of Sadi. I am sorry Sadi was not mated, and I hope you will be able to manage it next time.

I am very strongly in favour of us doing something along these lines in a small way at any rate after the war, and I think it might prove a very profitable exercise and remember I will have many contacts and they will be the right type of people from that point of view. I have talked it over with a couple of people interested in dogs and dog breeding and they feel there will be a big future in it after the war and a tremendous demand for dogs, as most people will have plenty of money to spend for a time and there will be thousands of men from the Services anxious to acquire a dog.  That’s why I feel we should have the basics now and apart from feeding problems, which I realise will be very difficult, we are in the financial position to be able to do so and remember the rank of “Major” will be a big help and after being through all this I will feel well entitled to use it.

I received an airgraph from Lloyds informing me that they had paid £40 to you this month and in future would pay £30 per month. They informed me that after paying you £40 for April, I have a credit balance of £145/17/8, which seems a highly satisfactory state of affairs to me. There is every reason for it to steadily increase and, by the time I am demobilised, what with that and some sort of gratuity, which we are almost certain to receive, we should be able to do something.

I have had a various assortment of letters arriving the last few days – one from Mrs Glennie, who said how pleased they were to hear from you and how much they were looking forward to have us stay after the war. The poor woman said there were numerous questions she wanted to ask me about Johnny but she did not know how to do it on paper.

I also had letter from Muriel, Slowley and Jim Lawrence.  Slowley is still a fusilier with the 5/Skins, and he said he went before an OCTU board the other day and was told he needed a little more experience in leadership. Well, he has been in the Army 2 years now and a L/Cpl a lot of that time and if he has not gained the experience by now, he will never do so. Jim seems to be trying to make the best of it and Army life, with its petty restrictions and sometimes irksome although usually necessary discipline, is bound to prove trying to one of his temperament. Once he settled down and adjusts his outlook, I should not be at all surprised to see him do quite well. I would certainly have Jenny up if you can – she is trying at times but she is very good hearted and if everything goes alright, she will make a very good mother, and as you said yourself, she does not have many friends.

You will be surprised to hear Edward (Gibbon) is back in England. He never wrote a word to anyone after he left the Bttn. Muriel told me she thought she saw him in Omagh one day recently and he did not look at all well and, yesterday, I had it confirmed. There are some doubts as to how he got home, and someone seemed to think he had volunteered for the Special Mission Troops and there is a story about a dead muscle in his leg. Poor old Edward…Dudley Clark has a job with AMGOT and is somewhere in this part of the world.  You remember (Major Ronnie) Boyd at Omagh. He just arrived out and has gone to the London Irish as 2 i/c of a Company.

I feel a trifle off colour today. Last night was very noisy and one of those nights when one snatches a few minutes sleep now and again, worse than not having any sleep.

Look after yourself, darling, I am always most interested to read the family details in your letters.

All my love to you and Valerie.

Your devoted husband,

Lawrence