November 8, 13 and 18, 1944: A few letters from Stanley in England. He is settling back into being on base at Deenethorpe after a trip to Scotland in October while on furlough. He is sending some photos and memorabilia home from his trip to Scotland.
The 401st had a “stage show in our theater celebrating our anniversary of being here in the ETO (European Theater of Operations). They’ve also been following the election returns from back home “just like they kept score of football games.”
Speaking of football games, Stanley writes that he was reading a local British newspaper “and it gave the description of the football game between Army and Navy which they had played here in Sunday in England. It sure was a smashing description. …Everyone here in the office sure got a kick out of it.”
A clipping from a British newspaper describing a football game that was played between the Army and the Navy in England.
He writes that “it is kind of chilly outside and you can feel it in the barracks.” They have “had a hard time trying to build a fire in the stove. It just wouldn’t get started but we fooled around with it till it finally started to throw out a bit of heat.” Later in the letter he writes “It is kind of warm now in the office and it’s just about time to start getting ready for dinner. Food has been pretty good lately, but I still would rather have mom’s home cooking.”
He finally got one of the packages from home by a rather circuitous route. “Last night I went to supper and while I was eating another fellow came up to me and asked if I received a package and I said no His last name is the same as mine but he is in another bomb squadron. He received the package through error and seeing it wasn’t his he turned it back to the mail room of his own squadron. This morning I called the other mail room and found out the package was from mom and dad. I did receive the package from home with the sardines in it, some hankies, socks and candy. The sardines sure will come in handy some evening when I am hungry.”
He closes, “God bless you brother.”
Below is raw newsreel footage (with no audio) from from British Pathe identified as “US Football at White City (1944)”. Given the make-up of the crowd and the presence of high ranking military officers, it could be the same game as referenced in the newspaper article. However, the are clearly not sixty thousand people in the stands.