1942 26th November. Boy to Suk and Sonny

Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Anders

“Texas” 2^nd Avenue Paarl

Cape Province

South Africa

 No. 189281

Gnr. Boy Grundlingh

1^st Arti Tank Battery

1^st Arti Tank Regiment SAA

U..D.7.M.E.7

To A.P.O Durban

26 November 1942

Dear Suk and Sonny,

Thank you ever so much Suk for your last three letter cards. Received 2/11, 8/11 and 25/11. Now unfortunately I’ll never be able to make up. The only way to do it is to come home. And if one listens to all the talking and rumours we imagine ourselves on the boat already.

I returned from Cairo yesterday and I’m sorry to inform you Suk that I couldn’t find the badge you asked for. You see, Stan Freedman bought the last one for Marie and I do not even know what it looks like. The first one I sent home to Marie I think I bought in Palestine, I’m not quite sure.

Will you please tell Eileen that I visited the British war cemetery at St. George’s, just outside Cairo. I met the caretaker and he took me to her brother’s grave. I had some flowers put on and then took some snaps. They are putting on flowers every Sunday now until the end of December. It was my second last day of leave so I had not enough money left to arrange for flowers for the year 1943, else I would have done so. But I have the address here and will fix everything when I get back. The snaps I could not have developed.

Phanie I have not seen for a week now. I think he went over to Palestine. Spent a lot of time in Cairo with Gordon Wells-Blake. He is an old friend of the de Villiers. Went to Claridges hotel one night to a dance given to us by the WAAF and met a captain there who knows you and Sonny. I’m sorry I couldn’t remember his, perhaps I had a drink too many. We had lots of fun though and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly,

Cheerio Suk and Sonny,

Love to you both and a kiss for Angela and Margaret.

Your loving brother,

Boy. 

1942 11th June. Boy to Parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Grundlingh

Anchor House

Suider Paarl

Cape Province

South Africa

(written on back of letter) Mug for shaving, gloves for Angela.

No. 189281

GNR (Gunner) Boy Grundlingh

1^st Arti Tank Battery

1^st Arti Tank Regiment SAA

UDF, ME7, Co APO (Company of Army Post Office)

Durban, 11^th June 1942

Dearest Mum and Dad,

Those sweets I received the other day was absolutely the tops. Gee, we really enjoyed it. I must thank all those who helped making and packing them. Thanks too mum for all those books, they arrived just in time. Also received three (Outspanes?) from Jack and three Paarl Posts. Did Mrs. Vicky send me six letter cards? I know the little book is from her, but Phanie tells me that his letter cards were in that little book of Mrs. Vicky. Please thank her for that little book and also for the cards, if it is from her.

After two months I again met Phanie yesterday morning. It was quite unexpected. We went down the line a few units to fetch over rations. On our return journey I asked the orderly driver to stop at Phanie’s H.Q. hoping that he might be there. He was there alright, but we could only chat for a few minutes and exchange some letters. I am hoping to go down tomorrow for a few hours to chat to him.

The evenings are getting hotter and we sleep less, so last night we put our heads together and wrote a letter to Anne Shelton of the BBC asking her to sing to us on the Forces Favourites Programme.

Received a letter card from Pietie yesterday but I must answer Marie’s first. 

We are having such a lazy time and the weather is simply perfect. In fourteen days we’ve had dust only one day and a cool breeze is always playing from the see.

Cheerio Mum and Dad, I trust that you are both happy and in good health.

With lots of love,

Your loving son,

Boy,

1940 18th November. Boy To Ernest

Mr and Mrs Earnest Grundlingh

“Nancy”

Suider-Paarl

Cape

Pte Boy Grundlingh

Headquater Company

10 M.F.F Field Ambulance

S.A.M.C, U.D.F

To Army P.O

Durban

Monday 18^th November , 1940

Dear Ernest and Nellie,

Thanks so much for the lovely Parcel Ernest. It arrives here in excellent condition. The trouble is you closed it so well by soldering it that I had to cut it open with a tin-opener. Phanie’s and mine arrived in the same day and just in time too. That same afternoon Phanie left for Nairobi on a 10 day local leave.

I was in his camp at the time when the Captain called him in to inform him to be ready at 5 o’clock. I came up with him to Brigade H.Q and then to the A.P.O to get the parcels and post. I said goodbye  to him and on going to over to a concert at H.Q that same evening 7 o’clock, they were just on the point of leaving with the parcel. I also received a letter from Mrs Perald…

I’ll have to give the cigarettes to Phanie though. I did smoke a couple some time back but I noticed it affected my teeth, turns it black, so I immediately stopped again. Loutjie is also a non-smoker. We have another chap in the Kaaia with us- Stanley Freedman, a Jewboy from Port Elizabeth and in two days we received 8 parcels between the three of us. Imagine what a good time we are having with all the sweets and cakes around us. Thanks again Ernest. To come to some general news.

Our Unit is now the proud possessors of a wireless set installed near the Officer’s Mess. We now listen in to overseas news every evening at 8.45, followed by some music and then off to bed. It seems as if the Greeks are giving the Italians Hell. Unfortunately there is nothing to report from this front but we intend giving them hell as well in the near future.

Have you ever tried to drive without lights? We leave camp after dark and return in the small hours of the morning. Occasionally we bump up against a tree and if you fail to get back on the road or in the convoy you have to suffer the consequences.

We are kept fairly busy during the day and only between 2 and 4 are we allowed to attend to our private affairs. That is practically the hottest time of the day and almost impossible to write letters. Water is better now and we are also allowed more so as to do our working.

They’ll be starting to re-issue us very soon. As a matter of fact, Phanie’s unit was issued the day before he went on leave. His leave is something we cannot quite fathom. Allowing this, it means that the chappie who is unfortunate enough to be last in the list will go on his 10 day leave sometime in 1943. Presumably I think it’s some kind of a blind to keep us busy so to speak.

The rainy season is at an end now, with the result that we have plenty of dust and wind again but most of us are accustomed to practically everything and anything that comes our way.

Hoping you are all in good health, have a good Christmas and New Year, because we’ll have the same. Lots of Love to both and John and a kiss for Marie.

Cheerio Boy