Sat January 1, 1944
Hospital.
Sun, January 2, 1944
Hospital.
Mon, January 3, 1944
Hospital.
Tue, January 4, 1944
Hospital.
Wed, January 5, 1944
Hospital.
Thu, January 6, 1944
Hospital.
Fri, January 7, 1944
Hospital.
Sat, January 8. 1944
Hospital.
Mon, January 10, 1944
Hospital.
Tue, January 11, 1944
Geo. Raft came into visit our ward today & I had quite a talk with him. He remembered me from Warner’s. He signed my Short Snorter Bill & shook hands & we had our picture taken. Everybody in the ward thought I was King after that.
Wed, January 12, 1944
Was released today at 1:00 and came back with Jean & Feldbaum. They came over to see Bart who had two of his fingers shot off on a mission to Brunswick, Germany. He was in the hospital & came near dying when his lungs collapsed after giving him a spinal. He sure looked bad this morning. Sgt. Dave Barker was missing in action on the same raid. What a scene to come back to. Capt. said to forget about the DS I was in & rest up here.
Thu, January 13, 1944
I weighed this morning and lost 12# in the hospital. Capt. Culver told me he was going to send me to the rest home for a week. He’s got it all assigned and I’ll probably leave Sat or Sunday. Went out this morning & asst Capt. on the Ackley shooting, a badly damaged Fort that came back from the raid at Brunswick. Boy, what a wreck.
Fri, January 14, 1944
(Happy Birthday), Rosemary, it’s all I could (give).
My orders were cut today for the rest home & I was supposed to leave the field at 8:30 but everybody over slept so I did not get away until 10:00. Arrived in London at 2:00 & then checked in at the Red Cross there & went out to Kingston to see some friends. My train leaves at 6:45 tomorrow morning. I could not get a room at the RC at London for I was on orders, so I left my bags & when I got to Kingston I found a room at Surbiton. I went out & paid 10 s for it but when I went back at midnite the hotel was locked & I couldn’t get in so I had to walk 3 miles, catch an early morn train to London. Arrived at RC there at 3:30 & slept in a chair until six. Some day.
Sat, January 15, 1944
Caught the 6:45 out of London for Southport & came via Liverpool. Arrived here at 3:15. It’s a good thing the Gov furnished 1st class passage or I would of had to stand up most of the way. I rather enjoyed my trip for going 1st class , threw me in contact with British officers & I learned a lot about England. The Red Cross where I am staying is a large hotel & in peace time was exclusively used for the wealthy. I don’t like it too well for it’s a far cry of a rest home. Boy there must be 1000 GI’s here, They had a big dance tonite. I danced a few but was tired so bathed & went to bed.
Sun, January 16, 1944
Was going to church this morning but slept too late. The other boy from my field was in bed when I came in. He is about all nerves. In fact, I thought I was bad but he’s worse than I. We had breakfast together & then walked up town. It was cold & foggy out so we did not stay long. Came back at 1:00, ate dinner, then after writing some letters we came up and took a nap. They had a dinner dance here today from 5 to 10. I dropped in after 6:30 and had a fair time. Danced most of my dances with a Ministry of Labor girl, Stephi. She was rather entertaining in her talk & I found out lots about the English mannerisms. Her name is Dons & she plans on going to Calif with Dad & Mother after the war.
Mon, January 17, 1944
Slept until 9:30 this morning. It was dark & rainy out when we got up. Ate breakfast & lounged around until 12:30, ate dinner. Then the Sgt. Gunner that shares my room and I went up town to the show. Saw Warner’s “Thank Your Lucky Stars”. After the show took a stroll around town & then back to the club. Ate supper at 6:30 then wrote letters & read until 10:30 & then to bed. Some day. I’m going nuts slowly here. Think I’ll leave Thursday & finish out in London.
Tue, January 18, 1944
Slept until almost 10:00 today. Had a good nights rest for once. Ate breakfast and wrote some letters. After dinner went to the show and saw “By Hook or Crook”, walked back to the club, ate & had my pants pressed & taken up on the legs. At 8:00 walked up town and wound up at the Cambridge Hall at the dance. Had a very good time & had a hell of good time finding my way back in the black out. Had a snack & was in bed at midnite. It’s still foggy and rainy out.
Wed, January 19, 1944
Slept late today and in the afternoon my room mate and I went to the show & saw Abbot & Costello in “In the Navy.” Came back to the club & ate. It rained most of the afternoon & we walked back in a light drizzle. After dinner at 8:00 they had a dance in the ball room & I went down. Found a girl that danced to my liking & danced with her the evening out or rather 11:00. She was a steno in a Ministry of Labor office & had been evacuated from London. She told me lots about England & her customs. Really enjoyed it. Was in bed at 12:00.
Thu, January 20, 1944
Was going to catch the 8:15 back to London this morning but was too tired. So I took the 10:45 instead. It was late getting in London & never arrived there until 5:00. I met a pilot & his ball turret gunner on the train in fact they had been staying the same place I had. We rode up town together & could not get a room any place. Even the RC Clubs were full. It took me 45 min to check my bags. London is sure crowded with troops having a few days fun. Finally found a place at 10:00 to stay but had to pay 10S2D, which is about 2:50 in our money, to sleep on a mattress on the floor. We had a couple of beers together and then turned in. Boy was I tired out lugging that bag all over the tube stations & London.
Fri, January 21, 1944
Did not sleep very well last night, had a pain in my left chest. Called up Eva this morning & am going to take her to dinner & the show tonite. Spent the morning getting my bags over to the Moyston (Service) Club where I got a bed this morning. After lunch I went out to see Fred West at Wide Wing. Rode out in Govt Bus. Fred was out working with my outfit so I did not get to see him. I had dinner there and visited with the boys of Fred’s outfit and saw Ben Rosenblatt who used to be with our unit. He has a good job now & likes it. I took the train back from there and after cleaning up & shaving went over to St. Margaret’s Castle where Eva works & met her at 5:30. We went to the Corner House for dinner & I wasn’t hungry so had a couple of drinks while Eva ate. Then we took in a show at 8:30, the alert sounded & boy did the ack ack guns set up a howl & you thought the bombs were going to fall right on the theater. No one left though, a thing that I always admired about these English people. I kept getting the pain more now in my chest & after taking Eva home got as far as the middle of the tube station at Marble Arch & had the MP’s call me a car to take me to the doc. He examined me and sent me to the 16 sta hospital in London. Said I had acute pleurisy.
Sat, January 22, 1944
I arrived here at the hospital at 2:00 am and the doc taped me up so I could breathe & gave me a sleeping pill. It didn’t do much good & at 6:00 they had to put me under oxygen. At 1:00 in the afternoon they took me in an ambulance to the 151 hospital and said I had pneumonia in my left lung & said I was a pretty sick boy. Along about 8:00 that nite I could breathe better so they put me to sleep & I had a good nites sleep.
Sun, January 23, 1944
Hospital
Mon, January 24, 1944
Hospital
Tue, January 25, 1944
Hospital
Wed, January 26, 1944
Hospital
Thu, January 27, 1944
Hospital
Fri, January 28, 1944
Went up today to have another x-ray taken of my lungs. If they show OK I’ll soon be going back to the unit. Had a fellow bed partner call up to have my mail sent up. Haven’t had any mail since Dec 26th.
Sat, January 29, 1944
Doc came around this morning and said I had gotten the spots off my lungs and all I needed now was to rest & I’d soon be well again. Hope so. Boy am I skinny.
Sun, January 30, 1944
They had a big air raid last nite and the guns & bombs from London could be heard here & what a noise they set up. The ward here rocked for almost an hour. The alert lasted 2 hours. The doc when he made his rounds said I could get out tomorrow. So I feel a little better today. Hope my mail I had forwarded gets here in time. Doc called into the ward today & said I was not going out tomorrow. Went to the show tonite but the electricity was off & so after waiting for them to fix it for 2 hours came back & hit the sack. Can’t figure out why they are keeping me.
Mon, January 31, 1944
Doc told me this morning that his chief said I was not to be released for a while but was to rest up a little longer. Waited for the mail man but no mail today. Was put on detail today sweeping & mopping out the ward. Went to the show tonite and had a fun time. Was in bed early.