Said Churchill to Stalin
“I think you’re a darlin’.”
Said Joseph “You’ve said it,
But a 2nd front would be more to you’re credit.” zwg zpn
Wednesday 19th
Cooler day. I was woken at 7.30 by Margaret shouting excitedly “Mommy! Mommy! We’ve started a Second Front!”. I leapt out of bed saying “Good God!” and went to hear the details. Francis had heard in the village, we’d landed in France. What excitement! We turned on the news—A raid by a force, largely of Canadians, was in progress in the Dieppe area. This is not an invasion. DAMN RUMOUR. My goodness what a flop. Awful anticlimax. zwr zlb zwe zwg zro zbe zem
We worked six hours on the barley field, hard, and we just finished by 4.15 with help from Mrs. Shiner. … zhk
Thursday 20th
… We went off to Petworth by car at 9.30, to shop and to have Margaret and me vaccinated for smallpox, of which there is an outbreak. He cleaned the skin, poured on serum, and then jabbed slightly painfully with a needle six or seven times. Margaret he scratched and rubbed. … zsh zfl zmt zmh
Letter from J [of Benenden]—thank god I met the postwoman today. She too is sobered. It’s a silly business, because none of them share my interests really, though I suppose few at school do either. Quite a nice letter, though. … zfr zse zop
Friday 21st
Shocking up barley in the morning. David came to stay, as his mother’s gone to have two growths on her back operated on (due to X-ray burn 12 years ago). In the afternoon we first tied up loose bundles, then we thinned swedes until it started to rain, when we went into the piggery and entertained the pigs. … zhk zfr zhy zmt zil zpt
