December 26, 1944
SFrance
Dear Mom + Pop,
You’ll never guess what arrived today in the mail. One day late for Christmas but none the less welcome. A little R.C.A. black radio, fresh from the U.S. and the black market. It arrived in good condition in Dad’s silver painted hand made box (which was used to start our fire tonight) there was one tab broken but as I said that was easily fixed. I took it over to Joe Bender and in a half an hour it had battery and a new tube and was playing “Dolly with a Hole in Her Stocking”. Music coming directly from the efel tower in Paris.
Tonight this far we have been able to get “Sally” (the hang up girl of the U.S. army) B.B.C London, the army station in Italy and Radio Rome, The Blue Danube from Vienna even a short wave broadcast from the states. I’ve scratched W.A. Dec 25, 1944 on the front and am going to put the name of every place I take it. You better hope Berlin gets it soon.
I’m glad you finally recieved some mail from me as I’m sure you must have worryed and wonder what was up. All the fellows say their mail hasn’t been getting through, sure wasn’t because of any mail [unreadable] on our part. We are still in the same country, same place.
The two enclosed letters are the same two I wrote you of when I first came to France (Not the were much in Newark NJ).
Also enclosed are three pictures which I don’t believe you’ve seen, one is of the Hotels I stayed in an other of the result of a B-17 with bathroom sink the only thing left up stairs. Last drinking beer in a tavern, and having lots of fun.
Boy you should hear that radio give out I have it right along side of my bed. With a few pictures of the folks and the pin up Hettie Lamar sent us. Or did I tell you about that one night with nothing to do, and a wall almost filled with pin ups. Some said Hettie Lamar would look good in that spot. Then someone said lets write her, we did each of 11 of us signed the letter, Thursday 11 pin ups autographed by “Dottie”. (What a line we handed her even better than Ele and I use to do back in the 30’s)
Well till tomorrow,
Love,
Bill