1st August 1944

Tuesday
Alarm at 7.30 this morning but don't mind them very much then.  Dull and cool, but cleared up after lunch.

Going in, saw a coffin being brought out of a house near Severalls Farm. 

Daphne and Walling had another of their bitter quarrels this morning.  Seemed to go on for hours.

Busy this afternoon writing a review of old May’s book, “Britain’s Good Earth”, which is really extraordinarily good.

This evening to cinema with Daphne to see “Pygmalion”, beautifully done, which I enjoyed very much.  This is quite one of the best performances of Leslie Howard.

Went back to Boxted with Daphne, got in at 9.30.  Sat talking to Goodbody for an hour, he telling me stories about Ireland.  He said that it was a common story over there that Michael Collins was really murdered by his own chauffeur, over a quarrel about his (Collins’) wife.  Goodbody is a Protestant, in fact of Quaker upbringing, and is very “anti-Irish”.

He also told a story about a ship being sunk by a submarine off Africa, and the captain of the submarine helped the passengers and crew into lifeboats and agreed to stand by until help came.  Later other submarines appeared, and they too stood by as the weather became rough.

When the passengers reached England and told the story they were warned that if they spread it about proceedings would be taken under the Defence Regulations. 

Heard today that the mother of a Land Girl named Cornish has been killed by a flying-bomb, and that the fiancé of Ivy Pass, another Land Girl, is said to have gone mad through finding parts of a body when clearing up a bombed house site in London.  Ivy Pass is a very attractive girl who helps with Women's Land Army timesheets.

Mentioned to Father today that I might have fortnight on the Broads with Sissons this month, just to get him into the mood that I might be going away for three weeks or even a month if I can do it.

No comments: