Friday
Brilliant fine warm day. No talk anywhere about President’s Rooseveldt's death yesterday – apparently not worthy of a moment’s consideration. O’Neil [from the Ministry of Works] came today, an inspection, and said he
had travelled from Yarmouth with three or four U.S. soldiers
in the carriage, but Rooseveldt was not even mentioned. Yet we cannot say what the outcome of this
may be. The “Daily Express” has the
somewhat misleading headlines – PRESIDENT ROOSEVELDT DEAD. ROAD TO BERLIN OPEN.
There is a very strong hint that Churchill will announce the “end” of
the war next Thursday, and in the House yesterday an odious comparison was made
with a similar announcement about the South African War, after which it
continued for another 2 years.
Curtis Edwards in again for an
hour, looking very ill. Met Mrs.
Saltmarsh yesterday, and she agreed that he is really very ill, but nothing can
be done.
Met O’Neil at 1.30, and had lunch
with him. Went all over the town with
him, showed him everything. Felt dead
tired. Had tea, then this evening took
him to Leverington – walking all the way because he cannot ride a cycle. Showed him Rabbit Hill, Leverington Church,
Roman Bank, and called at the Hall, where Mrs. Munday made us very
welcome. Back to the church with Mrs. M.
and went up the tower. Walked back to
Wisbech in the dusk, talking about Mortimer Wheeler, now a General, and Ward Perkins and
Stuart Piggott, now both Lt. Cols.
O’Neil had been doing some work on air-photos after raids, and said that
the efficiency of US and British raids was often very poor. More often than not they hit the wrong
places. In a recent “special” attack on the Hague , to destroy the
Gestapo HQ, a school was hit by mistake and utterly destroyed. He has been doing a lot of research among the
ruins of Yarmouth ,
with most interesting results. Says the
Rows are almost entirely destroyed and he fears the Borough Engineer will wipe
out all that remain.
Bed at 10.30, very tired. Chestnut tree blooming at Leverington.
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