I’ve never seen it fail. Whenever I’m most eager to let you know what the latest developments are, I’m usually too busy to post immediately. That’s the way it has been this week. One night I went to the “Press Club”, another night I had to go to a party, before last I worked, etc.
On Sunday I was expecting to be transferred. I “expected” right! So-o-o-o, I am now assigned to a different squadron. The second line of my address has changed. Instead of being in “Hq & Hq Sq, 403rd Base Air Depot”, I am in “Station Complement Squadron, Base Air Depot #3”.
Well, so far, my transfer to another unit hasn’t brought about much change of any kind. Yet! I am occupying the same bunk in the same barrack at the same site at the same base as I have for months past. And I am working at the same office as always. Although that is true today, I wouldn’t swear it will be the truth tomorrow. I have heard rumors . . . .
That party I went to was a farewell celebration for the Captain. In case I haven’t mentioned this before, Captain B_______ has been my boss since about the first year.
Next to me, the Captain has been with the department longer than anyone still with us. However, during the most of that time, he was actually located at our other office, and my immediate boss (when I had one) was generally his assistant statistical control officer. During the year there were two of them, both 1st lieutenants. I worked with the Captain before the other office was set up, and have been working with him since his crew moved in with us. He was a swell guy to have for a boss, and I hated to see him leave us. Our new “chief” is a man from our office—he is a good Joe, too.
The Captain gave this party himself, and it must have set him back a good many pounds. For our group of about 15, he secured a private dining room at the Carlton, which is one of Belfast’s best restaurants. In addition to the fellows in the office, the group included the two girls in our office, the Captain’s girl, and a girl who is married to one of our boys, and a girl who is engaged to one of our boys. These Irish girls are going to town! We had a chicken-and-turkey dinner, with all the trimmings. The toasts to the Captain and the bridegroom-to-be (who is our new boss) disposed of a bottle of rye and a bottle of scotch. A fellow’s got to be sociable, you know.
Early the afternoon of the dinner, we enlisted men kicked in with some money to get the Captain a going-away present, and sent one our men into Belfast so he could buy something before the stores closed. He is a comical guy anyway, and when he showed up at the dinner half-crocked, he kept us in stitches for the better part of an hour and a half. Will tell you more about this tomorrow.
[letterstohome copyright 2008]