Tue. 11 May 43. 9.20 pm.
# ALLIES ROUT ENEMY IN TUNIS AND BIZERTE
# FEARS FOR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN FORCES
# EMMIE’S EASTER VISIT RECOUNTED
# CAR PROBLEMS FIXED – WITH DIFFICULTY
# TWO NEW BABIES

Last Thursday and Friday 6th and 7th May saw the Allies entry into Tunis and Bizerte within a few hours of each other. All the armies being in contact now and the remains of the enemy (over 100,000 prisoners) in two separate parties one in the mountains and others dropped in Cap. Bon Peninsula deserted by Luftwaffe and by the highest officials too it is supposed. These remnants have been fighting fiercely but are gradually cracking. The whole of the army round Bizerte, 6 generals included, surrendered unconditionally, and the remnant in the mountains have today asked for terms, which are of course unconditional surrender of themselves and equipment. All this has not been done without a big loss of life on both sides tho’ they keep on saying our side have lost remarkably few. It matters little how few to those to whom those few are all. I hope Frank Adams has come thro’ safely. Sybil said he was fighting and she heard from him in letters dated 12 and 16 Ap. It is a wearisome anxious time and now will begin the big and bitter struggle for the final overthrow of Germany. Franco is crying for Peace but Allies say no Peace until we force Ger. to an unconditional Surrender. It will be a bitter struggle with many more young lives thrown into the greedy maw of war.

Did not hear from Ron last week, last letter dated Ap 17. He was well and very cheerful, says wild flowers are lovely and much larger than ours. I wonder if he will be moving now. I dare not wonder if he will be coming back to England yet, so many went a long time before him. I wonder if Jeff and John Meldrum are alright and Jock, poor old Jock. John Kirk and John Smith and Arthur Beardsley, all out there somewhere. Laurie Wilson too I believe. There has never been any more news of Ken [Hill]. Cyril Belton is home on 48 hours embarkation leave. His mother’s face looked old and grey instead of brown and twinkling when she told me yesterday. He was in the last war too, joining up at 16 and Harold her other son lost a hand. They keep singing a song on the Radio now (Jean bought a copy lately) “When the lights go on again, all over the world. When the boys come home again all over the world”. It has a haunting tune that seems full of, as yet, unshed tears that must presently fall for those boys who will never come home again.

Emmie came for Easter weekend, from Thurs. to Tues. It was a late Easter, Good Friday being on 23rd April. Em did not enjoy it as much as usual as she had come without leave from the Mill. She had an urgent letter from her mother to say be sure not to stay beyond Tues as the foreman was very annoyed. However when she got back so many more had taken Sat. morning off as well as the official Fri and Mon that she hoped to get off lightly. Her spirits quickly recovered and she wrote that perhaps she would come at Whit. We are hoping her Mother and Daddy will come too. Elsie came for tea the Sunday she was here. They took rather a liking to each other last year. Elsie has been very ill and is making a slow convalescence, tho’ she is at work again she still looks very poorly. She brought me two dozen lovely eggs today for me to preserve, they are 3/1 doz which is the price farmers get for large and small all the year round, but they are worth it (the retail price is 2/0). The size and flavour of farm fed eggs are 100 per cent better than those fed on ration scraps and potatoes. Rene says some of the eggs taste like potatoes. She had a bilious attack last evening just before going to her Red + exam on Home Nursing. Not because she was nervous but she got her feet wet on Sat and thinks it was a chill on her liver. However she managed to get there rather late but did the test and is fairly certain she passed as she was asked about things she knew. They all laughed at Phoebe as she got mixed and said a bottle was to be filled through a tunnel instead of a funnel.

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