Henri to Yvette.

650 Gen Tpt Coy
Italy

14-15 August.

My darling,

Instead of sending its soldiers to a regular “Rest Camp”(eng) my company has come up with a much more attractive solution. It has made an arrangement with an Italian family in an isolated village somewhere in the mountains. Every week, a dozen soldiers are sent there for a good rest. They take their provisions with them and give them to the family and for the sum of 3 shillings a day they receive full board: food, service and even a good civilian bed. As you see it is practical and comfortable and much better than the “joys” of the Rest Camp. Actually, most of the comrades when their leave (eng) is due, take their provisions, get on the road and look for a way of getting to Rome to spend their holidays there. For different reasons, you understand.

Some go simply to be able to say to their grand children: “I have been to Rome! I liberated Rome!” They are the far-sighted optimists.

Some go to see the churches, the palaces, the museums and the Pope and also to buy reproductions of the great masters and send them home. These are the boys with artistic souls or rather the “sabras” in fact who have suddenly discovered that Michel Angelo is a great man because he sculpted the great prophets. They are moved to tears when they see the majestic beards of Jeremiah 0r Joshua (because it’s Jeremiah, not because of the beard!) and they feel great familiarity with this good Angelo. His perfection agreeably tickles their national spirit and they can only regret or attribute to an unfortunate mistake that the “Slaves” are not called “Israel in Chains” or better “Israel breaking its chains”.

There are still others, who prefer to go to Rome because they have made it a point of honour to sleep with a Roman woman. And although it costs a whole lot more, because the Roman woman only goes with them for the whole night, or at least by the hour, it’s worth the trouble. They pay the difference with joy in their heart; the difference, which is not in the body but in the quality of the gear- that, flatters their pride. These are the practical boys.

As for me, darling, my time to leave came a long time ago but each time I refused. At first I refused because I was still in the A.T.S. and thought that if your company came to Italy, we could take our holidays together. Later I refused because I didn’t want to do anything good without you. … Last week everyone started to urge me, from the sergeant to the CO and being truly tired, I decided to go. SO today is my first day of holidays.  However I went to the mountains and not to Rome. Me. the citizen. So I am here, between the sky and the earth with six of my comrades. The others have left for the big city.

…you can see that I am in a truly isolated place. So very isolated that when I cast my eye from my terrace to the south to the east and from the east to the north, I see nothing but an enormous sea of green leaves which covers everything, even the colour of the ground. In the whole world that opens before me I can perceive only three houses. I am happy to have come here. It may seem strange to you that I have given up Rome. But you see, darling, I am more and more convinced that basically my soul is very simple and honest. As simple and honest as nature. I spent 30 years of my life without knowing that.  Then you came. I don’t believe that you have changed me. But I am well aware that you have made me discover myself. In two years I have learnt so much more about myself – about my character, about my body, about my soul, about my intelligence- that during 30 years of life without you.

As far as my memory can show me I see a tormented soul, always anxious and discontented, incomplete, disabled, searching for the peace of my body. And the big city was a false escape. There was no other way for me to defend myself, in the smoke of Parisian cafes, than with cynicism. That was an instinctive defence.  But you, darling, I loved you always. So I always loved nature. The only thing was that I didn’t know it. You made me know it.

I am sure I will spend six lovely days here. All with you.

Henri

15 August…. I dreamt of you last night…. I can’t write a long letter to you today. My emotions are too strong….