Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, August 23, 1945

Gee honey I really get around don’t you think. This is really the first chance I have had to drop you a line since leaving Etretat, France with our moving around all the time. There are eight of us up here together, 6 from the engineers and another fellow from Co B in the medics besides myself. We arrived in London Sunday night about 11:30, stayed at the Red Cross but didn’t get to bed until about 2:00 AM after checking in, washing and eating. Monday we toured the city and left that night for Scotland. We arrived here Tuesday morning with no sleep so were plenty worn out. These were the first real beds we have had since leaving Austria exactly one week before. They are metal Army cots but God they feel like Beauty Rests and we even   have clean sheets and all. The weather has been miserable so far with rain practically every day. I guess this is typical weather for this locality however. I wanted to go to Loch Lomond today but the natives here say not to go in rainy weather so I am hoping for a nice day tomorrow. Also want to go to Edinburg for a couple of days if possible, they say it is very pretty. I want to see every thing possible while here as I don’t intend to jam into a train again for another trip over here if I ever get back to Austria. I am just now beginning to get rested up after the ordeal coming and I hate to think of the trip back. The only trip I want to make now is the one back to good old USA and lets hope it won’t be long. I see by the S & S where rationing has been lifted on tires, gas and nylons and every one should be happy over there. I wish we   could have been there for some of the celebrating. London celebrated the day before our arrival so we missed everything all around. Any way honey you and I will have our own little celebration when I get back won’t we.

I have been looking this town over for some little gifts but they are practically impossible to buy. Every thing is rationed even handkerchiefs and things are terribly high in price. I did manage to get a couple of boxes of hankies which I am sending Dorothy and Charlotte. I managed to talk the clerk out of them and I am sending a little souvenir compact to you. It is made of leather and says on the case from Bonnie Scotland. It isn’t much of a gift but the only thing I could find and was the last one they had. The stores here are well stocked with wools and clothing but as I said before it all rationed.

I didn’t get a chance to try and locate Pete in the short time we were in London but want to try when we go back. We plan to return Sunday nite so will have Monday and Tuesday there. Tuesday is our last day so suppose we will leave Tuesday nite for Le Havre, Fr. Well darling I want to take this and my package to the APO for mailing and I understand it is about 20 blocks so guess I better get on my way. I hope when I get back to the Co. I will find our Div has been alerted for shipment to the States. Bye for now honey — all my love and kisses —