Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, September 1, 1945

Well honey, here I am sitting in the day room and writing you from Camp Pall Mall. This is a beautiful day, it rained a little this morning but the sun is now shining brightly. After writing you yesterday we walked down town (about 1 ½ miles) to get our P.X. rations and our money changed back to Franc’s and Austrian Shillings. Coming back it is up hill all the way and I was hot and felt worn out when I returned. After eating, I layed down and went to sleep until about 8:30. I got up and watched the boys play Black Jack a while then went to bed about 9:30. there is no theatre in this section of the camp consequently there is nothing to do except play cards or go to bed. This   morning I got up about 8:00 had breakfast and then went for a nice hot shower and shave. I mailed some gifts yesterday which I hope will come thru okay, a bottle of perfume to you and one to Dorothy and Charlotte. I had a hell of a time trying to mail them since there has to be so many verifications on them one of which must be signed by an officer, as if their word was any better than ours. Anyway, I wrapped them at the Red Cross’ and ran down an officer to sign the slip. When I took them to the A.P.O. I found he had signed the wrong slips so had to have two more signed. I stopped the 1st one coming along who happened to be a Cap’t from 101st Airborne and he signed them for me. I told him that with all the red tape I tho’t that would be the last gift I would attempt to send. He laughed and said, cheer up it will only be   a few more months. Well anyway, I hope the perfume turns out to be okay, I know nothing about it but it was highly recommended. I sent it first class so perhaps you can let me know when you receive same. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope it doesn’t get broken. I see by the S & S today where men of 35 yrs may now be released. I wish to hell they would cut it to 32 but perhaps that may come next. After being in England where people speak our language, I am more than ever home sick to get back. In a way it seemed rather odd to be able to converse with civilians again.

I just heard that it is very probably that we will ship out of here tonite. I am hoping so as it will seem good to get back to the company again and as I said yesterday I am dreading that longed train ride with no sleep enroute.

The boys were all kidding yesterday about going to the Division Rest Center at Bad Gastein for 5 days when we return. After the train ride from here will will no doubt need the rest.

Well darling thats about all the news for today but will write you again the first chance I get.