gb0551ms-33-102

Transcription

[Page] 102
[continued from page 101]

were just out; beneath the cherry trees day by day
more little golden cups glittered on the brown earth
as the winter aconites opened up, while on
my wall spears. of bulbous irises, frittilaries,
satin flowers, and tulips were thrusting through
the surface, while here and there little groups
of crocus chrysanthus, E. A. Bowles & others
were giving a fresh joy to life. Now again
the book of spring is closed. All yesterday
afternoon snow showers drifted along, melting
where the flakes fell, but with the coming on of
night, the snow overcame the opposition of
the wet earth, and settled over everything. This
morning it lay to a depth of three or four
inches, and ever since it has snowed. and still
at 2.45 it continues but in a tired listless
fashion as if it could not last much longer
This makes the fourth considerable snow
-fall since the year came in, and it is the
heaviest. If precedent is followed then one
day soon the snow will suddenly vanish,
before a soft South wind, bringing forward
the real spring, which has been waiting to
come from behind these white curtains of
winter, and with its coming there will be
such a rushing forward of spring flower.

and singing of birds as will fill our hearts with
joy and hope, regardless of Hitler and his inhumanities.
Sandy is somewhere is southern Abyssinia,
in command of the 2nd. Ethiopian Irregulars
(Curle's), I imagine he is with a South African
corps to the North east of Lake Rudolph.
It will not be long before they will march into
Addis Adeba!

20th. Feb. 1941
More snow has fallen during the night and now
it lies to an even depth of ten inches, without
any drifting. The effect is very beautiful as it
lies like a white blanket on lawn and shrubs,
and outlines twigs and branches with a deep
cresting of white. It is many years since I
recollect such a heavy fall and still more is
falling and the 'glass' remains abnormally low.
Again this forenoon the sirens sounded and
we were at attention for some 20 mins. [minutes] or so. There
was no sound of bombs exploding or guns firing.
There must have been an enemy plane some:
:where, probably attempting to lay mines in the
snowstorm.

1st. March.
Two days ago the thaw came and yesterday
morning, after a night of high wind, all the snow
had disappeared except in very few places where
it had been heaped high & was sheltered. But
[continued on page 103]