Item 06: Frank H. Molony diary, 25 March 1918-7 August 1918 - Page 53

[Page 53]

April 18
about 17 and I believe clever. Anyway he plays well. Its Bettys first, and if she is anything like I was, he wont be the last, the coincidence is he is a chemist's son, and myne was ditto: now myne holds a big position here – one of the leading solicitors.

Darling I hear of him for the first time. I'd like to hear of one or two others. Broderick I know, and meeting him he smiled when he mentioned he'd known you well, and he's now the City's Architect, that's a coincidence too.

Betty's telling is funny, hardly camouflaged – in fact almost brutally frank.

"A little while ago Phyllis had an evening, and it went off jolly nicely too: I met such a nice boy there, called Norman Orr. He has a brother over there where you are, he is now doctor for the 27 Batt, I think – have you heard of him?

Yes, I have taken quite a fancy to Norman. He goes to Newington, and plays the piano rippingly. Up at Aileen's I saw him again and he came up every day. As I said before I went up to Aileen's for a weekend, and stayed till yesterday (Wednesday) and Norman saw me home."

April 18, 19
I read both extracts in the D.R., to a general laughing and a following extract reading all round. Mother would enjoy Betty's, but if Bett ever heard she'd never let her notes go so fully. No, I'll leave the telling till "après".

69.
Tonight quiet, but for a five minutes shelling with crunchers hereabouts, the station empty of cases and a general air of waiting. A big counter attack of the Boche is possible: after supports our chaps man a reserve lines and behind us here the salvaged Tommies – "Lester's [?] Own" man a fourth trench reserve. The deep cellar across the yard cleaned out today, a case of such another barrage over the village as yesterday – which lasted for 4½ hours.

A parcel from home, sox and a cake.

April 19, 2 a.m.

70.
At midnight such a short blizzard of snow and rain as the 2nd Batt. charged over with the 3rd at Hermies last April, now the sky is clear again and starr'd and vividly deep in a rich black-blue.

Quiet, with occasional 'crunchers'.