p.

8/
business which has now been fixed up for more than
three weeks If I have already told you please forgive me
As you know I had already recommended Jim Heasley +
this was in the process of being confirmed Jim was
5 years older than Tony Burnett but far + away junior in
service But I began to feel more + more worried
about my choice because Jim did not improve or come
on at all + did not seem to be making any effort
+ was generally rather [wet?]. So I had him down to
my room one night + over a bottle of beer gave
him lots of good advice about guts + effort + personality
+ initiative + what he would need to do + be to
satisfy me as my second i/c. He hadn't even the blasted
wit not to disagree with what I was saying-
got rid of a great deal of nonsense about knowing
his own limitations + a man being what he is + that's
that + having to go carefully + he even put limits on the
amount of work he considered himself to be capable of
so I finally cut him short + told him he was ^a spineless
rabbit + ought to be ashamed of himself + he could
darned well go on being junior subaltern. He was
a bit hurt at first - but eventually proved me to
perfectly right by admitting that he was perhaps
relieved on the whole as it all might have been
too much for him What dear Jim was wanting
apparently was the rank + pay of a Captain but
without the hard work or responsibility + fine spirit
with which to win the war I must say
So I quickly wrote a letter + also demanded quick
action as I was fed up with being seriously
overworked - Tony was appointed within a week
or so He is not so darned good but he knows his
stuff up to a point + has the advantage of