p.

out on the boat with Norman Williamson, of all
people. Norman is a very good man, very, very
amusing, in his own [Bass]way - but I rather hope
I steer clear of him - he gets into such dreadful
scrapes and messes. It seems he is aware of my
presence in the Middle East, having found my name
in the Duty Officer's book at the I.B.D. I shall
have to frightfully senior and assert my rank, if my
path happens to cross his.

I don't think I ever told you about my batman, did I?
His name is [Choinatzki], and he is 21, and a Pole,
and a very nice little man, clean and fresh and looks
after me very well indeed. I got him when I first
went to the P.R.T.D. and have had him ever since.
He had never done this sort of thing before, and
darning and mending were quite new to him. But he
learnt very quickly, and now does everything for me.
He also takes good care of Peter, when I am
busy or out - and can often be seen walking
him up and down the road on the lead and looking
rather self conscious.

Corporal [Labitsch?], my very pleasant, efficient and intelligent
Orderly Room Corporal - I have now made into a
Sergeant. He was very thrilled and thought for a
moment, at the time, that he was going to kiss
me. The lift to Sergeant is a very real one,