Gubby Under Pressure

Appendix One The letters This appendix sets out in full the text, exactly as transcribed from the originals, of all thirty-one letters sent by Allen to his parents, one to P.F.Warner, and one from R.W.V.Robins to Allen’s father about this tour, which are available in the Mitchell Library in the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney. In a few places, Allen’s handwriting is difficult to decipher. All the letters carried the signature ‘Obbie’, the nickname by which he was known to parents, relatives and close friends, and derived from his three Christian names George Oswald Browning. It will be noted that Allen writes separately to his mother and father. They had, in fact, decided to live apart, for reasons unknown, and Allen makes some references to this in one or two of the letters. Letter One S.S.Orion September 17 1936 My Darling Dad, Tomorrow we get to Toulon so I must try and write you a few lines. I have done practically nothing but write letters since I came on board and at last can begin to see daylight. This will be my 106th letter or postcard and my bill for stamps at mid-day today was 11/8d. This is a lovely ship but the passengers to date haven’t shown much sign of hilarity. Phyllis Davis introduced herself to me this morning and seems rather nice. She says she is better but can do nothing except sit in a chair on deck. Dick and Pauline seem quite happy. I spend a lot of my free moments with them and all the team like them a lot. Robbie is always with them and Bob Marsden, Adrian Gore’s step-father, came as far as Gibraltar with us and I have met Sir George Tallis. We had a most enjoyable morning at Gib with Sir Charles Harington. I didn’t go up the rock with the others but sat and talked to him in his garden. He tells me that the death toll and atrocities in Spain have been appalling. There are 1000’s of refugees there, many of whose families have been completely wiped out. A red destroyer, all of whose officers have been murdered, came nosing around us in the Mediterranean but I understand they are very careful now-a-days of British ships. The press on board have been no trouble so far but I am frightened of William Pollock. Do please keep a close eye on what they all write and, if you think anything awful appears, air-mail it out me quick so that I can give the culprit the air in future. This would be a big help as we shall otherwise have no idea what they have been up to. I hope you have sent me some more cuttings of what I was supposed to have said to the press on the platform and at Southampton. The only one I was worried about when I had time to consider it all, was the B.B.C. one. I seem to remember having talked only of losing which was so silly. The more I see of all the side the more I like them. They are all absolutely charming and I am sure will be no trouble at all. No-one has even been tight yet. Howard is going to be a great success and a great help to me. He is extremely nice but I should say, if one was trying to fault him, he has not got a great sense of humour. Sammie Carter and Robbie Pope are both on board. The latter has retired to bed with sore throat. Mine is all right. 70