In May 1943, LIFE noted to its readers:
The Allies’ final push caught the Germans completely off base. Thousands of German officers and soldiers were obliviously promenading the streets of Tunis when four British armored cars rolled into the city on May 7. When LIFE’s correspondent Will Lang entered Tunis’ Majestic Hotel to register for a room, German officers were still drinking at the bar.
Allied pressure never relaxed. Audacious columns streamed to the coast from all directions, cutting the enemy into hundreds of hopeless, helpless units. The disintegration was complete. German motorized elements simply decorated their vehicles with white flags and drove into the Allied lines. Gasped one British general: “These last three days have been fantastic, unbelievable. The Germans may have witnessed scenes of wholesale surrender like this, but we never have.” From:http://time.com/3878057/world-war-ii-rare-and-classic-photos-from-the-north-african-campaign/
5/16/43 #1 North Africa
Hi Honey:
You little mutt! So you got a job! Well, I guess you’ve gotten my letter ok’ing it. At least it may keep you from worrying about me.
I got your letter of April 15th today. It seems funny that I’ve been in another outfit for over a month, been in quite a few good shows, and you didn’t even know it. I guess by now you have my letter telling of the change and maybe some of the others even later.
The newspapers, Life, etc. have given the outfit much well deserved publicity.
While you were writing your letter you were listening to Bing Crosby. I heard the same broadcast the next night.
With you making so much money I almost didn’t send you #X5219, but I guess I will. I sure am glad I don’t gamble. These damn fools win and lose a matter of $500 nightly and think nothing of it. Money loses all value when you can’t think of it in terms of fundraising power. And over here you can’t buy anything for any price. Hey! How much are you making—or isn’t it any of my business?
The town mayor invited us to an amateur talent show last night, followed by a dance. It sounded scrumptious & was quite pleasant. The batch of nurses they found were all from Chicago and that made it doubly pleasant.
The program itself was a riot. I will try to quote some of the better jokes. I took brief notes so I would remember them. You have to fill in the descriptive material as it would take too much space.
#1 The vicar of a small community, in order to save rubber for war purposes, bought a couple of asses for he and his wife to ride. They were the most beautiful in town, especially the vicar’s wife’s ass. It had a very smooth motion when it walked by. One day in church, the air raid siren blew & the vicar entered into a long prayer. While he was praying, all the congregation left for an air raid shelter. The vicar opened one eye just in time to see the last member leave and a bomb come through the roof. He dove out the window thinking he would land on his ass, tied just below. Instead, he went head first into a bomb hole, thus proving conclusively that in an air raid not even the vicar knows his ass from a hole in the ground.
#2 Little boy went into candy store to buy a chocolate doll. The store keeper handed him a little girl doll. He said “Nuts—gimme a boy.” The storekeeper, a little aggravated, made the exchange, and said “There isn’t any difference between them.” Small boy looked at him in lordly fashion. “The hell there isn’t,” says he. “There’s that much more chocolate” as he snapped his fingers. (Shall I draw you a picture?)
#3 Retired actor fell overboard one night on a cruise. They put a searchlight on him and he drowned himself taking bows before they could fish him out.
#4 A rich man was driving down the road in his Rolls Royce when a Model A Ford passed him. He decided to have some fun, so he opened her wide and passed the Ford. A few seconds later he heard a horrible crash, and stopped to see what had happened. He drove back a few yards and found the Ford against a tree. The occupants badly bruised & cut, were several hundred yards further back. He asked if he could help them. “You’d jolly well better,” said the Ford driver. You went past us so fast we thought we’d stopped and stepped out to see what was wrong.”
#5 Engineer couldn’t afford an expensive honeymoon so he and his bride took a camping trip. They set up their tent the first night and were crawling around, trying to make up a bed, with the aid of a flashlight. A very loud voice from quite near hollered at them, “Turn out that %$#@ damned light!” The bridegroom, to show he was a man, yelled right back, “I say, old chap, you can’t say that sort of thing. I have a young lady up here.” The husky voiced guy replied, “Whattya think I’ve got down here, a blinking nanny goat?”
#6 Sgt. lurched at new recruit with fixed bayonet the first day of bayonet drill saying, “Now we’ll see what you’re made of.” He stopped a few inches short of the kid’s stomach. “Now what would you do if a Jerry did that to you in the dark of a Tunisian night?” he asked.
“I’ve done it,” said the recruit shaking his leg (pictures?).
(Chucky can explain these to you)
#7 Famous magician was on a cruise and gave a command show for the rest of the passengers. Just as he was about to shoot a pistol, at which signal a parrot in a cage was supposed to disappear, the ships boiler blew up. The next morning, the rescue ship arrived. All they found was the parrot in his cage, floating around on a wooden table. The parrot was shaking his head and saying “Silly damn trick, wasn’t it.”
Your letter was v-mail. I also got one from Mother dated April 2, and a birthday card and letter from your mother dated April 13. That gives you an idea of how messed up our mail gets. I’ll try to send you a v-mail once a week and air mail the rest.
The dance after the show wasn’t bad. Piano and guitar were the orchestra.
That’s all baby. I love you. I have another money order I’ll send in about a week. Take care of your for me.
Your Cy
5/16/43 #2 North Africa
V-MAIL
Darling:
You are the sweetest, the most precious, the prettiest, most capable little wife of anybody in the world. In fact, I’m damn well satisfied with my choice—a bit proud, to say the least. I only wish I were there to say these things in person.
I’ve already written you one letter today, but shall write this one v-mail and presume you’ll get it sooner. After getting a letter from you, Mother, and your Mother at noon, I came home from supper to find a v-mail dated April 21 from you and an air mail from Evelyn dated April 19. She is at 1402 Government Street, Mobile, Ala! That makes about the most perfect day in history. It is so nice to get a late letter from you and know you’re getting along swell.
I’m glad you re-mentioned that the covers arrived ok, as I haven’t yet gotten the first letter saying they had. Gosh I’m glad. At least that will give us one thing to remember after the African campaign. They should last for hundreds of years, for they are pure goat fur or something. Gee, honey, would I like to have the pillows at each end of the divan, with you at one end and my head in your lap. Oh, boy. Solid comfort. Don’t worry, little girl, you haven’t finished babysitting me yet by a long shot. When I get home, I’ll have about 2 years worth of being spoiled to catch up on.
So they cut a map out of the letter. The dumb blokes. The same thing by Bel Gedhis appeared in a life mag a couple of days after I sent it to you. Oh well, regs is regs.
Oh, hell, I’m a softy. Honey, do me a favor? Will you take the money order I sent you today for 100 smackers, cash it, and go buy yourself a string of “poils” or ear-rings or something for your anniversary present? Gee, please do because I can’t do it and I want to. I was going to try to get you something here, but you automatically pay 6 times what it is worth and you rarely can buy anything nice anyhow. You’re an angel and I want you to look and feel like one. Lemme know what you get. P.S. If the money order doesn’t get there in time, just cash a check. I got it for back longevity pay I just collected.
The more I think about it, the more I’m glad you didn’t start school. I’ve always wanted to live with a co-ed! Can I help you with your homework every night?
111 pounds-Oh boy!
Bartletts are swell. By and I were even closer, if that is possible, than Johnny and I have been. They were just like extra parents, and vice versa. Call them and say hello.
As you can plainly see, the deal went through. Somebody plain got relieved and I snuck out before the ship sunk. The rest of the gang are chiefly co-pilots on a b-26 and b-25 deal.
So I made the scandal sheet. It looked spectacular then, but we do that sort of thing daily here. Good ol airplanes. The same kind. I love ‘em, and they love me. Honey, they may have had me on the staff for a long time, but none of the shavetails make cracks about my flying—that is, other than very embarrassingly favorable ones. And to think that Van once recommended me any job not involving flying—the poor dope.
Tell John I am deeply grieved that his mother passed away. I know how he must have felt. Honey, you and I have been good old reliable Marty and Cy for so long it will always be that way. Just keep a stiff upper lip. Someday I’ll be home. Don’t ever fail to feel that. I’ve had every risk imaginable, and when the old number is up, that’s all there is to it. I don’t think the war will have anything to do with the date. You quickly learn a most comforting brand of pre-destination in combat.
Lady, are you going to have fun remodeling my conversation when I get home! I love my little girl more each day. That’s why I say happy anniversary and that’s only the third one. Cy.