Thirty-eight letters from Leslie Cairns, 152nd Field Regiment RA, Ayrshire Yeomanry, while in in Epping Essex, 17 November 1941 - 23 March 1942

1 folder: Thirty-eight letters, manuscript, 17 November 1941 to 23 March 1942, from Leslie G. Cairns, while with 152nd Field Regiment RA, Ayrshire Yeomanry, in Epping, Essex, and during the beginning of his estrangement with Irene J. Young and their broken engagement.

In the letters, Leslie describes life in the Epping especially in the period over Christmas and New Year, which he spends away from home for the first time. He describes weekly trips to London to shop for the mess, on one occasion describing the dilapidation caused by bombings in Whitechapel, St Paul's and Piccadilly.

He expresses some worry about the potential for women to be called for service and offers advice to Irene on joining the women's A.T.S (Auxiliary Territorial Service). Towards the end of the letters, Leslie describes intensive training time as he writes less frequently, asking Irene to "forgive my brevity."