'England will have her neck wrung like a chicken'

December 29, 1941

  "When I warned them that Britain would fight on alone whatever they did, their generals told their Prime Minister and his divided Cabinet, 'In three weeks England will have her neck wrung like a chicken.' Some chicken! Some neck!" — Winston Churchill, Ottawa, Dec. 30, 1941

   More from the diary of the Rev. Edmund Randolph Laine of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Stockbridge, Mass. For previous entries:

December 22-December 28, 1941

December 15-December 21, 1941

December 8-December 14, 1941

December 1-December 7, 1941

December 29, 1941

 December 29, 1941: (Monday) Cold, gray - snowed in night. Up 11:25, shaved (News - noon). Nose hurts. Bp. Lawrence phoned - 12:45. 1:25 to Bank, then to Lenox (Bank & Library) - back 2:35. Made up some accounts. 3:15 - to Library, Rec'd bill from Mr. Stansky for lighting on(?) street tree - phoned Mr. Dwight about it. Phoned Mrs. Davidson. Wrote note of thanks to Mrs. Herzog for calendar. 6 - News. Eve. - E to First Aid Class. Grown very cold - read in Davis' "First Republic." 9 - Rev. J.W. Cooper of Adams phoned. Wrote letter to Bp. Lawrence at his request - to P.O. with it. Read "Times." 10 - RaymondGram Swing. 11 - News. 

December 30, 1941

December 30, 1941: (Tuesday) Very cold, sunny. Up noon. Radio News. Shaved. 2:15 to Bank, then to Pittsfield (left watch to be fixed at Whitings', to Library) - back 4. Mrs. Dixson in soliciting for special Red Cross fund. 4:45 - Mrs. Kimberly called to arrange baptism & to give instructions about Air Raids. 5:10 - to tea with Mrs. Hiss at Mrs. Tracy's - Fr. Finn there - walked home with him - 6 D. Braman in. Miss F home, E. in P.H. [parish house] working on Laurel Hill acc'ts. 9 - Quincy Howe, read "Times." 9:30 - "Fibber McGee" 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. Had nuts & oranges. 11 - News. 11:20 - transcription of speech of WinstonChurchill at Ottawa, Can.

December 31, 1941

December 31, 1941: (Wednesday) Very cold, sunny. Up 11:30. Mrs. Kimberly phoned changing hour of baptism on Jan. 6. Had creamed corn beef for breakfast. Cleaned desk & put new blotter in pad - did some cleaning in Study & rearranged some books. Made up some acc'ts. Read "Times" & "Eagle". Picked out hymns for to-morrow. 6 - News. Eve. - E. back to Bank after supper. 7:15 - Arthur Hale. Made up yearly household accounts. 8:30 - David Braman & waited for E. - he sat in Study and talked to me till 10. E. back 10:20. 10:40 - E. & D. Braman to midnight show. 11 - News. Wrote outline of talk for Sunrise Prayer Meeting. 11:30 - shower bath.

January 1, 1942

January 1, 1942: (Thursday) Cold, gray. Up 6:30, shaved. Coffee 7:40. 8 - Sunrise Prayer Meeting at Cong. Church - C.M. took me - 18 present - spoke on (?) - back 8:05. Breakfast 9:25. Mr. (?) called while I was eating - did not see him. He called 10 - saw him (about Red Cross). Wrote outline of morning sermon. 11 - Holy Com. - service for National Day of Prayer - large cong. - read President Roosevelt'sproclamation  - spoke on "For God & Country" (27 min.) - long talk with Shaun Kelly Jr. afterward. Dinner of turkey & champagne. Very gray. Mrs. Davidson in for press notes. Miss F. home - 6:15. Read "Times" & "Eagle" in Study. E. came & read "Eagle" there too. Snowing. 6 - News. Eve. (?) to Church to look for stop watch - found it in my room. 7 - "Amos &Andy" 88 - Fanny Brice. Iceland, Singapore, London, Washington. Read about (?) war. 11 - News. 

January 2, 1942

 January 2, 1942: (Friday) Very warm, breezy, sunny. 9 - rained very hard. Up 11, shaved. Radio News. Miss Tracy called (did not see her). Miss Adams phoned. C.M. dismantled Christmas tree on lawn. 1:30 to Bank. C.M. paid church taxes. 2 - Miss Tracy called. 2:30 - to West Stockbridge to Rev'd. F.S. Eastman's - bot medals & pictures for Sunday School - back 3:45. Growing colder. To see Miss Adams about Women's Auxiliary election - back 5:15. Then to see Miss Canning about being Pres. of Aux. - back 6:15. Eve. - E. to Air Raid Watch. 7:15 - News from London, Borneo & Washington. Wrote & sent list to a Mr. Bedinger (?) Grand Central Station. Wrote letter to R. Procter (sent him Mr. de Gersdorf) (?) 9 - Quincy Howe. To Post Office. Read "Times." 11 - News.

January 3, 1942

 Jan. 3, 1942: (Saturday) Cold, sunny. Up noon. Letter from Bp. E. brot me (?) Bank. 2 - "L' Elisir D'Amore" from Met. Opera. Read "Times" & "Eagle." E. called on Miss Canning. Rested in chair in Study in twilight.l Grown very cold. 6 - News. Phoned Mrs. Barnes about Galahad Supper - Jan. 14. E. to see Miss Adelaide Miller at Miss Canning's. 4:45 - H.W. Kaltenborn. Wrote 2 letters (Bp. Lawrence & Miss Young). Worked on sermon - picked out hymns. 9:30 - Rochester Civic Orchestra. 9:45 - to Post Office - saw Fr. Finn on way back. Ate orange & 2 tangerines. 11 - News. Shower bath.

January 4, 1942

Jan. 4, 1942: (Christmas 2) Snowing, snowed in night too. Up 7:35, shaved. 9:15 - South Lee -- "Epiphany" - back 9:55. 10 - Sunday School, gave out new pins & medals - back 10:30. 11 - Stockbridge - Rev. F.S. Eastman was celebrant, preached on "Year of Our Lord" (15 mins). Turkey for lunch. Took wreath off of front door. E. read "Maltese Falcon" in Study. Read "Times." Dozed in chair while listening to "The Magic Flute." E. out with D. Braman. 5 - Met. Opera auditions. Lights went out for 10 min. 5:45 - W. L. Shirer. 6 - News. Began to read "The Maltese Falcon." 8 - Lloyd Conley called - told me of his marriage - went 8:55. 9 - Ford Hour. Had chicken sandwiches & oranges. E. brot me Schick razor.

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