We inherited a box of documents relating to our grandparents after they died and their house was sorted out. In it was a bundle of letters with the following handwritten note from my grandpa: “A few of the many letters sent to me by Marjorie, when I was abroad 1944-6. W.G., Nov 1990. [Rather later than the dates when letters written – mustn’t hurry these things!]”
Amongst the bundle was this incredible letter, describing in detail my grandma’s experience of VJ Day; in particular of how the evening unfolded in her hometown of Sunderland. My grandpa, her fiancee at the time, was away in India and Burma from 1944-6 so even though the war in Europe had been declared over, she was still waiting for him to return home.
Grandma was always a good writer and includes lots of detail of the early hours of August 16th 1945 in this letter – the relief and jubilation at the war finally being over shines through, as well as love and hope for the future. It was to be another five months or so before they were reunited, with Grandpa making his long journey home over land and sea back the North-East. They were married in 1947 for over 70 years and both lived into their 90s.
I have included a photo of Bill and Marjorie around 1947 not long after they were married.
