"I wish so much that this day I were with you both & Mummy, still we have those lovely days to come & we are happy indeed that this day is with us"
The airmail letter was amongst my late mother photos and papers, she died in 2011. I have just recently found it.
This letter from my father, WJH Daniels, is dated 8th May 1945. He was either in Egypt or Middle East I think. He didn’t speak much about his time during the war.
I am now 85 and my brother Brian is 90.
Transcript:
Dear Brian & Beryl,
I hope that you are both well, also Mummy darling, Grandma, Grandad at Arch Cottage, Grandma, Grandad at [unclear] Hill, my love and best wishes to everyone & I trust that they are all well.
I expect that you have been enjoying the very happy & glad times of these grand 'Victory' days. Yes, we all are very thankful that the end of part of this war is over, & I'm sure that you kiddies will be thinking of the days when you, Mummy and I will once again be together. Yes, we are all waiting & looking forward to those days, it will probably be quite a little while yet before I am home with you again, but we are at long last on the right road & the time will soon pass, then well - we'll have grand times together again won't we?
I have just been writing to Mummy darling, telling her if the sight from this House is nine-thirty in the evening absolutely dark, most of the houses here have flat roofs & little balconys, all of stone work, the people have fires burning all around the sides of the houses, its a really marvellous sight, all down the hillside & even the town right down below has those fires burning - thousands of lights flickering in the darkness of the night - it's quite a remarkable thing - I wonder if you two kiddies can picture this, there's a huge house exactly opposite here, decked with flags of all nationalities, little electric bulbs lit up over the front of it, a grand sight, I expect that it's very much the same only a great deal more at home, I wish so much that this day I were with you both & Mummy, still we have those lovely days to come & we are happy indeed that this day is with us.
I am going to a 'Thanksgiving Service' tomorrow morning & I know that you both & Mummy will also be attending a Service at home during one of these days at thiis present thankful time - it's time now for me to close. I send my love & kisses to you both & to Mummy, God Bless you all & keep you safe & well.
PS Don't forget to be good children
Your affectionate Daddy xxxx
PS I forgot to tell Mummy that I am on duty today and this night as I write now, the people are marching up the road singing its quite noisy here.
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