"As I had nothing to do I thought I would write to someone."
I found this letter among my mother’s personal effects after she died in January 1999.
My mother and father both lived in the same village in Essex, Abridge, and grew up together. My dad was in the Guards Armoured Division and involved in the D-Day landings. He wrote this letter to my mum on 22 July 1944. It must have sparked off a romance because they married on the 5 August 1945.
The letter was sent from somewhere in Normandy. The photograph is Nijmegen cemetery, as my father was in the Market Garden operation.
They had three children, Martin, Bruce and Bernice and lived a happy life until their deaths in 1999 and 2001.
Transcript:
Dear Doreen,
I suppose you will be very surprised to get a letter from me again, you might wonder what has made me do it, well you see most of the lads near me at present are all writing away and as I had nothing to do I thought I would write to someone.
I hope you dont mind, only to tell you the truth I have no girl friend to write to, you might query that point but nevertheless it is the truth.
Well as you can guess or you might already know I am in France somewhere.
I am writing this in my dug-out which is just a hole in the ground with a waterproof sheet over it, it has been raining here now for the last 36 hrs and the place is just a sea of mud. We have to keep making various adjustments to our roof as the rain finds its way in, still we are quite happy and contented.
When we first arrived over here it was lovely sunshine and all the roads then were about 6 inches under dust making a hazy look all over the countryside.
We are getting quite used to the guns, planes etc, sometimes a loud bang will wake you up at night making you grab for your tin hat in case there are anymore.
I hope you are getting on alright with your job as a Hullo girl, your Mum told me you was one the last time I was home. Tell her I haven't seen many French girls yet, I think the Jerrys might have taken them away with them.
I am at present patiently waiting for the mail to come in, I hav'nt had a reply from home for the first letter I wrote over here, I suppose the weather conditions are holding everything up though.
Well Doreen this is all for now, write back if you can if you feel like it. Remember me to your Mum & Dad please.
Love Bunny xxx
[Document - Soldier's Service Book - sharing details of Bernard Victor King, including date of birth, location and date of enlistment, description of appearance included distinctive marks and minor defects.]
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