Lt William Richard Watkins to his wife and daughter
Sent by: Lt William Richard Watkins
Sent to: Wife and daughter
Sent from: Florence, Italy
Date of letter: 31 August 1944
As Executor to my cousin Jane Watkins I was made aware that she still had letters from her father.
As a young boy growing up in the 50s I remember being told that the photograph within a silver frame of an Officer in dress uniform wearing the cap badge of the 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment was my ‘Uncle Bill who died in Italy’ – nothing more was said!
Following her passing I discovered those letters & other items hidden in various places. No living family members were able to shed any light on why Uncle Bill was in Italy. I soon discovered that the 2nd Mons actually landed in France in late June 1944.
However a wartime photo of his grave marker showed that he was with 1st Recce Regiment? So I set about trying to establish the truth in his memory.
Firstly I was able to obtain his full service record and as his medals were never claimed by his Widow I was delighted to receive them.
Following my correspondence with the CWGC their records were updated – he was no longer just a name & number in a foreign cemetery.
I have chosen only this one letter (sent to Newport, Monmouthshire) from the many as it appears to be ‘different’ in content to others, a letter of reminiscence perhaps. Its significance became clearer when I obtained the war diary for 31st August 1944.
There is so much that I have discovered while establishing the facts behind his sad journey.
