Sent by:David Mitchell
Sent to:Ivy Mitchell
Sent from:Dagenham, Essex
Date of letter:27 April 1941
“Bear up for your children’s sake which we all must try and do although it’s very hard after being bombed out of 2 homes and losing one of your dear ones”
This is a letter from my Great Grandfather who was staying with his son in Dagenham, Essex.
The letter is telling of their experience of being in an Anderson shelter at their home in East London when a bomb landed and sadly killed his wife, my Great Grandmother, Minnie. It resulted in the injuries of others.
The letter is to his daughter Ivy. A copy of the letter was passed to me through family.
Transcript:
Dear Ivy & Sid.
with sorrow I write these few lines on our sad calamity which was quite unforeseen last Sunday evening. The siren went at 9 O'clock, about 10 things were so bad Mrs Claydon downstairs came up for the baby so we all went down to the Anderson Shelter. There were 7 of us in this one. Mrs Claydon, her young son and daughter, a friend Miss Harvey, Mum, the baby and me.
The boys wre in another one which we fetched from the [unclear].
Just after 3 on Sunday morning a 500lb bomb fell 2ft from the back of ours and we all got buried. I took an hour 20 minutes to get us out what an ordeal. I was holding the baby and managed to pass her out through a small hole to one off the boys. I think I must have managed to protect her a bit when the explosion came as she was not so bad.
Poor mum died an hour after she was taken to Queen Marys. Mrs Claydon and Miss Harvey are still in hospital very bad. The son and daughter have recovered. So far I am still queer myself but hope to get well again.
We buried poor Mum on Friday afternoon - a sorrow job.
Well dear Ivy, bear up for your children’s sake which we all must try and do although it’s very hard after being bombed out of 2 homes and losing one of your dear ones.
Goodness knows where it will all end.
We are staying for the time being at Davids place.
I remain Yours in Sorrow.
Back to list
