Sent by:Sam Gelder
Sent to:Blanche Taylor
Sent from:Gibraltar
Date of letter:8 May 1945
"Well Darling this is one of the Days that we Both have Been waiting for Now we can look forward to that Big Day of ours to come Darling & Let's Hope its not to far off love."
I have a large box of over 600 letters that my grandad Sam Gelder wrote to his fiancée Blanche while he was posted abroad during WW2. (I have included a photo of the box – sadly I don’t have a picture of Sam or Blanche to hand).
They met when she was a post lady in Oxford and he was on guard duty at the Barracks in 1942.
The VE day letter (sent to Blanche in Oxford) says it’s the day they have both been waiting for, as the end of the war also means they can get married soon.
It was to be another 6 months before Sam returned home and they were married soon after. The first of their 3 sons was then born in November 1946. They were blissfully married for 40 years until Sam sadly passed away in the late 1980s and then Blanche went to join him again a few years later.
Transcript:
Pte S. Gelder
May 8th V.E. Day.
To/
Well Darling this is one of the Days that we Both have Been waiting for Now we can look forward to that Big Day of ours to come Darling & Let's Hope its not to far off love. The weather today is Not So Bad Darling & I hope it is the same at Home for You to Get out & Enjoy Some of the Excitement at Home Love. I Shall go out & Round town tonight Love as there is a little fair taken Place here in the Park Love. I am writing this just after Dinner today love so I Hope you Don't Mind Love. I will Now go on with Your letter love wrote the 2nd of May & I See you have put the 1st on it love. I am In Good Health thanks Darling. Sorry to hear that your cold was not to Good on this Date love. I only wish you was here Love What a lovely time We would Have Love but I Hope you Made the Best of it Love the same as I Shall try to Do Tonight. I wont be out Very long love as if Everyone turns out love we wont be able to Move it was Bad Enough Last Night Love. Now Back to your letter. Thats alright about Not Being able to Write a Big Letter on this Date love. Pleased to hear that Harry was Not to Bad at Work Love and he did not over Do it Love. No Darling No one is Going to Get that [unclear] That I Have Left Love. Sorry to hear that they wont Repair Your Camera love at Present. Before You Have it Repaired you have to take Some Snaps With It Love as its the Lens that has Gone Wrong So you Do not want me to Bother Getting one Here love O.K. then Ill leave it at that Darling. It would Be lovely to be there with You When you have Your Holidays love. As For the Paper on this Date love it had Demob Plan Speeded up, & the first week, after V.E. Day they Start it love You wont Be the only one that will Be Excited love when its Starts Darling. I will keep an Eye open for Some of those Hair Clips that you want for your Neck love. You Bet that if there was Half the Chance I would Be Home Love. Yes love George is to Old for you love Yes I Know that One Man is Enough for you love. Yes Darling I Still Love You Very Much Love & I also Miss You as well. Pleased to hear that Mum Had Word of Tom on this Date love So he is Not Got Rid of His Cold Yet. he has Still Got Plenty of Work love. Pleased to hear that Frank was able to Get a Birthday for Mum where he is Love. Sorry to hear that Betty was ill love & also little David Love. She has sent you the [unclear]. So Frank ask for My Address as he wants to write to Me Love or tell & [unclear] See Me Love if Possible Darling. You love its a bit of Hard Luck that [unclear] Had to Go away with that Worry on his Mind Love. I Have Not Wrote to him yet Love as I will wait for...
I do Not know what is up with the Mail to & from Home Darling. So it's [unclear] the Regular from India. M.A. & Italy. I tell You Love that this is a forgotten Place By the Government Love. If these Tablets you took did you Good love Just Keep on taking them Love & if [unclear] still take the Medican the Doctor Gave you Love & keep the Tablets with you love to take to work in case it Comes on when Your at Work Love. So you Will thank Me for all the [unclear] I took that you have When I Come Home thats alright Love You have you was welcomed to them Love. Very Pleased to hear that the last letter you got Off Francis was a Nice letter Love. Yes we Shall Go & see them when it Suits My love the same as they will Come & see us when it Suits Us love. Very Pleased to hear that Dad Calls In to see [unclear] to See that She is O.K. and not Worrying to Much love. Well Darling I Had My first Class of pluming Today love & according to the Introduction Lesson it seems to be quite an Interesting Trade Love. So it May Come In Handy at Some time if I Can't Stick My own Trade Love. Well My Love I will Close for tonight as I have to Go down Town to Get My Ring if it's Come Back yet Love & I am also at the End of Your letter Darling. May God Bless you & Keep You Safe for Me [unclear]. Good Night & Sweet Repose Just Think of Me When Under the Clothes. Roses are Red Violets are Blue & Where Ever you are I'll Be Thinking of You Darling. All My Love & Kisses are yours Adore Darling for Ever Darling.
xxxxx I Remain xxxxxxxxx
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