Jim Bate to his wife "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year" Sent from: Burma (Myanmar)
Walter Young to his wife Doris "I feel sure that Morris, Trevor and Kenneth would have a good time because being young world affairs would not worry them in the least and I know when I was home last you were well prepared for Xmas." Sent from: At sea Date of letter: 28 November 1941
Bert Baylis to his wife Mary "May health be yours at every turn, until the day of my return" Sent from: Italy Date of letter: 4 November 1943
George Bishop to his sister and brother-in-law "Here’s a wish that you can treasure / May it bring a moment’s pleasure / Days are long and hours divide / But ‘joy be yours at Christmastide’ "
To Eric Soper from his parents "Just imagine it - that we are no longer to be targets for bombs, doodle bugs and rockets - There is little wonder that we in this corner of the land have celebrated Germany’s capitulation with joy and merry-making." Sent from: Raynes Park, S London
Bernard Peter Pallant to his daughter Jean "My darling Baby Jean - the loveliest little baby in the whole world" Sent from: Burma
Max Baker to his family describing life at sea "I have just about had a gut full of rotten food, filthy mess decks and officers who are treated like lords and yet treat us like pigs, so as soon as this war is over I shall do my best to get out of this pig sty." Sent from: HMT Empire Trooper Date of letter: 25 December 1940
Sgt Dick Stuart to his family "Our crew has been picked to make a film… Of course it has the usual tripe attached to it. The scenes will be "shot" after an actual "op", but we are supposed to enter looking as fresh as daisies, clean-shaven not a hair out of place & a crease in our pants." Sent from: R.A.F. Skellingthorpe Date of letter: 22 December 1943
Ernest Constantine to his wife Kathleen "Look after yourself darling and I hope you like my drawings." Sent from: HMS Lock Tarbert, Indian Ocean Date of letter: 23 November 1945
Harold Howarth to his wife Eunice and daughter Irene "I cannot spend this Christmas Day / As I would wish with you / So shall we share it dear ones / By silent rendezvous"
Leslie James Miles to his brother Cecil "We were never meant to go groping through the darkness carrying death to other human beings, it is all wrong really, but at present someone has to do it and I suppose it is those who are fit and adapted for that sort of thing who have to do the job."
Dennis Jessup to his cousin Bill Clifford "I wish I could get a change of scenery. They are keeping me here for another twelve months as a flying instructor, blow my luck." Sent from: Hampstead, London Date of letter: 12 November 1943
Ted Culshaw to his son Anthony "I wish you could have been out here to see the camels" Sent from: Basra, Iraq Date of letter: 16 December 1945
Richard Scott to his wife Leah "Leah told me all about my Mam and the way she took my place for me - she is a little brick." Date of letter: 29 December 1944
Jack Yeoman to his family "With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year" Sent from: Mablethorpe Anti Aircraft Installation
Cecil Parker’s Christmas card to his brother Eric "With all best wishes for Christmas and New Year" Sent from: Jerusalem
Christmas greetings on a biscuit from Henry Bosman to his wife Ada "Wishing you a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year" Sent from: Capetown South Africa
James Turner to his fiancée Ivy "Happy New Year darling and may I spend the next one with you" Sent from: Somewhere near River Rhine
Gordon Williams to his parents and sister “I wonder if you’ll manage a turkey for Christmas” Date of letter: 5 October 1944
Ronald Howarth to his wife "I have received three letters from you to-day sweetheart and each one seemed better than the other." Sent from: Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire
On behalf of Squadron Leader Hankins to Mrs Rayner "We are and shall always be anxious to do anything to help you and nothing would be too much trouble to do as a tribute to the memory of your son" Sent from: Paisley Date of letter: 16 December 1943
Contemporary poems by Ian Martin from conversation with Mrs Margaret Martin, reflecting on her experiences of VE Day "The day went in a flash and we were all so happy / The streets looked so pretty with all our chains. / We ate sandwiches, homemade biscuits and / Eggless sponge cakes, as we had all saved up our rations / And our Dads and Uncles drank the beer that had saved too. / The older girls danced and hugged the returning soldiers"
Jeffrey Murphy to his parents Lilian and Andrew "hoping that we will see better times later on. Look after yourselves and keep smiling, remember me to all."
Mrs Donaghy to her son Eric Donaghy "Well Eric, Here’s wishing you a very Happy Christmas and hope before next you will be home" Sent from: Brussels Date of letter: 4 December 1944
Sgt Richard Williams to his wife "I had hoped to be with you fate thought otherwise." Sent from: Sagan (now Żagań, Poland)
Evacuee Frank to his mother "I would like you to send some more stamps and try and send the bikes down" Sent from: Pendeen, Cornwall
David Gemmell to his daughter Ann "Just a little postcard to let you know I am thinking of you all the time." Sent from: Vancouver Date of letter: 26 December 1944
Tom Pullen to Violet Hutchings "I am very fit and in good health although the climate is very trying indeed." Sent from: Cairo Date of letter: 23 August 1942
English (UK)English (UK)
