Evacuee Joe to his mother "We have creem and pastry every day and we live on creems and pastry" Sent from: Pendeen, Cornwall
Ted Smith to his parents "Many a time, my mate and I have waited for a bus on the left-hand side of the road, and then we have woke up to the fact that they travel on the right side of the road. But of cause, we are getting more used to it now so I suppose it will come strange again when we come home." Sent from: Brooklyn, New York
Stanley Hilton to his young nephew John "General Montgomery is shorter than me, he makes up for being small by being great in other ways. He's a wonderful leader of men and knows just how to plan battles so that we can beat the enemy." Sent from: Gerrads Cross, England Date of letter: 22 February 1944
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
A VE Day programme sent by Kenneth Thomas to his parents "Football. Tiffin. Dinner. Free Bar and Buffet in Cinema." Sent from: India
Stan Bateman to his family "Two of my mates and myself went to a house ashore yesterday and we had a very good time, egg and chips for supper, as you can tell how pleased I was, also had jelly a few days before - just like home, only you and dad weren’t there." Sent from: Greece Date of letter: 27 November 1944
Lillian Smith to Albert Edward Lane "Starting today there is a twenty per cent tax on all luxuries, such as cosmetics, hand creams, nail polish." Sent from: Watford Herts Date of letter: 1 April 1944
Herbert Reed to his wife Hilda "Less than eight weeks to wait for leave - assuming that fate is kind - and why shouldn't she be? We're an awfully nice couple!" Sent from: Wadebridge Cornwall Date of letter: 15 April 1944
Allan Chuck to his pen friend Dorothy Adams "I had to have two innoculations. When I went in to be done he was standing there with the hypodermic needle in his hand and a leering grin on his face and when he stuck the needle in my arm he must have thought he was on bayonet practice or something" Date of letter: 1 August 1945
Robert William Bell to his parents "I should just like to be sitting down to a nice steak, with plenty of fried onions" Sent from: Hospital in England Date of letter: 10 October 1943
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
Staff Sergeant Alfred Thomas Holder to his wife Marguerite “Roy and I have started concert parties on board and we had the first show last night. It was a talent spotting concert and we are holding them for the next three nights” Sent from: At sea Date of letter: 1 January 1946
Leonard George Thomas McColl to his mother "Believe me, it's a wonderful city and the people here treat us as if we were their own sons" Sent from: Durban, South Africa Date of letter: 6 November 1941
Jack Soper to his sister Bett "Bitter cabbages and macaroni would taste lousy in a wedding cake" Sent from: Italy Date of letter: 8 July 1944
Edward Daniels to his parents Mary and Glyn "For goodness sake don't worry, everything is all right and I am not hurt at all badly." Sent from: Wareham, Dorset
Frank Mortimer to his brother Billy "I miss my pint a heck of a lot out here" Sent from: Sorrento, Italy Date of letter: 22 July 1941
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
Edgar Whyte to his brother Desmond "So when you grumble just think how well off you are, old pal" Date of letter: 19 April 1943
Alexander Henderson to Doris, Ian and David Henderson "Towards the end of the evening when the free beer had been drunk, the crowd got a bit riotous and pulled the tents down, overturned the tables and broke all the glasses and bottles" Sent from: Gibraltar Date of letter: 13 May 1945
Nellie Sykes to Edward Sykes "We have all been under a tense strain waiting every day for news of victory in Europe." Sent from: Keighley, West Yorkshire Date of letter: 9 May 1945
Sidney Shipp to Joan Shipp "Our tent is called "Hello Kitchen" but it ought to be called The Zoo, we've had all kinds of animal life in it." Sent from: South Africa Date of letter: 26 January 1943
Frederick Burgess to his son "I am still looking for 'Hitler' but he keeps running away, soon I will catch him up and you know what I will do to him." Sent from: Italy Date of letter: 1 December 1943
Olly Kirby to her husband Bert "Let's hope it's over soon. It's bad enough for us at home here but what must it be like for all you chaps." Sent from: London Date of letter: 5 April 1943
Horace William Mills to his wife "Eating all I can get which is not very much in fact we are nearly feeding ourselves." Sent from: Thailand Date of letter: 29 March 1943
English (UK)English (UK)
