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This project formed part of the VE and VJ Day 80 commemorations

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VE & VJ Day 80

Letters to Loved Ones

Tag: PoW

POW letter
POW letter

Hilda Anderson to Eileen Turner

"Well my girl to be a Prisoner of War is not all honey but Ted can take it and after the War Please God everything will be made up to him."

Sent from: Plaistow E13, East London

Woods p2
Grandads first letter home as POW

Ted Woods to Jean Woods

"I have been through a terrible chapter in my life and I would sooner be dead than go through it again."

Sent from: Frontstalag 221, France

Scearce postcard 2
John A Scearce in 1955

John Scearce to Fanny Wakefield

"Well I suppose you know that I'm a POW now and believe me it's a very dull life so I hope you'll write to me now and again."

Sent from: Stalag 17a, Austria

Date of letter: 9 April 1944

Cook letter
Alan Ronald Cook

Alan Ronald Cook to his mother Gladys Lavinia Cook

"We are all like a lot of old women as regard to talking trivialities and as far as rumours - we lap any up!"

Sent from: Stalag VIIIB, west Poland

Date of letter: 12 March 1943

McKeating letter
Mary Littler

Sgt R Exley to Corporal Mary Eileen Littler WAAF

"I'm very well thanks, cheerful too. Hope to be back in Blighty soon. Imagine it - I'm on the water-waggon - me!"

Sent from: Stalag Luft 3

ALGFAlan Horton
Peggy and Alan

Peggy Horton’s letters

"Someone so vital as old Peter is no more - but he's at peace before us and will happy waiting for Pam to join him one day."

Sent from: Various

Oliver-Philpot-letter-13.12.1942-copy

Flt Lt Oliver Philpot to Mrs Nathalie Philpot

"It was nice getting below in the dry and warm, and the hot soup was good"

Sent from: Prisoner of War camp OFFLAG XXI-B, Poland

Mills letter
Horace William Mills

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

Tincker letter
Rober Wise Holden Tincker in 1940

Dr Robert Wise Holden Tincker to Kathleen Tincker

"Our dreams have certainly come true, the nightmare is over and I am on my way home!"

Sent from: Yokohama, Japan

Date of letter: 18 September 1945

Knott letter
Leonard Knott - with my deepest love Len

Leonard Walter Knott to Joan Kingham

"We go from Bangkok to Rangoon by air, perhaps tomorrow then home."

Sent from: Thailand

Date of letter: 23 September 1945

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Imperial War Museums and Department for Culture, Media and Sport

A note on language

The items published here have been contributed by members of the public and have not been edited by DCMS or Imperial War Museums except to obscure personal data potentially still sensitive today. The letters contain language and assumptions that represent the views and attitudes of the time, some of which may be considered outdated, prejudiced or discriminatory today.

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