Spending some time transcribing these two letters and reading some of the others, I really get to be in Dad’s world as a young man. I can just imagine him sitting in his room and writing to his Mum and, having lost his own Dad when he was a young boy and being one of three sons, I can easily imagine how fond of his mother he must have been. His letters to her are certainly affectionate, always ending his letters with kisses! I also like the way Dad writes his letters, considerate and sometimes funny.
I have chosen these two particular letters to post first, because they are at the beginning and also the end of Dad’s time in India, which seems fitting for this blog. But there are plenty of letters in between, so I’d better get scanning & typing!
There isn’t a date on the first letter. I have a letter which is postmarked Faversham, Kent 24th November 1943 and then an Air Mail letter which is dated 18th June 1944, Bangalore. So he must have sailed over to India somewhere between those dates? Watch out Sherlock!
No date.
My Dear Mother,
I hope that you are keeping in the best of health and that you received my last couple of letters alright.
Up to now things have not been too bad although the pitching and tossing is rather trying. Quite a few have already been leaning over the side and some did not get that far. It is very windy at the moment although the sky is a lovely blue. I think we are on an ex luxury liner and I wish it still was although up to now we haven’t found cause to grumble at all.
We can buy plenty of jam, condensed milk and chocolate and shirts and stockings. We are also able to buy tinned fruit and cheese which help to fill us up. The entertainment isn’t quite the same as it is in London but we hear music and local talent through loud speakers, so we do not do so badly. There are also films for us to see once a week.
The tossing and rolling isn’t so bad now as we have got used to it and are ‘old salts’ now. The hammocks were very strange at first but I am now finding them very comfortable, and as we go to bed early we get a good nights sleep. During the day, there is not very much to do. We do a little physical training and have lessons on Hindustani.
By the way, I found a spare soap coupon, and as we do not need them to buy soap now, I am sending it to you so that it will not be wasted. We all got a tin of damsons today and with a little condensed milk they are going down very nicely. It is supper time now. We generally have a good hearty meal for supper but not quite as good as some I can remember.
I have been writing a few lines at different times but as our daily work doesn’t alter very much, there isn’t a lot I can say, so I may as well finish this letter and start another one.
Remember me to our Arth and Les and all Aunties and kind neighbours.
Keep your chin up.
Love Harry.
xxxxx
Sunday 3rd November 1946.
My Dear Mother,
Well, here is the last letter I will be writing you from India!!
We are sailing for home on Wednesday 6th November 1946 on the ‘Empress of Scotland’, which is supposed to be a pretty fast ship so you can expect us to arrive Home about November 22nd. It sure won’t be long now!!!!!
We are bringing most of our luggage with us but some of it has to go separately and should reach home 6 weeks after we do. I had to pack everything so as the things we want come home with us. Your carpet is coming with us. We are bringing some more nuts & raisons etc. also. I hope you have received the three food parcels, we sent you, by now. I saw some ‘camp’ coffee this evening, so got a bottle of that too!! I’ve got a bottle of Port, and if there is any room, when I have finished packing, I’ll get some Brandy.
If you can get the turkey, we should have a very good christmas, and I sincerely hope the food parcels will help towards a cake, or pudding, or something or other. Still, we can always save the Wedding Cake until Xmas! I hope the banging around on the ship doesn’t break it up, although we had a carpenter make a wooden box for it.
We were so glad to hear that you have now got a radio-gram. I have still got a few records myself, so it’ll be all music at Windy Bank, in the future. Seeing as we will be home so near to Christmas, I may as well stay away from work until the New Year, and then hope for a good job. Ray seems to be unlucky!!
Anyway Mother, Arth and Glyn, I’ll be letting you have all the news shortly, so I won’t make this a long letter.
It’s been a long time, but as Ada always says, “Tempus Fergis” - “Time waiteth for no man” and so here’s to the time when No 14’s “alarm clock” bangs on the stairs and shouts, “come on Harry you’ll be late for work.”
All our Love,
God Bless,
yours affectionately
Nancy & Harry xxxxx
P.S.
I have got my Captaincy back, so as I will get my release leave (3 months) at Captains pay. Hx
Wow, I feel a little choked having just read those letters of Dad's. It's strange reading about Dad and Mum long before they were parents. He was obviously a good and loving son who kept in touch with his Mum and family as much as possible. So it must have been difficult for his Mum knowing he was bringing home a wife she had never met and who would be living with them indefinitely.
ReplyDeleteI've just googled an image of the 'Empress of Scotland', again knowing Mum and Dad travelled home on it for over 2 weeks and seeing the actual liner...well,just wish I could talk to them about it all.
I hope their first Christmas together as man and wife was full of merriment and music at 14 Windy Bank!
Same here, very touching to read this but so sweet, and another side to Granddad that perhaps we didn't really know! Remember he always spoke fondly of his mother and told me how he used to plait her hair as a boy. Think he said she also taught him to knit?
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I knew that his dad had died when he was young but perhaps that explains more why he was so close to his mum? When I think back now, I suppose I don't remember him mentioning his dad much, which seems strange now as Granddad was such 'a man's man' in a way so you'd think he'd had a very strong male role model, but seems perhaps Ada played both roles pretty well!
I just love the language used in the letters, they're so charming and you can almost hear them reading the letters out! Despite people having such a struggles back then and so much to worry about, they still seemed to have such beautiful and charming lives and such a respect for people that you don't seem to encounter much these days! Makes me sounder older than I am but it makes you realise how rude people can be and how much we take for granted!
Is lovely to have such a vivid picture painted of their lives back then, thanks again Dave!