Douglas Hudson letter to parents and telegram sent before departure abroad
Title
Douglas Hudson letter to parents and telegram sent before departure abroad
Description
Letter to parents saying they are ready to depart but do not know where and when. Shows concern over uncertainty and writes of regard for parents and they should not worry about him. Telegram announces that he has arrived at Emsworth near Portsmouth and will be departing at midnight. Asks recipient to send 25 shillings to a colleague.
Creator
Date
1940-08-20
Temporal Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Three page handwritten letter and envelope, two page handwritten telegram and handwritten note.
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
EHudsonJDHudson(Fam)400820-01
Transcription
[postmark]
[postage stamp]
Mr. & Mrs. Hudson.
10. Moorside Road.
Kersal.
Salford. 7.
Lancashire.
[page break]
20th August 1940.
Dear Mother & Dad,
It is pouring with rain to-night, so Tony and I have decided not to go out. Instead we have done a certain amount of tidying up in preparation for the journey we are to make very soon.
We don’t know just when we shall start, but the time is not very distant, and we are almost ready.
It will not take us very long as you will realise. I cannot [inserted] help [/inserted] feeling a certain amount of honour has been paid when I think what a lot will possibly depend upon the result of all this.
Twelve months ago when I started on our motor bike holiday I did not dream that this was possible.
I hope I shall be able to let you know beforehand just when I shall be going. After that, I am afraid that news will
[page break]
be slow, and I ask you to be patient, but above all not to worry.
I know only too well just how you feel, and I do realise that it is far worse for you at home – waiting and wondering.
I am not afraid (you remember what I used to say about having to make a speech before a big gathering?) and my only great concern is my anxiety for you in this time of beastly uncertainty. I only wish you to understand that I am satisfied with my lot and do hope you will find strength in [inserted] knowing [/inserted] this.
I shall take away with me a lot of pleasant memories and the knowledge that you have both meant a great deal to me and that you have always shown first consideration for my welfare. I cannot have more than that. That is something that nobody can take away.
It is not the personal danger of this
[page break]
war which harms us so much as the things we have known and loved that have been taken [deleted] g [/deleted] away from us.
There is plenty of excitement for me which helps to nullify all this, but for you it is different, and it is here that my heart goes out to you.
May you at least be spared the horrors of the futile Nazi attempt at destruction. I say futile because it is so stupidly pointless and gainless.
Above all dont [sic] worry about me. I can only keep saying that if I could chose [sic] again, my choice would be the same. I am all right, and whatever may happen, that which really counts, and will count when the war is over, cannot be destroyed.
I shall be thinking about you always and will now say cheerio simply by wishing you the best of luck.
Until we meet again,
All my love,
[underlined] Douglas. [/underlined]
[page break]
[Post Office crest]
INLAND TELEGRAM
[underlined] Emsworth. Hampshire [/underlined]
[underlined] Monday [/underlined]
Arrived this place this morning It is near Portsmouth, & quite a pleasant spot. To-night at midnight I am off. Think of me tomorrow at breakfast time. The first stage of my journey should then be complete
All love, Douglas.
P.T.O.
[page break]
Would you kindly send 25/- of this to [inserted] Sgt. [/inserted] [underlined] H. Bowers 4. Oak Rd Crumpsall. [/underlined] & say it is his share of the [indecipherable word] spoils. Just a wee note to tell him I have gone away & he will understand. The remainder, please put away for me. Thank you.
[underlined] Douglas [/underlined]
Please excuse hurry. I know you will understand.
[postage stamp]
Mr. & Mrs. Hudson.
10. Moorside Road.
Kersal.
Salford. 7.
Lancashire.
[page break]
20th August 1940.
Dear Mother & Dad,
It is pouring with rain to-night, so Tony and I have decided not to go out. Instead we have done a certain amount of tidying up in preparation for the journey we are to make very soon.
We don’t know just when we shall start, but the time is not very distant, and we are almost ready.
It will not take us very long as you will realise. I cannot [inserted] help [/inserted] feeling a certain amount of honour has been paid when I think what a lot will possibly depend upon the result of all this.
Twelve months ago when I started on our motor bike holiday I did not dream that this was possible.
I hope I shall be able to let you know beforehand just when I shall be going. After that, I am afraid that news will
[page break]
be slow, and I ask you to be patient, but above all not to worry.
I know only too well just how you feel, and I do realise that it is far worse for you at home – waiting and wondering.
I am not afraid (you remember what I used to say about having to make a speech before a big gathering?) and my only great concern is my anxiety for you in this time of beastly uncertainty. I only wish you to understand that I am satisfied with my lot and do hope you will find strength in [inserted] knowing [/inserted] this.
I shall take away with me a lot of pleasant memories and the knowledge that you have both meant a great deal to me and that you have always shown first consideration for my welfare. I cannot have more than that. That is something that nobody can take away.
It is not the personal danger of this
[page break]
war which harms us so much as the things we have known and loved that have been taken [deleted] g [/deleted] away from us.
There is plenty of excitement for me which helps to nullify all this, but for you it is different, and it is here that my heart goes out to you.
May you at least be spared the horrors of the futile Nazi attempt at destruction. I say futile because it is so stupidly pointless and gainless.
Above all dont [sic] worry about me. I can only keep saying that if I could chose [sic] again, my choice would be the same. I am all right, and whatever may happen, that which really counts, and will count when the war is over, cannot be destroyed.
I shall be thinking about you always and will now say cheerio simply by wishing you the best of luck.
Until we meet again,
All my love,
[underlined] Douglas. [/underlined]
[page break]
[Post Office crest]
INLAND TELEGRAM
[underlined] Emsworth. Hampshire [/underlined]
[underlined] Monday [/underlined]
Arrived this place this morning It is near Portsmouth, & quite a pleasant spot. To-night at midnight I am off. Think of me tomorrow at breakfast time. The first stage of my journey should then be complete
All love, Douglas.
P.T.O.
[page break]
Would you kindly send 25/- of this to [inserted] Sgt. [/inserted] [underlined] H. Bowers 4. Oak Rd Crumpsall. [/underlined] & say it is his share of the [indecipherable word] spoils. Just a wee note to tell him I have gone away & he will understand. The remainder, please put away for me. Thank you.
[underlined] Douglas [/underlined]
Please excuse hurry. I know you will understand.
Collection
Citation
James Douglas Hudson, “Douglas Hudson letter to parents and telegram sent before departure abroad,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 3, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/10874.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.