Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Title
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Description
Number 21. Lists letters arrived. Still allowed only one letter and one card out a month. Limits ability to write to anyone else as saving allowance for her. Red Cross has issued some clothes but mentions he still need some article s to avoid having to borrow. Is thinking about the future and will let her know result. Suggests she ignore letter she quoted from the 'Prisoner of War Magazine', things are a lot better now. Catches up with general news and chat. Mentions he has resigned from church choir and give reasons. Send birthday greetings to Barbara.
Creator
Date
1942-10-12
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Two page handwritten letter
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.
Contributor
Identifier
EValentineJRMValentineUM421012
Transcription
From Sgt JRM Valentine
POW No 450
M Stammlager Luft 3 Germany
To Mrs U M Valentine
Lido
Tenterden Gardens,
Hendon
London NW 4
England
No. 21 12-10-42
Darling Ursula: Your letters 1-16, 19-22, 24 here & Ba’s of 21 Sept. Please thank her most sincerely for it. I’m sorry I can’t write to her but our ration still allows us only 1 letter to you & 1 card to Barnet per month. All incoming mail is rationed too – 4 per month which we are not allowed to select otherwise my choice would be yours only. Fortunately my last months allowance was nearly all yours. I hope you got my letter re contents of second parcel before that parcel was sent. The Red X has been issuing a spot of clothing lately & I’m pretty well ‘set up’ without the first parcel even. I still need those things I asked for the 2nd though – and a comb too. I’m sick of using other peoples. In the near future I’ll do some serious thinking about our future home & let you know the results. I have ideas of course, but I want to enquire as the their practicability. The letter you quoted from the POW magazine is unmitigated tripe – says he is speaking from very painful experience. Conditions are definitely better now though & we’re much better fed & fitter. I haven’t played any more games yet since the first two, but the chief reason for that is lack of time. I’m really incredibly busy. Delighted to hear of your new costume. I’d love to see it (with you inside) who is Mr Turner anyway? Any relation to the painter? I’m sending a putrid snap of myself with this & hope to reaches you. Mr fellow “kriegy* is Frank Pepper, but neither of us feels flattered. I think I told you my beard is off, it was a horrid one – very thick & matted in parts & a nasty colour. I continue to be active – have resigned from the Church Choir (1) because I can’t sing (2) I haven’t time for it but my violin & German are still going strong though neither shows much progress. Am also having occasional talks on theory of music. Lack of space for all these activities is a serious drawback. Would you ask Freeman if he could contact a Mr A.BARTLETT, who works in Basildon House. THYS LOOS another of my Dutch room mates was a great friend of his. Have you visited Hans Lensing’s uncle? This won’t reach you in time for the third anniversary of our engagement but I’ll be thinking of it & will silently pledge myself anew to you on that day with even more fervour than in 1939 You’re still my ideal, always will be & I love you tremendously. Scores of times daily I think of you. Small packets arrive occasionally from Lisbon & are very, very welcome. Please give Ba my best birthday greetings on 30th Nov. in case the mail doesn’t permit me to write to her. I wish I could send you, darling, something more tangible than wishes for 8th December but if they are any use I give you of my very best & fondest for many happy returns – IN MY COMPANY. Always yours, darling, John
POW No 450
M Stammlager Luft 3 Germany
To Mrs U M Valentine
Lido
Tenterden Gardens,
Hendon
London NW 4
England
No. 21 12-10-42
Darling Ursula: Your letters 1-16, 19-22, 24 here & Ba’s of 21 Sept. Please thank her most sincerely for it. I’m sorry I can’t write to her but our ration still allows us only 1 letter to you & 1 card to Barnet per month. All incoming mail is rationed too – 4 per month which we are not allowed to select otherwise my choice would be yours only. Fortunately my last months allowance was nearly all yours. I hope you got my letter re contents of second parcel before that parcel was sent. The Red X has been issuing a spot of clothing lately & I’m pretty well ‘set up’ without the first parcel even. I still need those things I asked for the 2nd though – and a comb too. I’m sick of using other peoples. In the near future I’ll do some serious thinking about our future home & let you know the results. I have ideas of course, but I want to enquire as the their practicability. The letter you quoted from the POW magazine is unmitigated tripe – says he is speaking from very painful experience. Conditions are definitely better now though & we’re much better fed & fitter. I haven’t played any more games yet since the first two, but the chief reason for that is lack of time. I’m really incredibly busy. Delighted to hear of your new costume. I’d love to see it (with you inside) who is Mr Turner anyway? Any relation to the painter? I’m sending a putrid snap of myself with this & hope to reaches you. Mr fellow “kriegy* is Frank Pepper, but neither of us feels flattered. I think I told you my beard is off, it was a horrid one – very thick & matted in parts & a nasty colour. I continue to be active – have resigned from the Church Choir (1) because I can’t sing (2) I haven’t time for it but my violin & German are still going strong though neither shows much progress. Am also having occasional talks on theory of music. Lack of space for all these activities is a serious drawback. Would you ask Freeman if he could contact a Mr A.BARTLETT, who works in Basildon House. THYS LOOS another of my Dutch room mates was a great friend of his. Have you visited Hans Lensing’s uncle? This won’t reach you in time for the third anniversary of our engagement but I’ll be thinking of it & will silently pledge myself anew to you on that day with even more fervour than in 1939 You’re still my ideal, always will be & I love you tremendously. Scores of times daily I think of you. Small packets arrive occasionally from Lisbon & are very, very welcome. Please give Ba my best birthday greetings on 30th Nov. in case the mail doesn’t permit me to write to her. I wish I could send you, darling, something more tangible than wishes for 8th December but if they are any use I give you of my very best & fondest for many happy returns – IN MY COMPANY. Always yours, darling, John
Collection
Citation
John Ross Mckenzie Valentine, “Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/19224.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.