Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 27. He explains that, due to lack of time, he has had to curtail some of his activities. He writes he has little time to exercise and that he has abandoned any form of religion. He mentions a number of family members and friends who have written to him or sent items and asks Ursula to thank them all for him.

1942-11-11

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM421111-02

[underlined] No. 27 [/underlined]
11-11-42

Darling Ursula: I would like to clear up any doubt as to my many & varied activities here. The danger of this life is undertaking too much, doing all of it badly, & gradually losing interest in everything & I have resolved to curtail my activities to Violin, German & Theory of music. (English Literature never started owing to lack of accomodation[sic] When the books arrive I’ll start agriculture & drop German for I simply haven’t time for both. My day is absolutely occupied from morn till night & as it is little time is left for exercise to keep physically fit. I’m sorry to tell you that I have decided at last to have the courage of [underlined] my own [/underlined] convictions & abandon any form of religion. You know I’ve never really been happy & I’ve been doing a certain amount of thinking here & decided that I might as well be honest with myself & the world by no longer pretending to worship something in which I have no faith. Please congratulate Irene on 2nd engagement & keep me advised of further contracts. Shall I write to Roosevelt himself if anything comes from U.S.A? Seriously though I’m most grateful for your trouble. The only response, still, is from Clark of Portugal but that source seems to have dried up now. Please thank the following for their letters & apologise for my not writing: George Touche (very grateful for his note): Barbara (2 letters 2nd & 25th Oct). My message to her is ‘yes’: Aunt Mary. Tell her I don’t want any books – I haven’t time for any reading nowadays. [inserted] Ask [/inserted] Where Jim[?] Valentine is & what he is doing: Ann for 4 letters which are all very[?], very welcome. I’ll send her a card soon: Mother for 2 letters & all her news. Tell her I love hearing from the family & am sorry I don’t write more often: Your Aunt Con. Thank her for the socks & gloves but don’t send them yet – I am amply supplied: Roy Cowdry – letter 3/10/42. Thank him for his promised book – I’m afraid he’ll be disappointed with me: Charles Swindall[?]: Irene – ask what part of Aust. Her fiancé comes from – there are lots of Aussies here: Mrs Hazaid[?] – sorry to hear that there is no news of Olive’s[?] husband – what’s his name – there are some Singapore blokes here: My father – letter 18/10/42 – sorry to hear of his indisposition send my best wishes for complete recovery: Thats[sic] about all my dearest – I long for you always & the prospect of months or even years of waiting at times fills me with despair for time lost is irretrievable. Still there are others here who have already waited 3 years & there are countless others who will never come back & I usually end up by congratulating myself on my incredible luck (1) in being alive & (2) having you as my wife waiting for me & loving me all the while. The photographs are a constant pleasure. Hope I haven’t forgotten anything but it is difficult to answer over 1 dozen letters at once. Let us hope the mail will be normal in the future. Loving you always
John.

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[Reverse of letter]
EXANUBER 3638 [boxed] GEPRUFT 29 [/boxed]
MRS U. M. VALENTINE
LIDO
TENTERDEN GROVE
HENDON
LONDON NW4
ENGLAND

Sgt JRM VALENTINE
450
[/Reverse of letter]

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