Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 11. He has a new violin instructor and hopes this one lasts longer than the last one did. A New Zealander called Frank Hurst is to perform in a light classical concert next week. Mentions health and concern over fellow Belgian prisoner. No letter for three weeks but says how important they are to him. Mentions laundry difficulties and that he had forgotten daughters birthday.

1943-03-24

Two page handwritten letter

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.

EValentineJRMValentineUM430324

NUMBER 11. 24th March ‘43
My Dearest Ursula: Alas there is still nothing from you to acknowledge My main item of news is that I think I have scoured a violin instructor. I haven’t met him yet & know him only by sight He probably isn’t quite such a good performer as my first tutor but I think he is a more reliable type of fellow & I hope he won’t lose interest in me after a few weeks as did the last one. In addition the star violinist in the camp has performed “to keep a fatherly eye on me”. The latter is a New Zealander named Frank Hurst, not a professional musician but a very excellent amateur with a profound knowledge of music. He rarely entertains us on the fiddle for he conducts our orchestra, being easily the best man for the job, but we are to here him playing at a light classical concert next week when he & any concert planned will render solos & concertos – without orchestra. My senses have a last made a reappearance – only temporary so far but having once returned they will do so again soon - & stay a little longer. I mentioned a Belgian, Jean Politle in a previous letter – unfortunately he was taken away for cross examination some weeks ago & hasn’t returned yet Knowing something of his previous history (in which he has played anything but a cowards part) I feel a bit anxious about him & the treatment he might possibly get – but there is little I can do about it. It is three weeks now since I heard from you, or anyone else. I can never get used to these long intervals & am always impatiently hungry for news of you & Frances. Your letters are far more to me than mere vehicles for information. The fact that they come from your hand places them on an entirely different plane from other letters about which I am quite indifferent. It is our nearest possible contact during this most unpleasant separation. Washing clothes is not nearly as beastly now that the weather is warmer. There is less to wash since I no longer wear heavy underwear, the water is not so say when ringing & they dry outside in half the time that they took in our crowded little room. I have just realised that Frances birthday will be past long before you get this. I remembered all the Valentine dates in good time & then forgot my own daughter! My fondest love to you both / John.
[page break]

[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[postmark] GEPRUFT 64 [/postmark]
An MRS U M VALENTINE
LIDO
Empfangsort: TENTERDEN GROVE
StraBe: HENDON
Kreis: LONDON NW4
Land: ENGLAND
Landesteil (Provinz usw.)
[postmark] PASSED P.W. [postmark]
[underlined] Gebuhrenfrei! [/underlined]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: Sgt JRm Valentine
Gefangenennummer:
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager Luft 3
[underlined] Deutschland (Germany) [/underlined]
[page break]