Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 56-113. He writes that some of the mail and some parcels have arrived. He has been practising playing the fiddle wherever her can find a place to practice. He is much less busy than at previous camp. A placard saying “Per Ardna ad Aqua” has been placed on one of the water pumps asthey are always breaking dowm. They have been promised a library soon and are looking forward to some fresh vegetables but will have to wait for fresh fruit and milk. Thanks for Red Cross parcels.

1943-07-15

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM430715

15th July, 1943
My Dearest Ursula: A little mail has started trickling into the camp but none has come for me. I miss news of you tremendously & think of you daily as much as I ever did. A parcel came from Rothmans, similar to those Ba sent, bearing Colin Hays name. Will you please tender my sincere thanks. Unfortunately I’m still unable to enjoy them for the usual reason. I have been doing a lot of fiddle practice during the past weeks by didn’t of being extremely persistent in my efforts to find a suitably sequestered spot. I am getting quite a reputation in the camp for being discovered playing the thing in the most unexpected spots. Latrines are my favourite hideout – if for any reason they are unserviceable as regards their normal function but I don’t turn up my nose at a felonious entry into an untenanted barrack. Unfortunately as the camp is full now & the latrines recovering from their initial teething troubles my quest for practice room grows daily more difficult. I think I have played in at least a dozen different pla [unreadable words] unicanted [sic] spectators busy on other things inccounected [sic] with music. However I shall persevere since I have much more time on my hands here than at Luft III, where I had a job of work to do. We have had a tremendous amount of rain since we came [censored] I told you before that every drop of water we use has to be pumped. Well some wag has adorned one of the pumps with a placard being the words “Per Ardna ad Aqua”. Incidentally the pumps are always breaking down since that are in use from early morn to late evening & cannot stand up to the strain. We are promised a library very shortly [censored] We shall be glad of fresh veg when their season arrives for we have had none for months now for fruit & milk (fresh) we shall have to wait to after the war, alas. Thank goodness for Red X food. My love to you & Frances Always yours John.
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113 – 56
[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[postmark] PASSED P.W.391 [/postmark]
An MRS U M VALENTINE
[inserted] Little Close Devon Rd Salcombe Devon [/inserted] [deleted] LIDO [/deleted]
Empfangsort: [deleted] TENTERDEN GROVE [/deleted]
StraBe: [deleted] HENDON [/deleted]
Kreis: [deleted] LONDON NW4 [/deleted]
Land: ENGLAND
Landesteil (Provinz usw.)
[postmark] GEPRUFT 32 [/postmark]
[underlined] Gebuhrenfrei! [underlined]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: Sgt JRm Valentine
Gefangenennummer: 456
[inserted] STALAG LUFT VI [/inserted]
Lager-Bezeichnung: [inserted] VIA [/inserted] M.-Stammlager Luft 3
[underlined] Deutschland (Germany) [/underlined]
[page break]