Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 147-4. Very few letters have arrived. Comments on weather not cold but slush. Got new boots from Red Cross and comments on climate and lack of exercise. Mention that there are plenty of Red Cross parcels available but misses bread and vegetables.

1944-01-23

Two sided handwritten postcard

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EValentineJRMValentineUM440123

Start of transcription
Stalag Luft III
Lager “A”
Kriegsgefangenenlager
Datum: 23rd January 1944
Almost a blank year so far for mail from you. Only 1 letter & so I’m still in the dark as to where you are living & how you are coping. Having no winter at all here. The bitter cold was short lived & we’re back again to fearful slush. I’ve managed to get a new pair of boots out of the Red X store [censored words] We have here the worst climate imaginable but I’m extremely fit strangely enough although I have precisely no exercise. Ever since weve [sic] been here the Red X food store has been well stocked & the usual issue is 1 British & 1 Canadian parcel on alternate weeks. We thus get, I consider, ample sugar, tea, a little cheese, jam, prunes, and other delicacies. What I miss is bulky food eg bread & veg. I’m certainly [censored words] I love you so much, dear
John.
[page break]
147 14
Kriegsgefangenenlager
Postkarte
[stamps] [postmark]
An
MRS U.M. VALENTINE
[deleted] c/o LITTLE CLOSE [/deleted]
[inserted] FELMERSHAM [inserted]
Empfangsort: [deleted] DEVON RD [/deleted]
[inserted] BOTTRELL’S LANE [/inserted]
Strasse: [deleted] SALCOMBE
DEVON [/deleted]
[inserted] CHALFONT ST GILES [/inserted]
Land: ENGLAND
[inserted] BUCKS. [/inserted]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname:
Sgt. J.R.M. VALENTINE
Gefangenennummer: 450
Lager-Bezeichnung:
Kriegsgefangenenlager der Luftwaffe Nr. 3
LAGER “A”
Deutschland (Allemagne)