Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 153-10. Reports latest letters to arrive and comments on contents, especially her efforts with new house. Mentions weather and snow for five months but now beginning to thaw. Comments on his struggles to learn violin. Concluded by saying how much he hates live as a prisoner of war.

1944-03-12

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM440312

Start of transcription
STALAG LUFT III
[deleted] LAGER “A” [/deleted]
12th MARCH 1944
My Darling Wife: Yours of 12th & 19th Dec here – to my great joy. Once again I thoroughly enjoyed all the details of your activities in house & garden & of course was filled with renewed admiration (not that it ever flags, believe you me) Very glad to hear of your profitable 2 day visit to Barnet. I hope you conveyed your gratitude, even if you didn’t feel any. My people like to be thanked. Sorry to hear about the tooth, particularly about the extraction. Hope it wasn’t too painful. Whence came the Cozystove? – a jolly good investment anyway. Now that you are well & truly established & slaving like a black to get things in order I long more & more for my liberation – I’m so confoundedly useless here. Thank goodness the winter nears an end. Although it hasn’t been unbearably cold we’ve had snow in 5 consecutive months (& are still getting it). The real thaw began a short while ago & the camp is in an indescribably [censored words] It really is most unpleasant – just like the entrance to a field which grazes a large herd of cattle. The coming summer promises to be [censored words] Hurry up the end! As to my fiddle, I’m losing the urge. I’m hopeless & conditions are so beastly that I sometimes feel near hysteria when baffled either by inability to cope or by obstacles to my being allowed to play. However I’m just driving myself on not with any hope of succeeding but because of an unwillingness to admit defeat. If ever I get a place for practicing in which I can stand up; have enough room to wield a bow without hitting roof or wall, do not have to put up with obnoxious odours, decaying veg, banging, shouting, ribald comments, bad light, rivals etc etc I shall feel in paradise. God! how I hate this life! However the thought of you is a never failing source of comfort. Hope you & daughter thrive. Fondest love
John
[page break]
153 – 10
[inserted] MIT LUFTPOST [/inserted]
[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[stamp]
An MRS U.M. VALENTINE
FELMERSHAM
[stamp]
Empfangsort: BOTTRELLS LANE
Strasse: CHALFONT ST GILES
Kreis: BUCKS.
Land: ENGLAND
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: J.R.M. VALENTINE
Gefangenennummer: 450
Lager-Bexeichnung: Kriegsgefangenenlager der Luftwaffe Nr. 3
[deleted] LAGER “A” [/deleted]
Deutschland (Allemagne)