Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 121-28. Still no mail or food parcels. No chance to practise violin and therefore bored. Good weather and suntan. Reports on health and flies. Mentions war news getting better and optimism abounds but not him. Still worried over new weapons. Hopes she is keeping scrap book of news as they have little in camp. Speculates on future before years out but sad at news of death of Dutch colleague's fiance.

1944-08-27

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM440827

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Stalag Luft III

27th August 1944

My Darling Ursula. Another week without mail - we are also without food parcels now but are hoping daily for fresh arrivals from Geneva. Our stock was exhausted this week with an issue of half a parcel per man. I am still very idle & am loathing it too. Since we came here I’ve done only 1 hours practice & I find the days very long & boring without the pre occupation of my fiddle. The weather has been glorious, though, & I’ve managed to get quite sun tanned. My malaise which I mentioned last week has entirely disappeared but there is quite an epidemic of it in the camp. Flies in their thousands are the cause. The war news gets better each day & optimism abounds in the camp. I steadfastly refuse to believe in an early end for fear of bitter disappointment later. I yearn for news of you. Your Heaven sent letters are complete up to the end of March - 5 months ago - since when I have had only 1 written at the end of May. What particularly worries me are the alarming possibilities of the new weapon. I’ve no idea if they penetrate to your part of the world or to that of my parents. I’d give a lot to get mail of as recent a date as the Army boys in the camp get as a matter of course.

[several censored sentences]

I hope you are [inserted] still [/inserted] keeping the scrap book of newspaper cuttings which you mentioned a long while ago. We get very little news as you may imagine & for all I know of the days happenings I might as well be in the grave. I wonder if we shall be together before the year is out? Most people here think so but to me it sounds too good to be true. Frank P. thinks his wife has left the A.T.S. so you know if its time & if so why? Louis den Boer, my Dutch friend had the sad news last week of the death of his fiancé. A terrible blow at this stage of the war. He was very upset at first. I wonder how our large daughter is - some recent snaps would be so welcome. You live on always in my thoughts - keep well & beautiful - both of you. Love John






[page break]

171 28

[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]

[2 post marks]

An MRS U M VALENTINE

FELMERSHAM

Empfangsort: BOTTRELLS LANE

Straße: CHALFONT ST GILES

Kreis: BUCKS

Land: ENGLAND

Landesteil (Provinz usw.)

[underlined] Gebührenfreil [/underlined]

Absender:

Vor- und Zuname: Sgt John Valentine

Gefangenennummer: 450

Lager-Bezeichnung: Kriegsgefangenenlager der Luftwaffe Nr. 3

Deutschland (Allemagne)