Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 179-36. Writes that local circumstances are very trying but he has received a letters from her. Also received a violin sent a year ago, case smashed and violin cracked but is still better than the one he had. He has little opportunity to practise and circumstances are unpleasant. Mentions slight increase in Red Cross parcel issues. Hoping to receive clothing parcel as he had only one in last 18 months. Requests she send tobacco and cigarettes. Says he used contents of a recent one to buy slippers and other clothes. Requests music books but says that reunion seems far away.

1944-11-12

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM441112

[unreadable stamp]
12th Nov 1944
My Beloved Ursula: I wish this could be a more cheerful letter than it is but local circumstances are very, very, trying. However I’ll begin with the brighter points. Your letter of 18th Sept heads the list. Many earlier ones are still awaiting Next comes the arrival of the violin sent off a year ago. The case was smashed & the fiddle slightly cracked All the same it is a good instrument much better than the one I had. It is very ancient & battered in appearance but has a lovely rich tone & I prefer it infinitely. Unfortunately I get fuses opportunities of playing as the days go by & sometimes don’t touch it at all in a day. Those long & regular hours of Luft VI are regrettably impossible here I just do what I can when & where I can [censored] to life here nowadays, nothing pleasant can be said I find each day one long torture. The [censored] we have had only 2/3 rd of a Red X parcel in the last month but we have just received notice from Geneva that some parcels are on the way which will give us a weekly issue of 1/2 for some five weeks. We eagerly await the first arriva [sic] [censored] Clothing parcels have been arriving slowly but steadily for some time now – Many recent ones have been received – July, Aug & even Sept. I hope to get one soon for I’ve had only 1 in the last 18 months despite your regular quarterly dispatches. Whenever poss will you send some large shipments of tobacco (Players “No Name”) & cigs to enable me to build up a stock again. I hate smoking dog ends. A tobacco parcel from ASV came & I utilized half of it to buy a pair of indoor slippers & a shirt & long pants to serve as pyjamas so I’m set for the winter as to clothing. Would you also send a good book of Scale & Arpeggio exercises. Just going by the almost isultant [sic] tone of your letter of 4th Sept, you have suffered a bitter disappointed this autumn. Poor darling, I can & do sympathise. Just at the moment reunion seems as far away as ever Fondest love to Frances John
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[stamp] Write legibly to avoid delay [/stamp]
179 36
[underlined] Kriegsgfandenenpost [/underlined]
[postmark] PASSED P.W.775 [/postmark]
[postmark] GEPRUFT 72 [/postmark]
An MRS U M. VALENTINE
FELMERSHAM
Empfangsort: BOTTRELLS LANE
StraBe: CHARLFONT ST GILES
Kreis: BUCKS
Land: ENGLAND
Landesteil (Provinz usw.)
[underlined] Gebuhrenfrei! [/underlined]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: Sgt JRm [underlined] VALENTINE [/underlined]
Gefangenennummer: 450
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager [deleted] 357 [/deleted] [inserted] Luft III BARRACK C 2/3 [/inserted]
[underlined] Deutschland (Allemagne) [/underlined]
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