Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Writes that she is concerned about his foot injury and mentions her own problem wit split nail. Describes recent activity including house painters interaction with daughter Frances. Reports on which of his mail has reached her which still outstanding; comments on content including septic foot, violin lessons, learning dutch and suggests he might concentrate on a subject he could do alone. Continues with plans to refurbish furniture and other domestic matters. Concludes with news of daughter Frances.

1943-04-25

Two page typewritten letter

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To Sgt. J.R.M. Valentine,
British P.O.W. No. 458
Stalag Luft III, Germany
[inserted] 49 R & A 9/6 [/inserted]
[stamp GEPRUFT 32]
From Mrs. J.R.M. Valentine,
Lido, Tenterden Grove
London, N.W.4.
Easter Sunday, April 25 1943.
My own darling Johnnie,
The last letter of the old series and the first three of the new arrived this week, in which you mention that you have a septic foot following a scald. I [underlined] do [/underlined] hope that it has quite cleared up by now and that you have been resting it and obeying the doctor’s instructions. I have been really worried about it all this week, and could only comfort myself with the thought that the Red Cross would probably have let me know if it had got really serious. I am looking forward anxiously to your next letters, hoping that they will report the foot better or at least mending.
My only trouble recently has been that wretched thumb of mine with the split nail. I gave it a good bang the other day and tore half the nail back for about 1/4 inch since when it has been catching and splitting further. I shall have to wear a thumb stall for a bit and give it a chance to grow up again.
This week hasn’t been very noteworthy. The house-painters have been in the whole time, working outside whenever the weather was fine, and Frances has been having a high old time bullying them. She keeps saying “Hallo” to them or showing them her toys or otherwise distracting them from their work – they are two oldish men and are very sweet with her; if she is quiet that is even more ominous and is then generally found to be dabbling in their buckets of paint or climbing up their ladders. I am afraid she really has inherited your rock-climbing tendencies – the other day I went up into the loft and she promptly climbed up the step-ladder after me right to the top, from whence Barbara had to haul her down to safety.
Tuesday 27th April.
I have had a postcard dated 22.3, No 10, from you, though the six previous ones have yet to arrive. In this you say you are quite fit, so I hope the septic foot has cleared up without more ado. You have mentioned on various occasions that your studies in which you rely on other people’s teaching, violin, Dutch, theory of music for instance, do not get on as fast as you would wish, and I can well imagine that under those conditions you cannot get all types of men to stick to a routine of teaching or anything else. So I have been wondering if perhaps you would not get more satisfaction and less [deleted] needless [/deleted] irritation out of your work if you concentrated on a subject which you could do alone, with the help only of textbooks and question papers, as for instance the agriculture. I can well imagine how the sense of frustration, which must be bad enough in any case, is increased when your timetable is upset because others do not carry out their teaching programme as arranged. Of course it is impossible for me to advise you from here, but this thought has struck me once or twice in reading your recent letters, so I pass it on for what it is worth. I certainly hope you won’t give up your violin at any rate but that you will be able to get some help from a more interested fellow. You mention that you notice a change in your own outlook on life due to the monotony and sense of frustration – what sort of change? Do not get cynical, will you, Johnnie, remember your ideal of service. I’ve got the most tremendous faith in you, in your steadfast spirit and in your sense of humour – I often wish I had got some of your courage to prop myself up on
[page break]
You mentioned in a recent letter that you are putting on weight. You can certainly do with it and I’m glad to hear that you are getting enough to put on weight with. It will be nice if you can arrange to play some game regularly, it will make you feel better. Yes, I think I shall manage to love you even if you do come home “completely circular”. After all, you loved me two years ago when I was far more nearly circular than you will ever be! I had hoped that my various activities, which seem to keep me on the hop all day, would have made me a bit thinner but I don’t notice any change. I’m feeling very fit and I suppose that is the main thing. I have finished with the dentist now too, and only await his bill.
Do you remember that our dressing-table was getting very discoloured at the ends where the glass didn’t quite cover it? Recently the polish has begun to chip off, so I have today got an estimate to have the top repolished – at least the man has been to see it and will send the estimate in writing. He seems quite confident that it can be made as new again. I’m afraid it will cost about £3, but our suite is definitely worth taking care of. I am going to make another attempt to get a piece of glass to cover it properly. I have also sent the dressing table stool to have the seat recanted, it was beginning to go and then Frances finished it off by putting both feet through. The man who came to inspect the dressing table (from the furniture shop Evans in the town) much admired our bedroom suite and volunteered the information that it would be worth at least £160 – 170 now, which I know is true from suites I have seen for sale in West End shops. Thank goodness we bought when we did – I only wish we could have furnished a home completely then. We are going to have some trouble with floor coverings when our turn comes, but I am hoping that Mother may have some carpets or rugs to get rid of, since I believe she is bringing some with her. Sometimes I can hardly believe that we shall ever have a home all to ourselves to stay in permanently, but with luck and perseverance that happy day may actually dawn.
I have been painting odds and ends in the bathroom today, to wit the window, towel-rail, chair, sponge-rack and your little medicine chest. I got the head painter to burn off the old paint with his blow-lamp where necessary and have put two coats over the worst patches. Tomorrow Ba goes away to Wales for a weeks holiday with a girl from her station and I have persuaded Vera Bowack to bring Michael up here for a week from Thursday. So maybe next week I will only write you a letter-card, for I can hardly spend hours one evening typing a long letter to you when Vera has no Norman to write to, can I? I wish the painters would hurry up and finish the indoor work, back bedroom, my room and kitchen ceiling, before Vera comes, but they have to take advantage of the fine weather to do the outdoor painting first; however they say they will be all finished by the weekend. There are tiles to be replaced, the outside lavatory to be whitewashed, white tiles to be cemented in behind the kitchen cooker and one or two other odd jobs which I am having done while I can get the men, and then the house should really look nice for my people.
I took Frances up to the Clinic this afternoon, she now weighs 32 lbs; there was such a queue I didn’t wait to see the doctor for her birthday examination and shall have to take her again later. In the last week she has begun to talk a lot more and to copy quite accurately whatever she hears us say. Her passion for cheese continues unabated and whenever she happens to think of it she will demand some. “More cheese”, she says, “[underlined] more cheese [/underlined], MORE CHEESE”, getting more and more insistent, but if I refuse she gives up after a bit and accepts it quite philosophically.
All my love & a big kiss from Frances, Ursula.
[inserted] Have thanked HG for the books from Sweden & passed on your postcard to Mrs Tait, who replied this morning asking me to pass on her thanks to you. [/inserted]