Letter to Douglas Hudson
Title
Letter to Douglas Hudson
Description
From W A Clayton apologising for not writing and giving reasons. Hopes he is well and getting some enjoyment from life and that he will be home soon. Catches up with news about someone in the air force and other news of family and acquaintances.
Creator
Date
1941-12-04
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Four page handwritten letter and envelope
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
EClaytonWAHudsonJD411204
Transcription
Prisoners of War Camp
[airmail stamp]
{postmark]
[postage stamps]
Sgt, J.D. Hudson
755052
Interned British Airman
Camp Militaire
[deleted] Aumale [/deleted] Laghouat
Algerie
Afrique - Du – Nord
[page break]
4-12-41
Mrs Clayton
13 Rectory Road
Crumpsall
Manchester
{page break]
13 Rectory Road
Crumpsall
Manchester
My Dear Douglas
I have been a very long time writing you again, but one reason is that after your change of address, I simply could [underlined] not [/underlined] get it. Every time I saw your mother, I came away having again forgotten to jot it down we are such talkers you know, & the time goes so quickly. Then I asked John, but [underlined] he [/underlined] either forgot or missed somehow. Still my dear letters may be infrequent but it makes no difference to our thoughts of you. We are with you all the time, hoping you are well & getting [underlined] some [/underlined] benefit from your life out there, with some enjoyment too, to help pass the time. No doubt your days are a little mixed but if you have occupation (mostly agreeable I hope) you can then look forward to the happy day when you come home again & [underlined] what [/underlined] a day that will be!!!! You may be sure we are all looking forward, as much as yourself. Are you able to
[page break]
take up any kind of study. That would help tremendously now & might be an asset in the future. Besides taking it at your leisure, is so different from being obliged to swat for just a certain time on a subject. Well dear my letter seems to getting rather dull. John was home for 48 hours last week. How I wish you could have been here too. He is still at Harrogate as you will know from his last letter, not quite so happy as he was but well & still uncomplaining. We are all making the best of things & thankful to be so well cared for. How grateful all the nation ought to be. giving up things is nothing compared to our gratitude for all you boys. You are very wonderful & I hope the future will repay you for all your present trials. I went to lunch with your Mother & Father yesterday, & [underlined] at last [/underlined] got your address, they are both looking very well & are [underlined] so [/underlined] happy at Nelson. Certainly it is a lovely spot & the view is lovely too. You may be sure the garden is also very beautiful
[page break]
your two people certainly have the gift of making the earth yield what they want, & that of the best. It must be to match their kind natures. I am hoping to have them both here for a weekend, it is too far for a day trip now the days are shortening. I am always so interested to hear of your doings, so far as we are allowed of course, but I [underlined] do [/underlined] try & visualise a bit what your days are like, tho’ of course I shan’t be anywhere near the truth, with knowing your [indecipherable word] on your [indecipherable word]. We have been blessed with a quiet summer, & it has been very beautiful. So sorry if is not always summer, tho’ we should soon grumble at that no doubt. Your mother will tell you that your grandfather had paid them a visit of a fortnight & in spite of misgivings on both sides, had a very happy visit. Am sorry dear, I have so little interesting news
[page break]
for you, but I don’t see many people, & rarely go out. Your mother is beating me at that now. You know how she used to stay in such a lot, not even travels to the trades people. [underlined] now [/underlined] she goes out every day, & walks & walks. I know you will be pleased about that, one reason is a good thing, showing her feet are better, really she takes the hills marvellously & it is hilly I can tell you, so that is a great thing & [underlined] I [/underlined] am glad too. I keep hoping you boys will pick up the threads you had to let down when you joined up, & that life will be as happy for you both as then. In the meantime, patience & all the best wishes & good luck to you all & a great looking forward to seeing you again before very long. Mr Clayton joins me in love and all kind thoughts to you, so for a little while goodbye.
Yours affect. M A Clayton
[airmail stamp]
{postmark]
[postage stamps]
Sgt, J.D. Hudson
755052
Interned British Airman
Camp Militaire
[deleted] Aumale [/deleted] Laghouat
Algerie
Afrique - Du – Nord
[page break]
4-12-41
Mrs Clayton
13 Rectory Road
Crumpsall
Manchester
{page break]
13 Rectory Road
Crumpsall
Manchester
My Dear Douglas
I have been a very long time writing you again, but one reason is that after your change of address, I simply could [underlined] not [/underlined] get it. Every time I saw your mother, I came away having again forgotten to jot it down we are such talkers you know, & the time goes so quickly. Then I asked John, but [underlined] he [/underlined] either forgot or missed somehow. Still my dear letters may be infrequent but it makes no difference to our thoughts of you. We are with you all the time, hoping you are well & getting [underlined] some [/underlined] benefit from your life out there, with some enjoyment too, to help pass the time. No doubt your days are a little mixed but if you have occupation (mostly agreeable I hope) you can then look forward to the happy day when you come home again & [underlined] what [/underlined] a day that will be!!!! You may be sure we are all looking forward, as much as yourself. Are you able to
[page break]
take up any kind of study. That would help tremendously now & might be an asset in the future. Besides taking it at your leisure, is so different from being obliged to swat for just a certain time on a subject. Well dear my letter seems to getting rather dull. John was home for 48 hours last week. How I wish you could have been here too. He is still at Harrogate as you will know from his last letter, not quite so happy as he was but well & still uncomplaining. We are all making the best of things & thankful to be so well cared for. How grateful all the nation ought to be. giving up things is nothing compared to our gratitude for all you boys. You are very wonderful & I hope the future will repay you for all your present trials. I went to lunch with your Mother & Father yesterday, & [underlined] at last [/underlined] got your address, they are both looking very well & are [underlined] so [/underlined] happy at Nelson. Certainly it is a lovely spot & the view is lovely too. You may be sure the garden is also very beautiful
[page break]
your two people certainly have the gift of making the earth yield what they want, & that of the best. It must be to match their kind natures. I am hoping to have them both here for a weekend, it is too far for a day trip now the days are shortening. I am always so interested to hear of your doings, so far as we are allowed of course, but I [underlined] do [/underlined] try & visualise a bit what your days are like, tho’ of course I shan’t be anywhere near the truth, with knowing your [indecipherable word] on your [indecipherable word]. We have been blessed with a quiet summer, & it has been very beautiful. So sorry if is not always summer, tho’ we should soon grumble at that no doubt. Your mother will tell you that your grandfather had paid them a visit of a fortnight & in spite of misgivings on both sides, had a very happy visit. Am sorry dear, I have so little interesting news
[page break]
for you, but I don’t see many people, & rarely go out. Your mother is beating me at that now. You know how she used to stay in such a lot, not even travels to the trades people. [underlined] now [/underlined] she goes out every day, & walks & walks. I know you will be pleased about that, one reason is a good thing, showing her feet are better, really she takes the hills marvellously & it is hilly I can tell you, so that is a great thing & [underlined] I [/underlined] am glad too. I keep hoping you boys will pick up the threads you had to let down when you joined up, & that life will be as happy for you both as then. In the meantime, patience & all the best wishes & good luck to you all & a great looking forward to seeing you again before very long. Mr Clayton joins me in love and all kind thoughts to you, so for a little while goodbye.
Yours affect. M A Clayton
Collection
Citation
W A Clayton, “Letter to Douglas Hudson,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 20, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22454.
Item Relations
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