Letter to Douglas Hudson

Letter to Douglas Hudson

From Mildred H Grundy writes pleased to receive his letter and notes that it was a long time in transit. Writes of her activities including fire watching and her job. Writes of putting clocks back and having to go to bed earlier. mentions Queen's broadcast to women of America. Continues with account of trying to contact his parents who appear to have moved. Catches up with other news of family and acquaintances and mentions clothing coupons and effect of war on how people will have to dress.

1941-08-10

Four page handwritten letter and envelope

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EGrundyMHHudsonJD410810

[front of envelope]

EXAMINER 6743

Kriegsgefangenenpost

BY AIR MAIL

[postmark]

[postage stamp]

Royal Air Force

755052 Sgt Chef. J. D. Hudson,

Camp de Liberté Surveillé,

Hotel d’ Orient,

[deleted] MÉDÉA, [/deleted] [inserted] Aumale. [/inserted]

Algérie,

Afrique du nord.

[page break]

[rear of envelope]

FROM. MISS M. H. GRUNDY

‘HIGHFIELD.’

HARDMANS ROAD,

WHITEFIELD,

MANCHESTER

[underlined] ENGLAND [/underlined]

[postmark]

P.C. 90

OPENED BY

17-9-41

[page break]

“Highfield.”

Hardmans Rd,

Whitefield,

Manchester.

August 10th Sunday

[inserted] 17-9-41 [/inserted]

My dear Douglas,

I am ever to pleased to receive your letter dated 20th May I got it on Friday evening when I arrived home from the office. Hasn’t it taken a long time to come? Anyway now that it has come I feel very thankful to know that you are as safe as can be in these days. At the moment I am writing from Telephone House where I am spending the day fire watching. Every six weeks I spend the day here, either Saturday or Sunday, to relieve the men. It is only a little thing that I can do

[page break]

[underlined] 2 [/underlined]

and which, I hope, will help towards the War Effort. We are working overtime quite a lot at the office, but have been crowding quite a lot of fun and pleasure into our spare time, especially while we have been having these lovely long summer evenings. I don’t know what it will be like now that we have put back the clock an hour. I suppose it will mean that we shall go to bed earlier than we have been doing, for it has been midnight almost every night before we have been going to bed. The effort to go before dusk has been too much.

[underlined] Later. [/underlined]

I am now back at home again so can continue in comfort. The Queen has just been broadcasting to the women of America. I wonder if you were listening in too? It was a very beautiful speech. I think she has a lovely voice. I could listen to her for hours.

The last time I called at your

[page break]

[underlined] 3 [/underlined]

house, I think it would be sometime in May, I didn’t know your people had removed, although I did ask the people living next door if they knew where your mother & Father were. You see I had called a few weeks previous to that and couldn’t get any response to my knocking. However, the neighbours did say that they had gone away and were staying at helson, but from the way it was phrased I thought they had only gone for a short time to stay with friends. How do they like helson? I should think they will be quite safe there and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

I have only seen Dorothy once or twice since she became engaged and I didn’t have a chance of speaking to her on either of those occasions. I wonder if you remember a girl called Beryl Sutherland who lives near me? I think you were introduced to each other at the Christmas party that Dorothy had in 1939. At that time Beryl

[page break]

[underlined] 4 [/underlined]

was going with a fellow called Brian Shearman with whom John had got rather friendly through the Army. We see quite a lot of each other as she plays hockey on the same team and throughout the summer we meet every fortnight (about six of us) for a reunion. I don’t know what kind of clothes we will be wearing for hockey this summer. As you probably know already we have to submit coupons for clothes these days and we can’t afford to waste them on hockey togs. Can you imagine what we will look like wearing all kinds of old blouses (probably of variegated colours) stockings nearly dropping to pieces and boots ditto? My boots were a disgrace last season so I don’t know what they will be like this. Anyway perhaps by some chance you be back in England soon and will be able to see for yourself I hope so. Till then keep smiling. Kind regards and good luck from mother, Daddy and self.

Love,

Hildred.