Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Title
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
Catches up with mail received and reminds them that to arrive by airmail it must be so marked on the envelope and have correct stamps. Mentions airmail is much quicker. states that he has sent them letters fortnightly and hopes they have arrived. Praises the work of the Red Cross. Hopes they are well and settled into new environment. Comments on other mail received and asks them to send thanks as his limited mail does not allow him to do so. Writes that they are leaving on 23rd to Médéa in Algeria. Gives new address and notes that they should get better conditions and be classified as internees. Comments on the month's weather and explains use of chef (Sergeant Chef) in his rank, not a cook. Looking forward to the day when he sees them all again.
Creator
Date
1941-04-18
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Three page handwritten letter
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
EHudsonJDHudsonP-HE410418-02
Transcription
755052 Sgt Chef J. D. Hudson.
Camp de Sejour Surveillѐ.
Le Kef Tunisie.
Afrique du Nord.
17-4-41.
Mr dear Mother & Dad
Since I wrote my last pc. to you a week ago, I have not received any further news from you. on the 7th I received your cable of the 3rd, giving your present address, & on the 9th I received your letter dated Feb 18th written from “Cranford.” In order that letters arrive by Air Mail they must be so marked on the envelope & the blue air mail stamp affixed, otherwise, like this letter they will come by ordinary post. Air Mail generally takes about 3 weeks. For some time now I have been sending you letters fortnightly addressed via air mail & I do they will have got through quicker than the others, although I do praise the work of the Red Cross who appear to have been very splendid.
Well, I do most sincerely hope that you are both keeping safe & well, & that you have
[page break]
[underlined] 2. [/underlined]
settled down in your new environment; & as I have said in my other letters, I wish you all the luck in the world. Yesterday I received a letter from E.W.7. dated March 6th. I have only been able to send him one pc, all my other communications have been to you. Perhaps if you write to him, you will mention how much I appreciate his letters, & send my love. Tell him I’d give a lot for a Tetleys half pint, instead of the “Vin Rouge” we drink out here. It is about all that is left besides Black Coffee, & to think I tried to sell tea all the time.
here is a bit of surprising news. On Wed. next: the 23rd. we are leaving here for a place called MEDEA in Algiers. It is about 450 miles west of here & about 40 miles South of Algiers town. All I can suggest at present is that in future you write to me at CAMP DE LIBERTЀ SURVEILLЀ; MЀDЀA; ALGЀRIE; AFRIQUE DU NORD: if you cable maybe better c/o The American Consul, Algiers,
[page break]
[underlined] 3. [/underlined]
but I hope that in the meantime the Consul is Tunis may have wired you my change of address. At any rate letter will be forwarded from here. We are supposed to by going to improved conditions and to be reclassed as internees so here’s hoping. A change will be more than welcome. I wonder if I shall be able to write more often from there. April has been cold, almost parallel to the English April & decidedly cooler than many January days here. No sunbathing since I returned from my visit to the dentist in Tunis. I believe England has had a very rough winter. You ask about the appendix ‘Chef’ it does not mean cook but is a sort of super Sgt. ie, in our case a Sgt member of an air crew. Well I’d better not write much more in case the censor gets “cheesed” However, what is left unsaid all goes down to thoughts & memories & am looking forward to the day when I see you all again. So until that time may you be safe & well & of good spirit. I am always thinking about you. All my love
Douglas
PS: Am sending a PC today as well.
Camp de Sejour Surveillѐ.
Le Kef Tunisie.
Afrique du Nord.
17-4-41.
Mr dear Mother & Dad
Since I wrote my last pc. to you a week ago, I have not received any further news from you. on the 7th I received your cable of the 3rd, giving your present address, & on the 9th I received your letter dated Feb 18th written from “Cranford.” In order that letters arrive by Air Mail they must be so marked on the envelope & the blue air mail stamp affixed, otherwise, like this letter they will come by ordinary post. Air Mail generally takes about 3 weeks. For some time now I have been sending you letters fortnightly addressed via air mail & I do they will have got through quicker than the others, although I do praise the work of the Red Cross who appear to have been very splendid.
Well, I do most sincerely hope that you are both keeping safe & well, & that you have
[page break]
[underlined] 2. [/underlined]
settled down in your new environment; & as I have said in my other letters, I wish you all the luck in the world. Yesterday I received a letter from E.W.7. dated March 6th. I have only been able to send him one pc, all my other communications have been to you. Perhaps if you write to him, you will mention how much I appreciate his letters, & send my love. Tell him I’d give a lot for a Tetleys half pint, instead of the “Vin Rouge” we drink out here. It is about all that is left besides Black Coffee, & to think I tried to sell tea all the time.
here is a bit of surprising news. On Wed. next: the 23rd. we are leaving here for a place called MEDEA in Algiers. It is about 450 miles west of here & about 40 miles South of Algiers town. All I can suggest at present is that in future you write to me at CAMP DE LIBERTЀ SURVEILLЀ; MЀDЀA; ALGЀRIE; AFRIQUE DU NORD: if you cable maybe better c/o The American Consul, Algiers,
[page break]
[underlined] 3. [/underlined]
but I hope that in the meantime the Consul is Tunis may have wired you my change of address. At any rate letter will be forwarded from here. We are supposed to by going to improved conditions and to be reclassed as internees so here’s hoping. A change will be more than welcome. I wonder if I shall be able to write more often from there. April has been cold, almost parallel to the English April & decidedly cooler than many January days here. No sunbathing since I returned from my visit to the dentist in Tunis. I believe England has had a very rough winter. You ask about the appendix ‘Chef’ it does not mean cook but is a sort of super Sgt. ie, in our case a Sgt member of an air crew. Well I’d better not write much more in case the censor gets “cheesed” However, what is left unsaid all goes down to thoughts & memories & am looking forward to the day when I see you all again. So until that time may you be safe & well & of good spirit. I am always thinking about you. All my love
Douglas
PS: Am sending a PC today as well.
Collection
Citation
James Douglas Hudson, “Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 18, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22520.
Item Relations
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