Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents

Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents

Catches up with letters sent and received since he arrived at new location and complains that his small allowance make it difficult to afford sending cables from his camp. Catches up with news from home and mentions a little of his physical and other activities. Says there is no radio for news there so they only get it from the local paper with one point of view. He wishes them well for the future and is looking forward to the time when he can return.

1941-06-10

Two page handwritten letter and envelope

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EHudsonJDHudsonP-HE410610

[underlined] PAR AVION [/underlined]
EXAMINER 4168
[underlined] VIA TANGER
VIA LISBONNE.
PRISONNIER DE GUERRE. [/underlined]
[three postage stamps]
[four post marks]
MR. & MRS. H. E. HUDSON
191. HALIFAX ROAD.
NELSON.
LANCASHIRE.
ANGLETERRE.
[page break]
FROM SGT. CHEF. J.D. HUDSON. 755052
CAMP DE SÉJOUR SURVEILLÉ.
AUMALE.
ALGÉRIE.
AFRIQUE DU NORD.
[ink stamp]
OPENED BY
[page break]
Royal Air Force. 755052. Sgt. Chef. J.D. Hudson
Camp de Séjour Surveillé.
Aumale.
Algérie. Afrique du Nord.
10-6-41
My Dear Mother & Dad,
Since my last letter to you written about 3 days ago I have not received any letters from you. I then acknowledged receipt of your Air Mail letter dated May 2nd. Today I have received an Air Mail letter dated May 11th from Dorothy, perhaps when you next write to Calverlys you would thank her for me. This is my third letter written to you from here where we arrived on May 31st & where we are once again under the conditions of the old regime. The day I left Médéa I received your cable sent on May 30th, & I was very pleased to have the news from you. I wish it was not so costly to send cables to you from here. It is not really expensive but our allowance is so small, & therein lies the difficulty. In her letter Dorothy says the weather is quite good. During the last three days it has not been too hot here, although in England it would be considered exceptional. We get up now in time to do our half hour’s physical training at 7 am, before the sun get cracking. At 8-30 am we go for a walk until 10 am, which is an hour earlier than during last week. Football in the evening is from 5-30 until 7. It is pretty warm at 5-30 too, but we generally play without shirts. To-night [inserted] there [/inserted] is a boxing competition held in our room. I have only gone as far as to act as second throughout the night.
[page break]
I suppose I shall box next week – one does anything here to pass the time. Anyhow during the day we cannot go out & all there is to do is read. When I think of last year at this time, I wonder where I shall be next year at this time. I know that when we arrived here last year we joked about spending Christmas in Africa – I think the joke should have been [deleted] [indecipherable word] [/deleted] which Christmas. We still follow the news in the local “rag” but have not wireless information, there is no radio here, & consequently we get more or less only one point of view. I wonder how you are getting along at home. I hope that you will be completely settled in your new home, & if the weather is good I imagine that it will be very pleasant. I hope that you will be more fortunate in the future than in the past. There is no need to keep repeating how I am looking forward to that day when we meet again. I cannot visualise a normal civilised life again with the amenities which we understand are required to live comfortably. If ever man was presented with an opportunity to think I have that opportunity now. May be one day we shall reap what we sow now. I am ever optimistic, but it required an awful lot of patience. I am beginning to wonder if the letter I sent to you from Kef by Air mail [indecipherable word] marked F.M. got through. You dont [sic] appear to have received any [inserted] mail [/inserted] from me since the p.c. dated Jan. 17th. I hope the stamped Air Mail letter from Médéa & here will be more certain. Anyway you did receive my 2 cables. And so until next letter good-bye & good luck. My thoughts are always with you. All my love
Douglas