Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Title
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
Reports arrival of latest of their letters but out of sequence. Notes this was the fifth letter he had written after arrival at new camp at Laghouat. Notes weather was cooler than anticipated with cloudless days and nights. Says his face was tanned but too cold for sunbathing and now full dressed. Mentions having had group photograph taken which he will sent if he can get a print. Prefers this camp to any previous locations, more space and privacy. Asks is they had started to learn to play bridge yet. Mentions some activities including making date marmalade. Describes a recent walk through town. Concludes that his thoughts would be with them at Christmas and new year.
Creator
Date
1941-11-08
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Two 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-HE411108
Transcription
Royal Air Force. 755052. Sgt. J. D. Hudson.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alger. Algérie.
Afrique du Nord.
8-11-41
My Dear Mother & Dad,
I wrote to you yesterday acknowledging receipt of your letters dated September 15th and 21st which arrived considerably out of sequence. This is the fifth letter I have written to you since I was moved to Laghouat, an Arab Oasis town surrounded by date palms, on the border of the Sahara and approximately 300 miles south of Alger. Well, I am not going to waste any more space talking about receipt of letters and cables etc, all this I have done in my recent letters, so this one can be a more personal chatty letter. On Sept. 15th you mention it was a clear frosty night with a beautiful sunset which reminded you of a little walk we once took through Alder Forest Park. I remember the occasion very well and I even remember the time we noted particularly the sunset, because we commented that the daylight was increasing. The weather here has turned out considerably cooler than I anticipated Sahara weather would be even in November. The days and nights have been cloudless and it has only been warm in the actual sun. Consequently the cool air and sun has made my face very tanned indeed. It is too cool for sunbathing now and I am going about in full dress once again. To-day I had a photo taken in a R.A.F group. I have still my goatee beard and if I can obtain a print I shall try and send one on to you, if it comes out all right. So far I prefer this place considerably to either of my previous camps. There seems to be more space to breathe and the privacy of our double room means an awful
[page break]
lot, especially in the evening if I want to read, write, or invite anyone to play Bridge. Have you made a start yet as I suggested in earlier letters, to learn Bridge in readiness for the days when I am home again? Culbertsons conventions, Boston One Club opening, is the game we play. It is by far the most entertaining card game I have played, and it serves excellently to pass the time. To-night, Jimmy, Myself, Tony & Bertie our latest arrival, have been experimenting making what we have christened “Date Marmalade” Very simple and unorthodox. Recipé. Wash 1 Kilo dates & skin and stone them Cut up and Mash into a pulp & add a little Red Cross Glucose D. Later add the juice of two oranges (which are just coming into season) This gives the marmalade flavour. Concoction now finished. Store away in large jar and serve on Arab bread for breakfast and afternoon tea. It is quite good and keeps as long as we let it. The other day when I was on a “promenade” in the town I saw an Arab woman spinning wool. She held the wool sliver in one hand and drew it out and twisted it in a simultaneous movement with the other, also deftly managing to wind the resultant thread into a spindle. I thought this was very interesting. No, I have not written to Tuffés, but as you suggest it might be advisable. I suppose I shall be too out of date for flying when this show is over. Christmas and New Year are drawing near and when they do arrive my thoughts will go back to the many previous happy festive seasons we have spent together and you will have all my best wishes. It is time to say good-night now. We are about to partake of our latest marmalade for supper together with our last drop of Red Cross Ovaltine. Roll on the next Red Cross Parcel. And so, until my next letter, cheerio. As ever, all my love & thoughts.
Douglas.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alger. Algérie.
Afrique du Nord.
8-11-41
My Dear Mother & Dad,
I wrote to you yesterday acknowledging receipt of your letters dated September 15th and 21st which arrived considerably out of sequence. This is the fifth letter I have written to you since I was moved to Laghouat, an Arab Oasis town surrounded by date palms, on the border of the Sahara and approximately 300 miles south of Alger. Well, I am not going to waste any more space talking about receipt of letters and cables etc, all this I have done in my recent letters, so this one can be a more personal chatty letter. On Sept. 15th you mention it was a clear frosty night with a beautiful sunset which reminded you of a little walk we once took through Alder Forest Park. I remember the occasion very well and I even remember the time we noted particularly the sunset, because we commented that the daylight was increasing. The weather here has turned out considerably cooler than I anticipated Sahara weather would be even in November. The days and nights have been cloudless and it has only been warm in the actual sun. Consequently the cool air and sun has made my face very tanned indeed. It is too cool for sunbathing now and I am going about in full dress once again. To-day I had a photo taken in a R.A.F group. I have still my goatee beard and if I can obtain a print I shall try and send one on to you, if it comes out all right. So far I prefer this place considerably to either of my previous camps. There seems to be more space to breathe and the privacy of our double room means an awful
[page break]
lot, especially in the evening if I want to read, write, or invite anyone to play Bridge. Have you made a start yet as I suggested in earlier letters, to learn Bridge in readiness for the days when I am home again? Culbertsons conventions, Boston One Club opening, is the game we play. It is by far the most entertaining card game I have played, and it serves excellently to pass the time. To-night, Jimmy, Myself, Tony & Bertie our latest arrival, have been experimenting making what we have christened “Date Marmalade” Very simple and unorthodox. Recipé. Wash 1 Kilo dates & skin and stone them Cut up and Mash into a pulp & add a little Red Cross Glucose D. Later add the juice of two oranges (which are just coming into season) This gives the marmalade flavour. Concoction now finished. Store away in large jar and serve on Arab bread for breakfast and afternoon tea. It is quite good and keeps as long as we let it. The other day when I was on a “promenade” in the town I saw an Arab woman spinning wool. She held the wool sliver in one hand and drew it out and twisted it in a simultaneous movement with the other, also deftly managing to wind the resultant thread into a spindle. I thought this was very interesting. No, I have not written to Tuffés, but as you suggest it might be advisable. I suppose I shall be too out of date for flying when this show is over. Christmas and New Year are drawing near and when they do arrive my thoughts will go back to the many previous happy festive seasons we have spent together and you will have all my best wishes. It is time to say good-night now. We are about to partake of our latest marmalade for supper together with our last drop of Red Cross Ovaltine. Roll on the next Red Cross Parcel. And so, until my next letter, cheerio. As ever, all my love & thoughts.
Douglas.
Collection
Citation
James Douglas Hudson, “Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents ,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed May 10, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22568.
Item Relations
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