Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Title
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
Reports arrival of latest mail and catches up with family news. Sends thanks to all others who have written to him. Says he has just sent cable for his mother's birthday and hopes it arrives in time. Writes he is enclosing a photograph taken when padre visited before Christmas. Is hoping to send another photograph showing primitive cooking while at previous camp. Reports temporary shortage of cigarettes and they are having to roll their own. Writes that they are producing a weekly paper, covers some content and that that week's was 24 pages. He hopes to keep a copy as memento. Signs off saying having to reheat couscous.
Creator
Date
1942-01-14
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-HE420114
Transcription
Royal Air Force. 755052. Sgt. J. D. Hudson.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alger. Algérie.
Afrique du Nord.
14-1-42
My Dear Mother & Dad,
Since I wrote to you last I have been pleased to receive three further letters from you dated December 1st, 14th & 17th and one from Dorothy dated December 20th. Your letter of December 14th said that Auntie Gladys had started going to business, and that John was stationed in South Africa. He is very fortunate. Your letter of the 17th acknowledged receipt of six of my letters after such a long absence, and I do hope that these will continue to arrive regularly now. I was glad to learn from Dorothy’s letter that the communal letter I wrote to Calverley arrived at its destination. I also wish to thank both Dorothy & Mary for the letters I receive from them quite regularly, I do appreciate them. To-day I sent off the following telegram for Mother’s birthday:- “Many happy returns Mother’s birthday all love wishes” and I sincerely hope it will arrive in time. There is no need to say just how much my thoughts will be with you on the 19th. My thoughts are always with you really so you may say that we are not separated in the very sense of the word. I am enclosing with this letter a photo taken when the Padre visited us before Christmas, it was a little warmer then, than it is now. Just at present the weather is particularly cold. I hope to send another small photograph soon showing how we did cooking at Aumale. It will give you an idea of the primitive methods employed. There appears to be a temporary (we hope) shortage of cigarettes and we are having to roll our own from Arab pipe tobacco which is being supplied in very small quantities. My method is to
[page break]
moisten the gum of an envelope and run the cigarette paper edge along this, then wrap it round the stem of a pencil so that it forms a hollow tube, and stick the gummed edges. By using a small piece of cotton wool in one end a useful “filter tip” is provided, and this also serves to prevent tobacco from dropping out. The whole idea is very unorthodox and doubtless would hurt a seasoned cigarette roller, but it serves a useful purpose for me. Tony, who was interested in advertising & press work in civilian days started producing a weekly paper which he called the “Camp Echo” It includes articles written by different people in our midst, based on all kinds of things. Some experiences, others informative, or comical etc. Also cartoons & limericks. We have just acquired a typewriter from Algiers, & as I appear to be the only person who has had much typewriter experience the lot of “printing” has fallen on my shoulders. This week we produced 24 pages & believe me the task was no light one as several of the copies we receive have to be cut, punctuated & generally reconditioned. It is interesting & quite informative. I wish I could send you an issue because some of the artists’ drawings are excellent. However, I hope to retain a copy as souvenir & we shall be able to go over it together on some future happy day. Reverting to the enclosed photo. The dog in front of me is not Raf but a later addition brought from Aumale. The jackal disappeared ages and ages ago when still a baby. We are re-cooking our Cous-Cous to-night in Red Cross milk, as we always do these days as it is thus rendered far more palatable, so I shall soon be occupied once again in the culinary category. Am writing a letter of sympathy to Mrs. Clayton & John. And now as ever I say good-night by sending you all my love, thoughts and best wishes.
Douglas
P.S. Jimmy is sitting immediately behind me in the group, wearing civilian jacket.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alger. Algérie.
Afrique du Nord.
14-1-42
My Dear Mother & Dad,
Since I wrote to you last I have been pleased to receive three further letters from you dated December 1st, 14th & 17th and one from Dorothy dated December 20th. Your letter of December 14th said that Auntie Gladys had started going to business, and that John was stationed in South Africa. He is very fortunate. Your letter of the 17th acknowledged receipt of six of my letters after such a long absence, and I do hope that these will continue to arrive regularly now. I was glad to learn from Dorothy’s letter that the communal letter I wrote to Calverley arrived at its destination. I also wish to thank both Dorothy & Mary for the letters I receive from them quite regularly, I do appreciate them. To-day I sent off the following telegram for Mother’s birthday:- “Many happy returns Mother’s birthday all love wishes” and I sincerely hope it will arrive in time. There is no need to say just how much my thoughts will be with you on the 19th. My thoughts are always with you really so you may say that we are not separated in the very sense of the word. I am enclosing with this letter a photo taken when the Padre visited us before Christmas, it was a little warmer then, than it is now. Just at present the weather is particularly cold. I hope to send another small photograph soon showing how we did cooking at Aumale. It will give you an idea of the primitive methods employed. There appears to be a temporary (we hope) shortage of cigarettes and we are having to roll our own from Arab pipe tobacco which is being supplied in very small quantities. My method is to
[page break]
moisten the gum of an envelope and run the cigarette paper edge along this, then wrap it round the stem of a pencil so that it forms a hollow tube, and stick the gummed edges. By using a small piece of cotton wool in one end a useful “filter tip” is provided, and this also serves to prevent tobacco from dropping out. The whole idea is very unorthodox and doubtless would hurt a seasoned cigarette roller, but it serves a useful purpose for me. Tony, who was interested in advertising & press work in civilian days started producing a weekly paper which he called the “Camp Echo” It includes articles written by different people in our midst, based on all kinds of things. Some experiences, others informative, or comical etc. Also cartoons & limericks. We have just acquired a typewriter from Algiers, & as I appear to be the only person who has had much typewriter experience the lot of “printing” has fallen on my shoulders. This week we produced 24 pages & believe me the task was no light one as several of the copies we receive have to be cut, punctuated & generally reconditioned. It is interesting & quite informative. I wish I could send you an issue because some of the artists’ drawings are excellent. However, I hope to retain a copy as souvenir & we shall be able to go over it together on some future happy day. Reverting to the enclosed photo. The dog in front of me is not Raf but a later addition brought from Aumale. The jackal disappeared ages and ages ago when still a baby. We are re-cooking our Cous-Cous to-night in Red Cross milk, as we always do these days as it is thus rendered far more palatable, so I shall soon be occupied once again in the culinary category. Am writing a letter of sympathy to Mrs. Clayton & John. And now as ever I say good-night by sending you all my love, thoughts and best wishes.
Douglas
P.S. Jimmy is sitting immediately behind me in the group, wearing civilian jacket.
Collection
Citation
James Douglas Hudson, “Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 23, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22580.
Item Relations
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