Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Title
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
Writing again one day after previous to announce arrival of letter number 24. Glad to hear they had received another 6 of his letters. Tells of another letter arriving via Germany, envelope covered in eagles and swastikas. Reminisces and catches up with news from home. Mentions he had received all letters now apart from one and hopes the cigarette parcel they sent would arrive soon. Comments on weather and the arrival of flies. Talks of gardens in Laghouat being behind walls. Writes of doing PT and that they would be together again eventually. Mentions birds seen in camp.
Creator
Date
1942-04-04
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-HE420404
Transcription
Royal Air Force. 755052 Sgt J.D. Hudson
C/O Consul General des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alget. Algerie.
4-4-42 Afrique du Nord.
Dear Mother & Dad
I wrote to you yesterday, Good Friday, confirming the telegram I sent the day before in answer to yours of March 31st, but I am writing again today because I have just received your letter No 24, of March 11th. I was very glad to hear that you received six of my letters dated from Dec. 9th to Jan. 9th and pleased to think that the P.G. anticipates slight improvements in future deliveries. With your letter today came one from John dated Jan. 23rd, by Air Mail, but this had the misfortune to go via Germany, and the envelope was gaily decked with Eagles & Swastikas. Johns letter was a “do you remember” letter concerning things we did and enjoyed together in the past, so my reply which I have just written was based on the same style. I think I recall all the good times we all used to experience more strongly than ever with the letters arriving at Easter time. Remember the Leeds United – City match, the Horse Shoe Pass, the visit to Derby, washing the bird bath at Worsby, & the Rockery at Moorside road? What days, what memories! Now of your letters written this year, I have received all except no 11 out of the first [?] and then no 24 made a bit of a record by arriving on it’s own today. I do hope the State Express cigs. arrive after all the trouble you have taken, and I thank you both ever so much. Mrs. Clayton’s book is not yet to hand. Yes I received the cuttings announcing [2 indecipherable words]
[page break]
Chadwicks respective marriages. What a winter you are having! Contrasting very strongly with the weather we are experiencing here. Yes it’s going to be very hot shortly. The flies are beginning already. The beautiful gardens of Layhaureat [?]you mention keep[?] themselves to themselves and are behind high walls making it very difficult to see what there is behind. We are allowed two walks a week, but I have stopped going. Having once seen what is about the place I don’t think it worth going out. I hate anything organised as you may remember, and am equally content to wander about the camp when I feel like it instead. I been during P.T. fairly systematically for the past five weeks, first thing in the morning. As you say there are things we should be thankful for, I realise this quite well, and admit that often times it is difficult to appreciate. Nevertheless, one day, one very happy day, we shall be all really be thankful, no doubt. Padre Cummuir[?], who I thought was visiting us on Easter Monday, is not coming apparently until Monday week.
You were asking if we have birds in the camp. There are quite a lot of sparrows, they are very clean, and they are always about. Occasionally a small coloured species will present itself, but, somehow they appear out of place in this part of the land. Give me England with it’s air of freshness and wholesomeness. Youi can drink the water safely there – what I would give to see some green grass and a real clear sparkling stream with a pebbly bottom? One of these days, and until then I shall be thinking about you always. All my love, thoughts and best wishes
Douglas.
C/O Consul General des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet.
Alget. Algerie.
4-4-42 Afrique du Nord.
Dear Mother & Dad
I wrote to you yesterday, Good Friday, confirming the telegram I sent the day before in answer to yours of March 31st, but I am writing again today because I have just received your letter No 24, of March 11th. I was very glad to hear that you received six of my letters dated from Dec. 9th to Jan. 9th and pleased to think that the P.G. anticipates slight improvements in future deliveries. With your letter today came one from John dated Jan. 23rd, by Air Mail, but this had the misfortune to go via Germany, and the envelope was gaily decked with Eagles & Swastikas. Johns letter was a “do you remember” letter concerning things we did and enjoyed together in the past, so my reply which I have just written was based on the same style. I think I recall all the good times we all used to experience more strongly than ever with the letters arriving at Easter time. Remember the Leeds United – City match, the Horse Shoe Pass, the visit to Derby, washing the bird bath at Worsby, & the Rockery at Moorside road? What days, what memories! Now of your letters written this year, I have received all except no 11 out of the first [?] and then no 24 made a bit of a record by arriving on it’s own today. I do hope the State Express cigs. arrive after all the trouble you have taken, and I thank you both ever so much. Mrs. Clayton’s book is not yet to hand. Yes I received the cuttings announcing [2 indecipherable words]
[page break]
Chadwicks respective marriages. What a winter you are having! Contrasting very strongly with the weather we are experiencing here. Yes it’s going to be very hot shortly. The flies are beginning already. The beautiful gardens of Layhaureat [?]you mention keep[?] themselves to themselves and are behind high walls making it very difficult to see what there is behind. We are allowed two walks a week, but I have stopped going. Having once seen what is about the place I don’t think it worth going out. I hate anything organised as you may remember, and am equally content to wander about the camp when I feel like it instead. I been during P.T. fairly systematically for the past five weeks, first thing in the morning. As you say there are things we should be thankful for, I realise this quite well, and admit that often times it is difficult to appreciate. Nevertheless, one day, one very happy day, we shall be all really be thankful, no doubt. Padre Cummuir[?], who I thought was visiting us on Easter Monday, is not coming apparently until Monday week.
You were asking if we have birds in the camp. There are quite a lot of sparrows, they are very clean, and they are always about. Occasionally a small coloured species will present itself, but, somehow they appear out of place in this part of the land. Give me England with it’s air of freshness and wholesomeness. Youi can drink the water safely there – what I would give to see some green grass and a real clear sparkling stream with a pebbly bottom? One of these days, and until then I shall be thinking about you always. All my love, thoughts and best wishes
Douglas.
Collection
Citation
James Douglas Hudson, “Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 3, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22666.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.