Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Title
Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents
Description
List latest mail and was pleased to get details of the letters they had received from him. Writes that someone has lost the negatives of the photographs in the camp newspaper and the only way they can be recovered is from an internees mother who had received some photographs of pages of the paper. Catches up with news of missing and other friends. Discusses writing implements and other news from home. Mentions telegram systems and costs as well as discussing letters that have arrived. Discusses the type of book they do not want. Mentions still teaching his small French class.
Creator
Date
1942-08-11
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-HE420811
Transcription
Royal Air Force. 755052. Sgt. J.D.Hudson.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet
Alger. Algérie
11-8-42. Afrique du Nord.
My Dear Mother & Dad,
Today, I was very pleased to receive five letters, three from you Nos. 58, 61 & 62, and one each from Marjorie & Auntie Dorothy dated May 18th & 21st respectively. These [inserted] two [/inserted] came via ordinary P. of W. post & took their time. I was delighted to get the details of the letters you received from me. Some stupid fellow has lost the negatives of the “Camp Echo” photos and the only way we can obtain prints is to write to Tony’s mother who has received about twelve photos of different pages of several “Camp Echos”. I, like you, hope most sincerely that good news will be received of Ted Hole. I send all my sympathies to his Mother & Father at this tragic time. It was surprising to learn that Horace was in Libya I did not even know he was in the army. So John has become Mr. Claylin again. His promotion appears to be very slow. I remember he has been waiting since October 1940. This is the second time I have begun this page of my letter. The first time I struggled valiantly with a new fountain pen I bought in Laghaval, but it was no use and I am once again reduced to pencil. I still use the Waterman’s that E.W.T. sent to me for my birthday at B – in 1940. I know just how much you appreciate your garden, & I realise exactly how you feel about the little things that grow. I hope you will be able to save my cactus. Do not worry about my stamps. I never stamp my own envelopes, & how it is that some arrived stamped and others without is beyond my ken. In my next cable I shall advise you to cancel
[page break]
The “received to pay” system & revert to the pre-paid policy. It is cheaper by far, & I see no reason for adopting an idea which means paying at the rate of 4 1/2d per word. If I wish to send a long cable from this end and it comes to more than the pre-paid reply stipulates it merely results in my own account being debited with the extra few francs. As there is so little I can buy at this end there is no suggestion of financial embarrassment. At any rate I have paid for my last three cables & I hope you have not been called upon to foot any bill at your end. The cable of mine acknowledging receipt of thirty seven letters from you, received by you on July 4th or thereabouts, left me on May 28th. It therefore took 5 1/2 weeks, so you will understand that your letters are not taking longer, but if anything, are arriving quicker. I have received 60 of the first 62, and expect No 57 any day. No 11 I despair of, but nevertheless consider the delivery of the English mail excellent. I hope you will excuse the steam I let off in my last letter about the girl at Smith’s suggesting to send “thrillers & wild west stories”. But you will understand we don’t want that stuff out here. We have all day to read & that class of stuff is not very suitable. I am still teaching my small class French, and probably learn more than my pupils. It is a very small class including two ex Accountants, a Bank Clerk, & a Metalurgical Research Chemist. On my own I am studying Commercial French. I am getting the grammar mastred [sic] but do lack the opportunity of speaking which is so essential. I must leave you now until next letter. My thoughts are with you both always & I send all my love & wishes. Douglas.
P.S. We still have our Red Cross tea.
c/o. Consul Général des Etats Unis.
Rue Michelet
Alger. Algérie
11-8-42. Afrique du Nord.
My Dear Mother & Dad,
Today, I was very pleased to receive five letters, three from you Nos. 58, 61 & 62, and one each from Marjorie & Auntie Dorothy dated May 18th & 21st respectively. These [inserted] two [/inserted] came via ordinary P. of W. post & took their time. I was delighted to get the details of the letters you received from me. Some stupid fellow has lost the negatives of the “Camp Echo” photos and the only way we can obtain prints is to write to Tony’s mother who has received about twelve photos of different pages of several “Camp Echos”. I, like you, hope most sincerely that good news will be received of Ted Hole. I send all my sympathies to his Mother & Father at this tragic time. It was surprising to learn that Horace was in Libya I did not even know he was in the army. So John has become Mr. Claylin again. His promotion appears to be very slow. I remember he has been waiting since October 1940. This is the second time I have begun this page of my letter. The first time I struggled valiantly with a new fountain pen I bought in Laghaval, but it was no use and I am once again reduced to pencil. I still use the Waterman’s that E.W.T. sent to me for my birthday at B – in 1940. I know just how much you appreciate your garden, & I realise exactly how you feel about the little things that grow. I hope you will be able to save my cactus. Do not worry about my stamps. I never stamp my own envelopes, & how it is that some arrived stamped and others without is beyond my ken. In my next cable I shall advise you to cancel
[page break]
The “received to pay” system & revert to the pre-paid policy. It is cheaper by far, & I see no reason for adopting an idea which means paying at the rate of 4 1/2d per word. If I wish to send a long cable from this end and it comes to more than the pre-paid reply stipulates it merely results in my own account being debited with the extra few francs. As there is so little I can buy at this end there is no suggestion of financial embarrassment. At any rate I have paid for my last three cables & I hope you have not been called upon to foot any bill at your end. The cable of mine acknowledging receipt of thirty seven letters from you, received by you on July 4th or thereabouts, left me on May 28th. It therefore took 5 1/2 weeks, so you will understand that your letters are not taking longer, but if anything, are arriving quicker. I have received 60 of the first 62, and expect No 57 any day. No 11 I despair of, but nevertheless consider the delivery of the English mail excellent. I hope you will excuse the steam I let off in my last letter about the girl at Smith’s suggesting to send “thrillers & wild west stories”. But you will understand we don’t want that stuff out here. We have all day to read & that class of stuff is not very suitable. I am still teaching my small class French, and probably learn more than my pupils. It is a very small class including two ex Accountants, a Bank Clerk, & a Metalurgical Research Chemist. On my own I am studying Commercial French. I am getting the grammar mastred [sic] but do lack the opportunity of speaking which is so essential. I must leave you now until next letter. My thoughts are with you both always & I send all my love & wishes. Douglas.
P.S. We still have our Red Cross tea.
Collection
Citation
J D Hudson, “Letter from Douglas Hudson to his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 27, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/22827.
Item Relations
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