Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Glad to get latest letter dated 10 July. Comments on some content particularly cooking. Mentions other letter from same location also describing conditions including mention that Douglas had taken part in a boxing contest and that chaplain visited. Comments on conditions there and compares availability of food items and rationing. Concludes writing of weather, garden and wedding anniversary.

1941-08-03

Two page handqwritten letter and envelope

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EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD410803

[postage stamp]
[post mark
[Air mail stamp]
Prisoners of War Post
755052 Sgt. J.D. Hudson
[deleted] C/o Consul des Etats Unis
119 Rue Michelet
Algiers [/deleted]
Afrique du Nord.
[inserted] Camp des Internes Britanniques
[underlined] Aumale [/underlined]
[inserted] indecipherable word
EXAMINER 7427 [/inserted]
[page break]
[post mark]
From
Mrs Hudson
191 Halifax Road
Nelson
Lancs.
England
[inserted] 28-8-41
OPENED BY [/inserted]
191 Halifax [word missing]
Nelson Lancs.
England.
Sunday 3/8/41.
[Inserted] Sorry to spoil the sheet in tearing first leaf from new book. [/inserted]
My dear Douglas.
It was a great joy to us to have your letter yesterday dated July 10th via Tangier with English stamps. value 4d. Congrats. on winnings re the spelling bee & also on the success in the culinary dept. Truly necessity [underlined] is [/underlined] the mother of invention! Fancy making jam from saccharine! It looks as tho’ you will be able to give me a few tips when we are together again & able to compare notes. On Friday the 1st Aug. I had a letter from Mr Cummins dated July 4th. It looks as if your letters came by the same boat. It was a grand letter & cheered us no end. He told of the healthy conditions under which the men live, high altitude, free from mosquitoes & malaria, a comfortable bed. (Tho’ not much in the way of furniture.) Sports & sing-songs & did I read a right that my son took part in a boxing contest or should it be a sing song. Anyway it is a great comfort to us to know that the English chaplain is able to come amongst you. I know how he will bring to you a breath from the world of sanity & reason.
[page break]
Which must mean a great deal to you all in your unusual circumstances. I am interested to learn that you can buy eggs & tomatoes. Both are very scarce commodities here & eggs are rationed tho’ we have not quite made out yet what the ration should be. One a week each my neighbours get & we hear of some people who have not had one for 4 weeks. Reverting to the art of jam making. Last evening I gathered rasps from the garden & made 1 1/2 lbs of lovely looking jam. You will imagine how thrilled I am as our ration of jam or marmalade is 2 ozs each per week 1 lb jar a month for 2 people. Don’t think I’m grumbling, love. We really have nothing to grumble about & are very very thankful for very many blessings. We’ve had marvellous summer weather & you know just how much I love the sunshine. Our garden has been a joy & at present there are thousands of rose buds just bursting into bloom. Tomorrow is the anniversary of our wedding day. I sent a cable to you yesterday assuring you of our love & thoughts & in the afternoon your letter arrived with another address. Hope you get my message all right. We have only had two letters from you since the one from Medea May 11. One without address June 15th via Tangier & the one received yesterday of July 10th. So we are wondering when & why you left Medea. But what really matters is that you are all right & we are thankful indeed.
All love from
Mother & Dad