Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Writes of their activities involving a real wartime journey. Catches up with family news. Talks about working in garden. Mentions thank you from Red Cross for donation and glad he received their parcel safely. Catches up with news of friends. Asks after the baby jackal and says she is writing and listening to a poem on radio at same time. Mentions blackberries coming into shops, that fruit situation had improved and they had obtained an orange.

1941-09-09

Two page handwritten letter and envelope

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EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD410909

Prisoners of War Post.
[BY AIR MAIL stamp]
[postmark]
[two postage stamps]
[postmark]
[PRISONER OF WAR POST ink stamp]
755052 Sgt. J. D. Hudson
Interned British Airman
Camp Militaire
Aumale
Algerie
Afrique du Nord.
[page break]
From
Mrs Hudson
191 Halifax Road
Nelson
Lancs.
England
[stamp 17]
[two postmarks]
[inserted] 3-10-41 [/inserted]
[page break]
[inserted] 65 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson. Lancs.
England.
Tues. Sept. 9th/41
My dear Douglas.
Today Dad & I have returned from Auntie Gladys’s after a nice weekend tho’ the weather has not been really bright & cheerful. Yesterday Dad, Auntie, & I went to Ilkley for a few hours but it was a real war-time outing with very slow journeying – waiting for buses etc & Dad & I have decided that home is the best place for “elderly folk” in these disorganized days. All are well at Calverley & if the Dr. gives permission today Grandad is coming to stay with us for a short while, next week, which news will tell you that he is keeping very nicely in spite of an innings of 79. Since we got back this afternoon Dad & I have been busy in the garden. The weather has been very moist lately – tho’ we [inserted] ‘ve [/inserted] not had rain for some days - & the grass is a very beautiful green in fact the garden looks really bright & cheerful & gave us a nice welcome back. Some-times just very rarely, I try to picture another welcome home but such introspection causes too much acute emotion & I am afraid to indulge.
On our return today there was a letter from Mrs Clayton & also one from the Red X, expressing
[page break]
thanks for the postal order for 10/- & their pleasure that you received the parcel safely. I am surprised to learn from Mrs Clayton’s letter that John is still at the old place apparently “fed up” & worked to death. I’ve wondered many times if you got the letters sent via Tangiers & if they came quickly I did hope there would be letters from you when we got back but no luck today so I just keep on looking forward. How is the baby jackal? I hope it’s not developing any savage traits. I never feel very happy about wild animals in captivity. I am trying to write to you & listen at the same time to Sarah Churchill reciting a poem by Rupert Brooke. Do you remember the one we learnt together? Always we have such lovely memories! Just now the blackberries are coming to the shops. Surely some of our happiest hours can be associated with the the [sic] Autumn fruit – down those pleasant Cheshire lanes. We have two lovely big thrushes in our garden & they always remind me of the one singing on the gate in the Cheshire lane. What joy we always got from memory of it! The fruit situation has improved slightly & we are, at the moment, in proud possession of an orange which weighs nearly a pound & cost sixpence halfpenny. We are so thrilled to have it & can’t decide whether to eat it as fresh fruit or to make a pound of marmalade which is somewhat of a luxury at present. Now love it is time to say Goodnight again always with my prayers for you. God bless you & keep you in His Care. All our love
Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
AUMALE
Algerie
Afrique du Nord.