Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Thanks him for sending two cables and spending his allowance on sending birthday greetings to her. Writes about her health and indulging in warmth and rest. Mentions her condition was aggravated when he went missing and by other stressful occurrences. Mentions book she is reading and catches up with news and gossip. Comments on weather and is glad their letters are getting to him as well as one of the calendars. Mentions all her birthday letters enquired after him.

1942-01-21

Two page handwritten letter and envelope

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EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420121

Kriegsgefangener Post
Prisoners of War Post
[BY AIR MAIL stamp]
[postmark]
[four postage stamps]
[inserted] 21 Jan 42 [/inserted]
755052 Sgt. J. D. Hudson
Interned British Airman
Camp Militaire
Laghouat
Algerie
Afrique du Nord
[inserted] [calculations] [/inserted]
[page break]
[missing words] son
[missing letters] ifax Road
Nelson
Lancs.
England
21/8
[inserted] 17-3-42 [/inserted]
[two ink stamps]
[page break]
[underlined] 8 [/underlined]
[inserted] 109 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Rd.
Nelson Lancs.
England.
7-30 a.m. Wed. 21/1/42
My dear Douglas.
You can imagine my feelings, can’t you, when 2 cables arrived together at 5-30 p.m. yesterday both sent from Laghouat at 9-30 a.m. 20th. Thank you so much love for spending your precious “allowance” on a birthday greeting for me. All day on my birthday I kept looking for the telegraph boy & although the messages were a bit late I knew how your thoughts would be with me all the time. My birthday was spent very quietly, as usual. For some weeks I have suffered very acutely from neuritis & as the most comfortable treatment is warmth & rest I have indulged, rather selfishly I fear. That terrible shock on August 29th 1940 caused a very severe attack of neuritis & the seat of the trouble (the back of my neck & shoulder) [deleted] are [/deleted] [inserted] is [/inserted] now very sensitive to any emotion. I seemed to get a bit upset when Mr Clayton died & so have had to do a good deal of resting. Fortunately at present I am able to do this. It is very clean where we live now & the short dark days are a rather good excuse for
[page break]
leaving things undone. But when the days begin to lengthen more quickly I shall find plenty to occupy my time. My latest book “No Hero – This” by Warwick Deeping has been entertaining & enlightening & though I found his sensuous parts somewhat revolting I have been interested to learn of some events associated with the last war. Yesterday Dad “needed” his Wellingtons. The snow lay thick & deep when he went out in the morning & he was thankful indeed for the warmth & protection of an old pair of your “service” socks & the high rubber boots. This morning there is a cruel wind blowing & it is winter indeed. I am so pleased to learn that my letters to you are getting through. It is good to know that you got the calendars. I do wish you had got the big one. My last letter from you is dated Sept. 17th more than four months ago & I am ever hoping to have letters & feel awfully sorry when they don’t arrive with the day’s mail. All my birthday letters had kind enquiries for you. Auntie Lizzie from Dewsbury specially sends love & best wishes. Auntie Maud wrote that Dorothy’s “papers” had arrived & they were awaiting notice from the Bank Head Office. If she has to join the forces I think she fancies the land army. Can you picture Dorothy leading a bull to water? Now my page is filled again so Goodbye once again love & thank you so much for your wishes All our love & thoughts & prayers.
Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat Algerie
North Africa