Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents
Title
Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents
Description
Writes that she numbers her letters and wonders how many arrive. Still awaiting letters from him as none since that end of January. Records letter that had arrived and dates. Sorry they were not allowed to send him anything he really needed. Cigarettes were allowed to be sent through accredited dealers which she had done. Comments on recent weather and reminisces on past. Asks whether he is able to see the gardens of Laghouat about which she read in a book. Asks if he has received any announcement cuttings she sent.
Creator
Date
1942-03-11
Spatial 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
EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420311
Transcription
[inserted] 124 [/inserted]
[underlined] 24 [/underlined]
[inserted] 4-4-42 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson Lancs
England
Wednesday a.m. 7-30 March 11/42.
My dear Douglas.
I carefully number each of my letters now & am just wondering how many (or how few) of them fail to reach you. It will be interesting to know, tho’ the replies to letters now seem long delayed. We are still eagerly awaiting letters written since November 25th the date of the last one received from you on Jan. 31st. In previous letters I have told you that after a very long wait (from December 15th) we had 10 (ten) letters in the week from January 24th to 31st & since then have been eagerly looking for more. I keep on reading them over & over again & am so very sorry not to be allowed to send you anything you really need. No tea, or food of any kind, no sweets or chocolates, no cigarettes only through accredited dealers & two or three weeks ago I paid for 300 State Express cigarettes to be sent to you from the State Express Company in London. The transaction was done through a good class tobacconist in Burnley but the whole business seemed very casual that I keep wondering if you would receive the parcel or more correctly if it would be despatched to you. I do hope so. Well love these sad days of war are passing away & here we are almost in the middle of March with very wintry conditions. There is still a lot of snow around us although the roads are almost clear now. Yesterday I was sitting thinking about you – I spend hours doing that –
[page break]
& wonder what you were doing two years ago. So I just got out the pile of letters written from your “school” in the far north & could recapture very vividly the memories, gay & grave. How little in those day [sic] did we imagine what has come to pass!! Although sometimes my heart is full of sorrow & sadness I cannot help but be thankful that you [underlined] are [/underlined] here on earth. I know only too well how weary you must often [deleted] b e [/deleted] be of the inactivity & restriction but we can, & do, look forward always to days of peace & reunion & happiness again. Dad & I are just keeping on our quiet anxious way (you know just how it ever was) & very very often I feel as you do how futile it all is. Then I open the door & hear my dear birds singing their songs of hope & encouragement & take heart again. Do you have birds in the camp & are [deleted] are [/deleted] you able to see the lovely gardens in Laghouat about which I read in the book I mentioned in a previous letter? Once or twice I have sent cuttings of announcements & wonder if you have not received them. - Joan’s (Lander) wedding on July 5th Don Chadwick’s in September – You have made no comment so I just wondered. Now love it is time to begin my household duties. I have just drawn the curtains but it is a dark morning with heavy mist, & the snow lying around gives a chill outlook. I can picture your outlook very vividly & am so glad you sometimes go for a walk into town. It all means a little more interest. Now love goodbye once again As ever all our love & thoughts & prayers are with you. Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat Algerie.
[underlined] 24 [/underlined]
[inserted] 4-4-42 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson Lancs
England
Wednesday a.m. 7-30 March 11/42.
My dear Douglas.
I carefully number each of my letters now & am just wondering how many (or how few) of them fail to reach you. It will be interesting to know, tho’ the replies to letters now seem long delayed. We are still eagerly awaiting letters written since November 25th the date of the last one received from you on Jan. 31st. In previous letters I have told you that after a very long wait (from December 15th) we had 10 (ten) letters in the week from January 24th to 31st & since then have been eagerly looking for more. I keep on reading them over & over again & am so very sorry not to be allowed to send you anything you really need. No tea, or food of any kind, no sweets or chocolates, no cigarettes only through accredited dealers & two or three weeks ago I paid for 300 State Express cigarettes to be sent to you from the State Express Company in London. The transaction was done through a good class tobacconist in Burnley but the whole business seemed very casual that I keep wondering if you would receive the parcel or more correctly if it would be despatched to you. I do hope so. Well love these sad days of war are passing away & here we are almost in the middle of March with very wintry conditions. There is still a lot of snow around us although the roads are almost clear now. Yesterday I was sitting thinking about you – I spend hours doing that –
[page break]
& wonder what you were doing two years ago. So I just got out the pile of letters written from your “school” in the far north & could recapture very vividly the memories, gay & grave. How little in those day [sic] did we imagine what has come to pass!! Although sometimes my heart is full of sorrow & sadness I cannot help but be thankful that you [underlined] are [/underlined] here on earth. I know only too well how weary you must often [deleted] b e [/deleted] be of the inactivity & restriction but we can, & do, look forward always to days of peace & reunion & happiness again. Dad & I are just keeping on our quiet anxious way (you know just how it ever was) & very very often I feel as you do how futile it all is. Then I open the door & hear my dear birds singing their songs of hope & encouragement & take heart again. Do you have birds in the camp & are [deleted] are [/deleted] you able to see the lovely gardens in Laghouat about which I read in the book I mentioned in a previous letter? Once or twice I have sent cuttings of announcements & wonder if you have not received them. - Joan’s (Lander) wedding on July 5th Don Chadwick’s in September – You have made no comment so I just wondered. Now love it is time to begin my household duties. I have just drawn the curtains but it is a dark morning with heavy mist, & the snow lying around gives a chill outlook. I can picture your outlook very vividly & am so glad you sometimes go for a walk into town. It all means a little more interest. Now love goodbye once again As ever all our love & thoughts & prayers are with you. Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat Algerie.
Collection
Citation
P Hudson, “Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 24, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/23584.
Item Relations
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