Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents
Title
Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents
Description
Again mentions arrival of 15 letters from him and notes dates sent. Mentions some missing item probably not allowed. Sorry he did not get calendars she sent. Mentions photographs he sent and asks questions on content and comments on his hairstyle. Asks about parcels and his needs, glad he is getting tea and cigarettes from Red Cross. Mentions sending cigarettes through State Express company.
Creator
Date
1942-05-25
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-HEHudsonJD420525
Transcription
[inserted] The cable May 1st arrived here May 19th. The second one made quicker reply. Still await response to birthday message sent May 19th early morning. [/inserted]
[inserted] 146 [/inserted]
[underlined] 46 [/underlined]
[inserted] 30-6-42 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson. Lancs.
England.
Monday. a.m. May 25th/42
My dear Douglas.
As I have told you in a previous letter it was a great joy to us last week to have 14 letters from you 6 on Tues. 8 on Wed. & 1 on the previous Friday making 15 altogether in one week. The dates are from Jan 14th to March 11th & as the earlier batch of letters for this year included Jan 2nd, 6th, & 9th it would appear that the letters [underlined] are [/underlined] getting here tho’ the progress is somewhat slow. I did not get the letter from Tony enclosed with yours, but I mentioned to you in an earlier letter that one of yours arrived with a paper clip attached. So evidently the extra sheet was not allowed. I’ve been sorry you did not get the big calendar. It was very pretty but apparently “the powers that be” imagined it was a bit of propaganda. The picture, a very beautiful scene, colourful & placid, of rural England – just one of the many we have seen & loved together – had the words “There’ll always be an England” printed on the bottom. Evidently that is not allowed but believe me we’ve still got many parts of a very beautiful country. Now as you know it is at it’s best – green fields, fields golden with buttercups, May blosoms [sic] lilacs, laburnums, & all the fruit trees – as always a great joy. You have not mentioned if your walks have been
[page break]
resumed, with the coming of Spring. I do hope you will be allowed to see the fruit trees in bloom.
Now love to revert to your letters & the precious photos five in number. The first one with the padre, then the other group with you sitting on the ground in the front row exactly like the large group from boarding school days. Then the tiny photo of the stew (or was it marmalade?) bubbling away on the tiny charcoal stove. Truly is necessity the mother of invention. Then Douglas & Co. but what about the feet of one of the Co? I get the impression that the feet are removed from the shoes to give that illusion of very outsize understandings. Then Douglas alone with new style of hair-dressing. Love! It doesn’t become you half so well as the former style. Do go back to the old style with the wave brushed to the side not to the back. Now about the parcels & your needs. I am very relieved to learn that you are again receiving tea & cigarettes from the Red X. I am not allowed to send any of these things to you, no cigarettes, tobacco, tea, sweets or chocolate, but I am allowed to place orders with a reputable tobacco firm for them to send to you. It seems a very long time now since I sent money to the State Express Co. It all seemed so casual – no receipt or any thing to show the contract that I have my doubts about the success. But we shall see. Delighted to have 2 cables this week May 1st & 22nd. Will try to send shoes in next parcel. Only allowed one parcel in three months. Cable any further needs. Goodbye once again. This is Whit-Monday morning with happiest memories. Always all our love & thoughts & prayers from Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat
Algerie
[inserted] 146 [/inserted]
[underlined] 46 [/underlined]
[inserted] 30-6-42 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson. Lancs.
England.
Monday. a.m. May 25th/42
My dear Douglas.
As I have told you in a previous letter it was a great joy to us last week to have 14 letters from you 6 on Tues. 8 on Wed. & 1 on the previous Friday making 15 altogether in one week. The dates are from Jan 14th to March 11th & as the earlier batch of letters for this year included Jan 2nd, 6th, & 9th it would appear that the letters [underlined] are [/underlined] getting here tho’ the progress is somewhat slow. I did not get the letter from Tony enclosed with yours, but I mentioned to you in an earlier letter that one of yours arrived with a paper clip attached. So evidently the extra sheet was not allowed. I’ve been sorry you did not get the big calendar. It was very pretty but apparently “the powers that be” imagined it was a bit of propaganda. The picture, a very beautiful scene, colourful & placid, of rural England – just one of the many we have seen & loved together – had the words “There’ll always be an England” printed on the bottom. Evidently that is not allowed but believe me we’ve still got many parts of a very beautiful country. Now as you know it is at it’s best – green fields, fields golden with buttercups, May blosoms [sic] lilacs, laburnums, & all the fruit trees – as always a great joy. You have not mentioned if your walks have been
[page break]
resumed, with the coming of Spring. I do hope you will be allowed to see the fruit trees in bloom.
Now love to revert to your letters & the precious photos five in number. The first one with the padre, then the other group with you sitting on the ground in the front row exactly like the large group from boarding school days. Then the tiny photo of the stew (or was it marmalade?) bubbling away on the tiny charcoal stove. Truly is necessity the mother of invention. Then Douglas & Co. but what about the feet of one of the Co? I get the impression that the feet are removed from the shoes to give that illusion of very outsize understandings. Then Douglas alone with new style of hair-dressing. Love! It doesn’t become you half so well as the former style. Do go back to the old style with the wave brushed to the side not to the back. Now about the parcels & your needs. I am very relieved to learn that you are again receiving tea & cigarettes from the Red X. I am not allowed to send any of these things to you, no cigarettes, tobacco, tea, sweets or chocolate, but I am allowed to place orders with a reputable tobacco firm for them to send to you. It seems a very long time now since I sent money to the State Express Co. It all seemed so casual – no receipt or any thing to show the contract that I have my doubts about the success. But we shall see. Delighted to have 2 cables this week May 1st & 22nd. Will try to send shoes in next parcel. Only allowed one parcel in three months. Cable any further needs. Goodbye once again. This is Whit-Monday morning with happiest memories. Always all our love & thoughts & prayers from Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat
Algerie
Collection
Citation
P Hudson, “Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/23657.
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