Letter from Donald Baker to his mother

Letter from Donald Baker to his mother

Hopes they had had a good Christmas and said his was good as they got drunk on raison wine. Mentions letter from home which made him homesick. Writes of prisoners getting flu and of cough caught as a result of recent weather. Catches up with news.

1943-12-30

Handwritten prisoner of war letter form

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SBakerDA19210428v20136

[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[inserted] [underlined] MIT LUFTPOST AB KAIRO. [/underlined] [/inserted]
[ink stamp]
[inserted] 25 PFGS [/inserted]
An MRS. C. BAKER
CHARLTON
Emfangsort: INYAZURA
Strasse: SOUTHERN
Kreis: RHODESIA
Land: SOUTH AFRICA
Gebührenfrei!
[date stamp]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: F/O. DONALD A. BAKER
Gefangenennummer: 665
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager Luft 3
[underlined] Deutschland (Germany) [/underlined]
[page break]
30.12.1943
My Dearest Mother, I hope you’ve all had a very happy Xmas, and that all the family managed to get down to I.Y. to spend it with you. This one has been rather more pleasant than the previous ones here mainly because I got so drunk on Raisin wine that I dont [sic] remember much about it. However, have had such miserable after effects that even if we were allowed to brew any more I don’t think I could stomach the stuff. Received a letter from you on Xmas Eve written 26/9/43. Yes I can imagine that Charlton is lovely now. I wish so much I was with you now but its no good talking about it as one gets so very home sick. Anthony was taken to the camp hospital with a dose of ‘flu I think. There are a fair number of chaps with it but it doesn’t seem to be very serious & no one is bad. Am in bed myself with a bad cold & cough which is a result of the peculiar weather. Comparatively warm & rain & mist which dissolved our skating rink, before I had a go. I hear that Ant is much better in the hospital & theres [sic] nothing to worry about either of us. I hope the writing is legible, as its so difficult writing in bed. Well dear mother must close. The best of good wishes to all for 1944. Your loving son
Donald