Letter from C L Fackrell to his daughter Margaret

Letter from C L Fackrell to his daughter Margaret

Writes to two year old daughter how sad he is to have been away from her. mentions his time in the middle east and then describes his training role in India. Concludes he is sorry he cannot send her any presents. Includes birthday greetings card.

1943-02-21

Two page handwritten letter card and envelope

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EFackellHodel430221

BY AIR MAIL
AIR MAIL
LETTER CARD
[postmark]
[postage stamp]
Miss Margaret Hodel Fackrell,
Milford House,
108 Main Road,
[underlined] SIDCUP, [/underlined]
Kent.
England.
“c/o Karachi Air”
[Unit Censor India stamp]
CL. Hodel-Fracknell
Lieut.
[page break]
Fackrell, C.L.W. (Lieut)
Milacademy, India
My Darling Margaret,
So you are 2! My word, I can scarcely believe it, but find it far easier to recall this period two years ago, at your [underlined] real [/underlined] birthday which, after many promises, came actually quite suddenly, & on the one day it was not expected.
From that day I thought I was to have an unhappy time, for I knew I wd [sic] have to go away from Mummy & Milford then, back to my Regt. in the North, but I [inserted] was [/inserted] wrong, for the six months immediately after yr [sic] birth were, in fact the happiest I have [underlined] ever [/underlined] known – much happier even than now, for then I was able to have you & Mummy with me - & I know that I shall never have so happy nor so successful a time again.
That brought us [inserted] to [/inserted] Aug. 42: the next period (again of 6 months – strange how my life nowadays fits into separate periods of [underlined] exactly [/underlined] this length!) – was a [underlined] very [/underlined] dark one, taking me away from you all, thousands of miles across the sea to winter with the war in the “Middle East”, but [deleted] the [/deleted] a further six months saw a change of fortune and culminated in my being commissioned
[page break]
into the Indian Army – exactly 1 year after leaving my Dear Rabbit who is now, I believe, very much a “Tom-Boy”! Six months again (up to your present birthday), & what do we find? Why that Daddy has been privileged to serve on the Staff of the Indian branch of Sandhurst, & is [deleted] about to [/deleted] accepted for a position on the Administration at A.A Headquarters. Now what is the next 6 months going to bring? And will a further period bring me home to you – or you to me, perhaps? ….
I have not had any photos of you since that of August, & hope there are some more “on the way” for otherwise I just cannot imagine what you are like (tho’ I know you must be very nice).
It is not nearly so cold here now, but a couple of weeks ago I thought I’d have been bringing you a polar bear instead of an elephant! Perhaps, after all, I’ll bring you the gee-gee I ride before breakfast, ‘cos he’s a very nice gee-gee, ‘cept when he tries to throw me off – but that’s only becos [sic] I’m such a poor rider, I expect. I’m sorry I can’t send you any presents, lassie, but it is not practicable: the things I’ve sent Mummie [sic] have not arrived, & nice things are not very easy to get nowadays. But when my ship comes home - & for once we can use that phrase literally – we’ll have heaps & heaps of fun & good times together. Till then be a [underlined] very [/underlined] good girlie & remember that your best friend will always be your Dadda
[page break]
Birthday Greetings
from
Your Own
Dadda.
Dhera Dun, India. 21st February ’43.
[page break]
C.L. Hodel Fackrell
Lieut., RA.
[underlined] “In English.” [/underlined]