Letter to Dennis Raettig from his mother

Letter to Dennis Raettig from his mother

Senders address is care of Worms and Company (shipping agents). Asks whether Dennis Raettig has been receiving mail from his father and relates family news. Comments that most women and children have been evacuated. Tells story of two women acquaintances who were burned after a bombing attack by the Germans on their ships. Notes that she and his father have decided not to evacuate and relates their day to day experiences. Writes about other people and notes that some have told he about damage in bombing of Hull. Mentions that they both have had inoculations and thanks him for the photographs he sent.

1941-07-28

Two page handwritten document with envelope

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ERaettigDRaettigDW410727

[front of envelope]
[postage stamps]
[post mark]
MR. D.W. RAETTIG
RAEVILLE
BEVERLEY ROAD.
ANLABY
E. YORKS.
ENGLAND.
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[inserted] Thanks for congratulations received when we got back from Suez [/inserted]
[underlined] 90 Worms & Co [/underlined]
[underlined] July 27th 1941 [/underlined]
My Dear Dennis
Are you getting those Airgraph letters Daddy is sending to you, they ought only to take 10 or 15 days to reach you. I am not able to write anything in those because they are for the Services only so I will have to write these letters on my own. I expect you will have left Blackpool by now & we are wondering where you are. Jack said in his last letter that he might be coming out this way so we are wondering if he has got started off. Also we would very much like to know what ship Max is on. We have been having a bit of a tough time here lately. Most of the women & children either have or are evacuating Mrs Snowden & Mrs Frood decided they would go they went on the ship in the morning & at night while the ship was still in the bay the Jerrys came over and dropped two bombs on the ship & the women & children were trapped in the blazing saloon. Mrs Snowden is badly burned & Mrs Frood is burned on her arms & chest & badly shocked but both are getting on nicely. I ought to have been with them but Daddy and I decided we would try and stay together as long as possible. He had a letter from Marion Barber the other day saying she had only heard from Don twice since Christmas & had we heard from him well we have only had the one letter and he gave us to understand that he doesn’t like writing however we will try & get in touch with him again & remind him that he has got some folk at home. Marion says they had there [sic] windows blown out & that there isn’t much shopping centre left in Hull. I heard that there was another bad raid last week & it was feared many people killed. I expect [one indecipherable word] will have to open out else where I think they would be insured alright. I wonder if that offer for Wilberforce St was accepted it wouldn’t be for much I expect. I am glad you managed to get Bladons paid off before you left. By the way did you arrange about Daddys big insurance & the trinity House. I am glad you
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insured the house, is it covered against war damage now. You say you wire Don Barber to write to Daddy well when he wrote to us he thanked us for the wire & we couldn’t make out what he meant as we hadn’t sent him a wire, so it would be your wire he would mean. Yes you did tell us that you had been vacinated [sic] & innoculated, [sic] Daddy & I too have been done, the first innoculation [sic] made me feel groggy for 24 hours but I was alright for the others. Daddy is busy playing bridge with some of the passengers & it is time for a drink of whisky so this is where I join in. Well I have brought my drink here so that I can still write to you. I am so glad you have been able to go & see Mrs Johnson especially at the first place you had to go to, you will be more used to being amongst strangers at the next move you make. Marion said Uncle Fred looked much better than she expected. My goodness Dennis Daddy & I are delighted with the photos you have sent us, the one of you & Jack & then this one of you & Marjorie. When I showed the folks the one of you & Marjorie they said my word your son is a very good judge he knows how to choose a girl friend, & say are there any more at Hull like that. It would be a very nice break for you Marjorie coming to Blackpool, how did she manage to pass her time while you were on duty. Goodness you don’t seem to have much time to yourself if you get up at 6.30 & don’t go to bed till 11 at night that makes the days too long. Yes I heard about the raid on Belfast in April. I sent Uncle Don a cable & he sent me one back saying they were O.K but I think they have had more raids since then. No it isn’t very nice being in lodgings with someone else they take your money but they don’t want the bother of you. I wonder what those Blackpool landladys [sic] would do for a living just now if it wasn’t for you boys. Did you get tired of your ‘tash’. Daddy has got a new dog a spaniel but I don’t like her so much as Mick though she is pretty to look at. This is all for this time write & let me have all the news.
Much Love
[underlined] Mother [/underlined]