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- Collection: Valentine, John
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Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 24. He writes about life in camp and the slow passing of time and learning to play the violin. Mentions that London had been bombed and worries over her. Discusses parents return from India. Says camp is well stocked with Red Cross parcels.…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 23. Writes of good weather and flies. Asks her if his pilot's father ever received his card and asks for her to send some Shaw's plays. Asks after her financial situation and discusses issues with RAF accounts. Speculates about future and his…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 22. Reports arrival of parcels and asks her to send thanks. Attended concert three times out of five showings. Played rugby and scored try. Will be 31 tomorrow.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 21. He writes of his life and occurrences in prisoner of war camp. He mentions attending a camp concert, new arrivals at the camp, overcrowding, bad weather, monotonous existence and visit by brother of Dutch room mate. Says he is looking…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 20. No mail. Wonders if she had last card with suggestion she live on farm and lists advantages. He mentions difficulties in maintaining personal, clothing and bedding hygiene. He asks Ursula to pass on news to his mother. He also mentions…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 19. Large quantities of Red Cross food were arriving at the camp. He suggested that Ursula and Frances could live, and help, on a farm until he gets home.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 18 date 5.3.43 [sic]. Reports letters arrived one having taken four months. Now has all the letters she has sent. Glad to hear all the news. Writes he is still in the dark about her factory job and requests information. Is fully occupied with…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 17. Reports no letters arrived and catches up with friends/family matters. He recalls the time around France’s birth and how tough the time has been for Ursula since then. Writes of health issues. Mentions a play 'The Merchant of Venice' is…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 16. Reports letters arrives and sends thanks for tobacco parcels. Request she send him violin studies and that his new instructor is taking him seriously but he has progressed little despite much practising. Requests she send him farming…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 15. Records letters that he has received and mentions how valuable they are to him. Mentions that typewritten ones seem to arrive quicker. Says he has a new violin teacher. Writes he is looking forward to more photographs, that he is…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 15. Reports her letter 51 arrived. Urges her not to buy house due to their limited capital and potential disaster in farming investment. Suggest she rents if finds something suitable and speculates over future employment.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 13. Discusses future farming enterprise and working through county agricultural advisers. Mentions costs, type of farm. location, transport, need to be close to railway, going to agricultural college when he returns and that he misses her.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 12. Has received letter and discusses future with affordability for house, agricultural activities, transport, mortgages and other costs. Talks of some properties she has seen and way forward through agricultural journals rather than London…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 11. He has a new violin instructor and hopes this one lasts longer than the last one did. A New Zealander called Frank Hurst is to perform in a light classical concert next week. Mentions health and concern over fellow Belgian prisoner. No…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 10. Reports no mail but Red Cross parcels coming in. Recounts his own feelings and activities. Notes his 300th day in captivity while some others have 1300 days.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 9. Has heard from Caterpillar Club that badges are being sent. Reports food parcel from Lisbon and list contents. Writes of damage to his gold ring. Writes of activities and rumour of move. Mentions lice have disappeared and provides cryptic…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 8. Has received no mail. Mentions health, playing soccer and two hours a day on violin. He is dabbling in agriculture but Dutch is slipping. Writes he is getting fed up with his Dutch room mates. Mentions discover of lice and upcoming…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 7. Reports no mail. Writes of rumour of move for which he would be sorry as they are well treated there, weather is good and a lot of work has been dome organising. Try another violin instructor.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 6. Writes of health issues and asks her not to send anything which he has not ask for as storage limited. Discusses future in farming and possibility of living out in the country. Notes mail arrival falling off and talks of 'belting' (any type…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 5. Writes glowingly of rug that was sent and he would like another if possible. Writes about all the photographs he has. Discusses the love life of one of his fellow prisoners and expresses wish that the same will not happen to them. Still…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 4. Reports arrival of anonymous parcels of tobacco and request she trace senders and thank them. Writes he is trying to play soccer once a week to keep fit.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 3. He mentions the letters and parcels he has received from different people and also comments on his health. He wishes he could be home for his daughter’s second birthday. Says he enjoyed recent show and that he discovered an officer in…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 2. Requests items to be sent and records letters received with photographs. Sends condolences and mentions shock over news about previous boss. Records parcels arriving from Sweden and America. Writes of diminution of appetite possibly due to…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 1. Writes that he is starting new numbering system, last was 59. Records letters and comments he has received and says books from Sweden are welcome. Writes they had outbreak of fleas and of effect on him. He has now recovered from illnesses…
Postcard from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 59. Mentions receiving tobacco and cigarettes from his father. Misses seeing daughter develop. Caught cold by practising violin in unheated lavatory annex. Photographs she sent give him great pleasure. Concludes with sending birthday greetings…