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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…
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 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…
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 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 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…
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 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 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 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…
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 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…
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 26. No letters from her received for three weeks and reprisals mentioned in last letter are being released for Easter. Mentions health. Noted letter from Belgian colleague who had been removed from camp. Writes that he is depressed at the…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 29. Reports arrival of clothing parcel and how useful contents are. Lists a few outstanding requirements. Mentions health [some lines blacked out], weather and tribulations with violin but he will persist, Is feeling sorry for himself.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 30. Writes that reprisals for minor offences have increased affecting sport, theatre, news sheets, increased number of parades and worse relations with camp guards. Notes that recently arrived concert pianist has left for another camp. No…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Mentions arrival of letter 56 from her. Asks after daughter Frances and recent birthday. Thanks her for sending music and looking forward to the photographs. States parcel of cigarettes have arrived but no books. Writes that relations with camp…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 32. Writes of arrival of book parcel and asks her to track down sender and thank them. Mentions his sense of taste return briefly and describes relations with fellow Dutch prisoners. Still vague news of a move.
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 33. Talks of tracking his letters and some might be missing. Asks that she comply with his requests about the proportion of his letter ration which goes to her. Writes that they are likely to be removed to a new camp five miles away. Mentions…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 35. Writes of belief that camp censors delaying mail. Catches up with news of acquaintance and mentions food parcels from Switzerland and arrival of tobacco. Writes that relations with camp guards is now good, of upcoming show and of…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 36. Mentions latest letter from her and is pleased that some of his missing letters to her have turned up. Writes of arrival of music examination papers, food parcel from Switzerland and tobacco/cigarettes. Catches up with domestic matters…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 50(167). First letter from the new camp. He mentions the journey to the camp and the conditions on arrival and is very disappointed that there is nowhere suitable for fiddle practice. Mentions new camp has better surroundings and potential…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 37. He writes reminiscing about his last leave with his wife and how camp life is monotonous. He asks for rosin for violin bow and no more clothing other than socks. He mentions recent show and that he is still playing the fiddle but had…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 39. Reports on numbers of her letters that he has received. Writes he will not give up fiddle and she should not buy house due to uncertainty pf postwar situation. Speculates over future in agriculture. Lists ways his daughter could be spoiled…
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Number 40. Asks after family and friends and her factory work. Talks of postwar plans for study and employment, states they have had notice of move in July and that his Dutch friends going to a different camp. Mentions music exams coming up and it is…