Letter to Hedley Madgett's parents
Title
Letter to Hedley Madgett's parents
Description
From James and Helen Girdwood. Thanks the Madgetts for writing after hearing about Girdwood's bereavement and notes similar tragedies for both families. Writes that they have found several snaps of Hedley in their son's album. Notes their son Bill was reported missing 21-22 June 1943 after an operation to Krefeld and gives details of his Lancaster's crash and are awaiting information on burial.
Creator
Date
1944-01-18
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Two page handwritten letter
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
EGirdwoodJ-HMadgettLR-AG440118
Transcription
4 Main St.,
Muirkirk
Ayrshire
18.1.44.
Dear Mr & Mrs Madgett,
It was most kind of you to write us so soon after reading of our sad bereavement. As you say it is only when the same tragedy has touched oneself that the true significance of it can be realised, my wife and I send our heartfelt sympathy to you both.
Since receiving your letter this evening we have been looking through Bill’s album & have found quite a few snaps of Hedley, he looked a real happy laddie and by the snaps they seemed to be having a grand time, Bill often spoke of him.
Bill was reported missing on June 21st-22nd after a raid on Krefeld in Germany, 700 planes took part that night
[page break]
& 43 didn’t come back.
We received word from the Air Ministry that the Lancaster had been found , all the crew had been killed, four were recognisable (one of them Bill) two unrecognisable and one missing, they are all accounted for now but we are still anxiously awaiting to hear of the burial place.
I have enclosed a snap of Bill taken before he left Canada in September 1942, it is very like him.
Let us hope 1944will see the end of this cruel war and a return to peaceful days.
Yours very sincerely,
James and Helen Girdwood
Muirkirk
Ayrshire
18.1.44.
Dear Mr & Mrs Madgett,
It was most kind of you to write us so soon after reading of our sad bereavement. As you say it is only when the same tragedy has touched oneself that the true significance of it can be realised, my wife and I send our heartfelt sympathy to you both.
Since receiving your letter this evening we have been looking through Bill’s album & have found quite a few snaps of Hedley, he looked a real happy laddie and by the snaps they seemed to be having a grand time, Bill often spoke of him.
Bill was reported missing on June 21st-22nd after a raid on Krefeld in Germany, 700 planes took part that night
[page break]
& 43 didn’t come back.
We received word from the Air Ministry that the Lancaster had been found , all the crew had been killed, four were recognisable (one of them Bill) two unrecognisable and one missing, they are all accounted for now but we are still anxiously awaiting to hear of the burial place.
I have enclosed a snap of Bill taken before he left Canada in September 1942, it is very like him.
Let us hope 1944will see the end of this cruel war and a return to peaceful days.
Yours very sincerely,
James and Helen Girdwood
Collection
Citation
J and H Girdwood, “Letter to Hedley Madgett's parents ,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed December 8, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/18701.
Item Relations
| Item: Letter to Hedley Madgett's parents | dcterms:relation | This Item |
| Item: Letter to Hedley Madgett's parents | dcterms:relation | This Item |