Letters to America

Monday, January 19th, 1942

Darling Joan,

Last week I wrote thanking you all for the nice presents that you sent to us for Christmas, but in case that letter did not reach you, I will thank you all over again. Thank you, dear.

This week, I am sorry to say, poor little John is not at all well. He has a very nasty cough, and is not his bright little self at all. Anne is well and as cheeky as ever, today she has had to go to school without John. She goes with Patsy from across the way, but I don’t suppose that you will know Patsy very well because she is the same age as the twins.

This last weekend Uncle Eric came to see us. He isn’t really an Uncle at all, but I expect you will remember him, because he is Tony’s uncle, and Tony came to live with us for a time. We have a film of you with Tony, and Uncle Eric was very pleased to be shown it. Can you remember we spent an afternoon with them in Regent’s Park London, before you went away. There was Auntie Dora, and besides Tony, there was John and baby Margaret.

We have been having a lot of snow, and outside it is laying deep. That is, it is deep for us, although I suppose that you would not think it very deep, after what you must have seen in America. It is very nice while it is dry, but we dread the time when it will melt and everywhere will be so sloshy.

We have just been listening to a radio programme about Robert E. Lee(1). I expect that you will hear a lot about him while you are in America, because he was one of their really great men. There is a great deal of American history and stories of Americans being given over the radio these days, and it is all very interesting to us.

Mr. Churchill has just arrived back here today(2), and I expect that you heard a lot about him over your radio while he was in America to see the President.

I am sending you some comics also today, separately. Also a book for Auntie Mary which we hope she will like. I hope they all arrive safely. Write and let us know, won’t you?

Cheerio(3) for this week, and lots of love

from your
Daddy
xxxxxxxxx

  1. Robert E. Lee was overall commander of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). So not at all one of the really great men.
  2. Winston Churchill visited the USA soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 led to America joining the war. He had several meetings with President Roosevelt and addressed Congress, returning to London via Bermuda on January 14th, 1942.
  3. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.