Letters to America

Sunday, November 8th, 1942

My darling Joan,

This week we had an old letter of yours – it had taken over five weeks to reach us. I expect the post office made a mistake and sent it by boat. In it you tell me you like your new grade although the history and geography is harder. I’m so glad you are doing well at school dear, and like it at the same time. John has lost his slipper bag and slippers and when I went to the school about them, I passed Miss Jenkinson. She always asks after you when I see her and I was able to tell her how well you are getting on. Incidentally I didn’t find John’s slippers – such a nuisance as they were his only pair. I suppose I shall have to try and get him some more sandals and they will take three precious coupons(1).

What a shame Auntie Mary had sinus so badly again, but I’m glad you were all good children and helped her all you could. She does so much for you all, especially keeping you well with vitamin pills and C. You know you made our mouths water when you told us about your chicken dinner and the upside down cake with ice-cream on. But I don’t know what ice tea is. You will have to teach me some of these dishes Joan, when you come home.

So you are a commando and a girl scout, and you go dancing. You have plenty of fun, don’t you dear, but the children of America are doing their best to help win the war. I wish you every success in your scrap collecting(2). Over here we keep all empty tin cans, rags and waste paper all separate and when the dustman comes (once a fortnight now) there is only dust and ashes in the bin and I turn the lid upside down and put all the scrap on top and the paper in a sack at the side. There is a trailer on the dust van and lots of bags for them to keep the scrap separate. Nowadays every street has a bin for waste scraps of food for the pigs and there are also bins to put all the bones in. So you see there is nothing at all wasted over here. Paper is very scarce and I take all my own when I go to the butchers or buy fish. You wouldn’t be served with fish unless you did.

Yes darling, we all feel quite sure we shall win this war in the end, but I do pray it will not take very much longer. I would like to see my little girl again, and I know many other mothers feel the same, and of course daddies and brothers and sisters.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Stanmore Church by bus and then walked on the Common(3). It was a lovely sunny afternoon after a morning of hard rain, and we enjoyed it very much. Miss Kemp brought her sister’s baby around this afternoon to see me. She has got a lovely baby and as Anne was not home from Sunday School(4), we walked to meet her. We were unlucky and missed her somehow, and when we got back Daddy and John were just back from the allotment(5). Poor Anne was disappointed at not seeing the baby. Well darling, it’s nearly news time and after that we will hear Mrs Roosevelt(6), so I will close with all my love, darling, until next week.

Mummy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Most food, clothing and fuel was rationed and even things which were not rationed were often very difficult to find in the shops. Every man, woman and child was given a ration book with coupons. These were required before rationed goods could be purchased.
  2. During World War II scrap drives were a popular way for everyone to contribute to the war effort. By salvaging and recycling unused or unwanted metal for example, the government could build ships, airplanes and other equipment needed to fight the war.
  3. Common land is land which everyone is allowed to use.
  4. Sunday school is a school for religious teaching usually for children and young people and usually a part of a church or parish.
  5. An allotment is a small area of land in a town which a person rents to grow plants and vegetables on.
  6. Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms as president, making her the longest-serving first lady of the United States.