Gerald
was taken prisoner at Wormhoudt (scene of a massacre by the Waffen
SS) in May 1940, and the family knew nothing of his fate until 2nd
September. On 21st
November, he received his first letter from home.
Swindon
3rd
Sept. 1940
Our
Dearest Gerald,
Thank
God our prayers have been answered. At last we received your letter
on 2nd
of Sept. and the field card you signed with your address on today. We
are all well, and what a day we had running around excitedly to tell
people you were safe. We let Marion know by sending a message with
her sister as soon as we could the same afternoon. Mum looks years
younger since Monday. Oh, Gerald, her faith has been simply wonderful
and she has been so brave, all the time bearing up in front of us
all. Whatever she was like when on her own, she never gave way in the
day. When Dad saw your letter it completely broke him down for a
while but of course joy never hurts one, and he soon recovered. .
Colin
is happy in his service duties somewhere in England. We sent him a
telegram as soon as your letter arrived. Reg is working away from
home, but gets home every night. We have an evacuee, so I am a mother
of sorts at last!
Everything
in the garden has been lovely this year. The sweet peas and pansies
we planted the day you came to tea have bloomed and bloomed and do
you know even that seemed to give me a little more faith. Some days
when was feeling extra down and out, I would go out and look at them
and somehow feel better.
Let’s
hope the war will soon be over and everyone may return to their own
homes.
Since
hearing from you we have done nothing else but chatter about what you
shall have when you come home. Mum has never stopped saving for you.
Dad still potters about just the same, digging the same bit of ground
over and over again.
He
manager of your shop nearly danced for joy when we told him about
you, and called out to his staff, “Hear that everybody? Gerald is
safe!” Everyone you could possibly think of wishes to be
remembered to you.
Of
course we shall send you anything the regulations permit as soon as
possible. This seems a very poor letter to send you dear, but I must
not put anything that is likely to be crossed out.
So
cheerio and God bless you and help you to keep your chin up. We are
always thinking of you.
Best
of love from
Your
loving Sis and Bro
Muriel
and Reg.
Muriel, Reg, Colin and Gerald on holiday circa 1926
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