EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: A letter written during The Second World War was recently brought into the Preeceville Progress by Maureen Johnson of Preeceville. The letter was written to Johnson鈥檚 mother Laura Logan of Sheho by her cousin Eileen Warwick of Leeds England and was dated June 24, 1940. It explained much of what they faced in England during the war.
鈥淚t was a great surprise to discover this very old letter and after reading it a few times it has left a considerable impression on me, especially with the war raging on at the time,鈥� said Johnson.
The letter proceeds as it was found, as follows:
Dear Laura.
I was ever so pleased to hear from you. I have been watching the post-man every day and I thought he was bringing one from (a letter) Egypt when I saw him come. We have had no word from Fred (Warwick's cousin who was fighting in the war in Egypt), for three weeks now and since Italy entered the war it has made us worry about him more than we used to do.
I like your snap (picture.) I have enclosed you one of all of us. It was taken at Scarborough, a seaside resort on the East Coast; and is now a prohibited area for holiday makers. The ruins you can see in the background are the remains of an ancient castle standing on one of Scarborough鈥檚 highest spots and was blown down by Oliver Cornwell in the Civil Wars, a donkey鈥檚 years ago. It is a beautiful place and we have had some fine holidays there.
We are on holiday this week (my husband is not on work of National Importance), but are spending it going to local beauty spots.
We have been to an open air swimming pool today in the most beautiful park in the North of England.
George (Eileen鈥檚 husband) and Donald (Eileen鈥檚 6-year-old son) went in but I sat and watched. There were hundreds of soldiers in the water. They can go in for free. We have thousands billeted in Leeds and the suburbs in private houses.
They are men of the British Empire Forces who took part in the Evacuation from Dunkirk, poor devils.
Everybody is doing all they can to make them forget what they have seen and gone through. They are grand lads. We watched hundreds of them drilled in the park this morning. They look so well and brown.
We are having a marvellous summer after a most terrible winter. We have had no rain for weeks but could do with some.
You have should have seen the bluebells in the woods a few weeks ago, but they are all gone now and also the fruit blossoms have dried away. The roses are all out now and we are getting all the soft fruits and green peas and new potatoes.
I have just had to stop writing to help to 鈥淏lack-Out鈥� (covered windows and shut off all the lights) at 10:10 p.m. We dare not show a light after that time. The streets look dead and deserted. We had an air raid warning last week. They came close to Leeds, about 17 miles away. The warning lasted 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. But we never got up. We heard sirens wailing and the wardens running down the streets and blowing whistles, but we turned over and went to sleep until the all clear woke us up again. The people next door and many of our neighbours sat in their cellars for 4 hours but we are not getting up until we hear gun fire, it is too cold in the cellar.
By the way we asked Donald if he would like to go to Canada but he says no, he is only 6 you know, but if raids do start, God only knows what we should do. I would give anything to come to Canada and have always wanted to immigrate. Would rather die than live under Nazi rule. It must be hell. I ally France now, but I never thought they would give in. If only we knew how it would all end.
When I went home tonight Maryanne was writing to your sister, page after page. I wish we could talk to you instead.
What a shame you have never seen Cumberland, a wonderful place and what scenery, lakes and mountains. We had our honeymoon there and spent most of it at Whitehaven at Uncle Alfred鈥檚. I love every bit of it. I wish we lived up there; it is 150 miles away.
George says I have to ask you if there are any TOC. H (an international Christian movement) branches in Saskatchewan. He is a member and has been for years. There are branches all over the British Empire.
He also wants to know what your national sport is? Do you play cricket and football (soccer) like we do?
Do you make English dishes or do you eat like the Americans? I bet you have never had Yorkshire pudding like we make.
I am attending war-time cookery classes at Donald鈥檚 school every Thursday. They are to teach us to make the best of the foods we are able to obtain and to make things without sugar, eggs or butter.
Please don鈥檛 think we are starving, far from it, but lots of things are rationed and some things are too dear (expensive) for working people to buy.
Do you like reading? Have you read Margaret Mitchell鈥檚 Gone with the Wind? I have and it was great. I like books. I don鈥檛 read trash ever,
I will close now, so good-bye to you both.
Yours, sincerely,
Eileen.
