大象传媒

Transcribed from original letter
"May 8th /45
My Dear Mina,
After all these years I hardly know how to commence telling you of all our happenings. Our feelings of relief are too marvellous to-day. We all feel so thankful that the terrible war is over. The Bailiff called a States Meeting at noon & officially told the people the news. Now this afternoon the Church bells are ringing & flags are being hoisted everywhere. At 10 a.m. the head of the Germans surrendered to the Bailiff which was great news for us for we feared what might happen. They the G鈥檚 or 鈥淕reenfly鈥� as they are locally known seemed determined to hold the Islands 鈥� even up to last night they were working on the aerodrome & some of their big guns 鈥� The times have been very trying & tireing although we have lost our car, wireless, camera & freedom for so long we never had to leave our home. The G鈥檚 took the garrage twice, Poats house has been occupied all the time by Germans. Beth has been away from Havelot just about a year 鈥� is now living next door to Smith鈥檚 nursery 鈥� their house will want a lot of repairing, Thisbe has felt Elizabeths鈥� absence very much & is just longing for more news like so many others. Mothers 鈥�
I wonder & have wondered so many times how you & the girls have got on during the past anxious days 鈥� with us the food question has been most acute. Vegetables all the time & really some of the dishes have turned out so good 鈥� we are always so hungry & ready to eat. The relief of the Red X parcels has done wonders, we can never be thankful enough for their arrival. The 鈥淓liza鈥� (Red X ship) came in last Friday & a delivery of parcels tomorrow Wed: The variety of food is so well thought out, how some of the poor people have lived through the shortage I can鈥檛 think 鈥� we are now having more bread (5 lbs a week per person) 3 lbs a week was our lowest 鈥� it will be a great day when we can buy an extra loaf 鈥� our chief topic of conversation has been the food question & recipes, our tea was made with bramble leaves 鈥� carrot tea & pea pods 鈥� now that we have real tea from the Red X we are very much enjoying it & quite look forward to the Cherry Cup. All things together we have been wonderfully blessed here 鈥� The Visitors have behaved very well there has been very little trouble 鈥� Thieving has been going on very badly 鈥� we lost our store of potatoes & onions - & our food we take upstairs every night which is the general habit these days 鈥� We hope tomorrow a British Ship or plane will arrive & to hear when we can speed the parting guests 鈥� Your last Red X message dated Oct 16th /44 I received Feb 14th /45 have often wondered how Winnie is. You told me she is very ill. We were only given a summary of your message & allowed 10 words to reply. We hope shortly to have electric light, gas, water & coal. We have had to use wood for our cooking 鈥� all our food I have to cook on the dining room fire which is a very limited space. The dish & difficulties I thought for arrangements have all been very trying but now I feel it is fast nearing the end. The news has given us new energy to carry on. Shoes & stockings have been a great problem. The latter masterpieces in the way of darning in fact patching & darning of garments has given plenty of work 鈥� Now I must close, trusting I will have ------"

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