大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by M.Absell from Littlehampton Learning Centre and has been added to the website on behalf Littlehampton Learning Centre and has been added to the website on behalf of Mary Love with her permission and he fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

This is a copy of the letters that I wrote as an evacuee from Sussex as a child. My name was Mary Adams then, Mary Love now.
I was at Worthing High School for Girls when the authorities decided, due to the threat of invasion in 1941, that the school would be sent to a safer area, namely Nottinghamshire, and that younger siblings could accompany students. My younger sister, Avril came with me. She was not old enough to be at the High School and so had to go to a school in the next village, Cromwell being too small for a school of its own.
I have inserted obviously missed out words and corrected some spellings, but the English has not been corrected. I was 14 when these letters were written.

14 YEAR OLD MARY鈥橲 EVACUATION LETTERS-PART1
Letter1. Page i
I am quite well and I hope you are. We had a very nice journey here and for the first night slept in the school. Then on Wednesday we came here. The lady is quite kind to us and the house is clean. We have a room between us and sleep together in the same bed. It is a double bed and we are quite warm. There is no bathroom here, so I don鈥檛 know what we鈥檒l do for a bath. The lavatory is outside and first of all there was only newspaper there. We don鈥檛 have much water to wash in, and there鈥檚 only gaslight. We spoke to Miss Watts as the place is small and poky and she is going to move us soon, but we will have to stay here for a day or two. We only have our own towels as the lady has not supplied us with others. We are near two of my friends, and they want to be moved also. Miss Watts doesn鈥檛 like these houses so I expect we shall move soon. Xxxxxxx

Page ii
Today we went to school and it was there we met Miss Watts. We didn鈥檛 have lessons but we are going to school on Monday at two-thirty. Avril is coming with me and so they will find her a school. I don鈥檛 like it her, and I wish you would take us away. Last night, we cried ourselves to sleep. We did not feel so lonely in school because there were all the other girls with us. The man comes in at half-past five so we don鈥檛 see much of him. We go out as much as we can with our friends and compare our billets. Avril is very unhappy and so am I, and I am hoping and praying that we shall be moved to a nicer place. I do wish you could come with us, as it would not be half so bad then. Perhaps, as the lady is kind, you think we should be happy and appreciate our billet, but we are not. The place does not seem at all nice, it is so poky and small. Avril lost her food bag coming out of the train so I have only one serviette, I don鈥檛 like to ask the lady to wash it as she does not seem as if se would oblige us at all in that way. Please look out for a change of address, won鈥檛 you? We鈥檝e not said anything to the lady as I am sure she thinks herself cleaner, kinder and more鈥�

Page iii
鈥eady to take us in than anybody else in the neighbour-hood. You should hear her saying that she is very kind, and praising her silly old family as if there was no family like it! I am writing this in the evening and I am putting in unnecessary things so as I shan鈥檛 have to sit doing nothing all evening. She had two boy evacuees at the beginning of the war and says they were a good-for-nothing pair. I so want my comic, Mummy, to read, so don鈥檛 forget to send it. I want shoe polish, a suede-brush, my hair brush and to come back to you. I try to be brave and not cry, but every time I think of you my eyes go all misty and I can鈥檛 see for a minute. I do want my comic, mumy, to read, so don鈥檛 forget to send it. I want shoe polish, a suede-brush, my hair brush and to come back to you. I try to be brave and not cry, but every time I think of you my eyes go all misty and I can鈥檛 see for a minute. I do want to come home as I am ever so unhappy without you. I have

Page iv
not written to Grandma yet, as I have not got the envelopes. Please look out for a change of address.
Mummy and Daddy, please take pity on me and bring us home. Give our love. Give our love to Auntie and Patty, Mrs Morrallee, Ivy and Joan. Please send the photos directly they鈥檙e done. If we do move and letters come here I expect we shall get them sent on to us. I am looking forward to receiving a letter from you both. It is seven now so I wxpect I shall ask to go to bed at half past at the latest. We go to bed early to be together and away from these two. With all my love and fondest kisses,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mary xxxxxxxxxxxxx

On a postcard- no date
C/o Mrs Waite,
North Road,
Cromwell,
Newark,
Notts.

Dear Mummy and Daddy,
This is my new address, and I hope I shall be happier here than I was at the last place. I have not been there yet but I hear it is a farm. To-day we had dinner with a Rector. They have a little pussy and a kitten. They also had a dog. Well, I hope you are well and happy and I am sure we shall be happy.
Mary.

Letter 2
C/o Mrs Waite
Cromwell
Newark
Notts.
Sat.1.30p.m.March 22nd 1941

Dear Mummy and Daddy,
I am very happy now, here where I am. We are on a farm and have ever such a lot of chickens, cows and calves. There are two horses and two pigs as well as two cats. There is a little baby calf which was born the night before last. The pigs smell awful, but not so bad as Phillis鈥檚. The cats are lovely. Sandy is a cat, Stripey is the oter one. She is a sweet little one, and has patches of striped tabby-colour and sandy on a background of white. Bothe cats love the fire very much.
We have a lot of fun with Maureen who lives next door. She is on a farm where they have three cats and a dog.
This morning I went for a walk with Maureen.

Page ii
While we were out it started to rain, and so we had to come home, or at any rate, back to our billets. There is only one street in Cromwell which is the Great North Road. In Cromwell there are about twenty houses altogether including the Rectory.
Mrs Waite is extremely nice and about forty, I tink. Her husband is jolly and does most of the farming. Mr Wright, Mrs Waite鈥檚 father is rather lame, but it is surprising what he can do. Mrs Waite鈥檚 cousin鈥檚 daughter is living here an her name is Joan. There are only two girls of nineteen or thereabouts in this 鈥渓arge town鈥� and the other one is also, Joan. The other Joan lives next door where Maureen is billeted.
We have a lovely little room to ourselves and we sleep in the same bed. We have quite a lot of water to wash in and a nice view of the cow-sheds. You would love it here, except that there are ever such a lot of cows, which Mummy does not like. We have a pump in the yard, as water is not laid on and we pumped some water for the calves to drink.

Page iii
Everybody here pumps their water. The Trent is quite near and a lot of streams are about. There are a lot in Mr Waite鈥檚 fields. Mr Waite has a foal, which is nearly a horse, and he goes and feeds it every evening. We are happy and at-home here and the people are very kind. The cats like me and make me feel at home.
Have you Philis鈥檚 address? Do you know how the pig鈥檚 getting on? How is my pot of peas? Is Daddy in work? Have you written Grandma? Are the photos ready? I would like the suede brush, shoe polish and brushes and my mac sent on. Please send Avril鈥檚 boots and try to get me a pair. Did you put the writing paper and envelopes on the case? We have not received it yet. Will you please send some stamps. Already we have spent 7d busfares; 5d bottle of lemonade; 1penny biscuit wafers between us. I wanted to go into Newark this afternoon, but it is raining, so I have not gone. I was going to get some hair-ribbon (green), Swan ink, sweets or chocolate and some shoe polish for the time being.

Page iv
Stamps are very dear you know, Mummy, and so please send some. I expect I shall want extra money for library-books. We are five miles from Newark and it is 3d single and 5pence return. Please send a photo of each of the following, Phil, Mummy, Daddy, Ivy, Joan, Pattie and our house. And Timmy. Give my love to all.
Your most loving daughter,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mary.xxxxxxx

Letter 3

C/o Mrs Waite
Cromwell,
Newark,
Notts.
8.30 a.m. Weds March 26th 1941

Dear Mummy and Daddy,
I have just received your letter and I read it while eating my breakfast. Tank you for sending the stamps and photos, but I had just bought half a dozen and sold one of them to Maureen. I think the photos are lovely and may we keep them all? Yesterday I brought the case home and Avril was disappointed to find no sweets inside!
Avril wants her slippers now, Mummy, so when you can, please get them. Please would you send me my hockey stick and pads. I thought I should not want them. But I do. My watch stopped on the first day we arrived here, and I wound it twelve times but it will not go. What shall I do with it? Shall I take it to a jeweller鈥檚 shop?
Our money is going down as the return fare to Newark is 5d. Avril has to pay 1d to Muskham.

Page ii
We are going to have milk at our school today. Yesterday a special was put on so the fare was only 3d coming back. I have got some homework to do this morning. It has rained evry day so far. I am sorry I can鈥檛 give you the exact amount we spend on fares, stamps and milk, but it is very muddling.
I am going to write to grandma this evening after school, and Auntie if I have time, if not tomorrow morning.
I received the letter at school yesterday and the stamps were enclosed. You need not send in another serviette, but Avril uses that one to take her dinner to school.
We are very exited to receive your letters and Avril was so exited that she didn鈥檛 eat much breakfast.
Well, I have my homework to do now so goodbye, give my love to all.
Your loving daughter,
Mary.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
x x x x x

Letter 4
C/o Mrs Waite
Cromwell
Newark,
Notts.
Friday, March 28th.

Dear Mummy and Daddy,
Thank you very much for the letters and parcel, but where is our comic? What a lovely lot of sweets there are, I am sure Avril will have the time of her life if she goes up to our bedroom alone. We have not got the parcel you sent to Pinfold Lane so I am going to ask at school about it, this afternoon.
We do not get milk at school yet as it is difficult ordering it, and I don鈥檛 know when we鈥檒l get it.
My fare to school used to be 5d return, but now a special bus is running so we go free.
Miss Reid said that whenever we go to Newark we must wear our hats as every Newark girl wears hers, but I saw quite a number go into school without one on!
Doreen Norfolk, is quite well and she looks happy, but as she lives a long way from me I have not spoken to her.
Do you remember to water my peas, Mummy ? Please, Mummy, try to write better, spell better and punctuate your letters better. They are rather hard to understand. Avril couldn鈥檛 be hungary! It鈥檚 a country!
We have a wireless and go to bed about 7.30 or 8.
Please thank Auntie for the 1/- and give her my love. We have no telephone, Daddy, so you can鈥檛 phone us up. Yesterday, Maureen and I went to Carlton. We had a lovely walk in the sun. I picked some catkins on the way home and we saw the prettiest little lambs.
You don鈥檛 mind me writing small, do you? Only I want to get a lot in. I am looking forward to you coming to see us.
The school library does not exist now. The boys across the road lend us some books, so we have plenty to read. Please would you send me a Bible for scripture lessons. Miss Reid is ever so much nicer than Miss Cowling.
I badly need some new gloves, so may I with some of my money, buy some wool and knit some on two needles, or will you? I would prefer you to do it as you knit better and I am sure I should never be able to follow a pattern?
What shall I do about Avril鈥檚 birthday? She needs some new gloves, too for school. Please could I have a hat to match my green coat to go to Church on Sundays. We have a bath Sunday Morning at Mrs Weatherhead鈥檚.
XXXX Lots of love and kisses
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mary XXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
P.S. Please suggest something for Avril鈥檚 birthday. Avril will write later as she is at school all day and wrote to Auntie last night. There is only post at 2.30.
Mary
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Letter 5

C/o Mrs Waite,
Cromwell,
Newark,
Notts.
Thursday morning, April 3rd

Dear Daddy and Mummy,
Thankyou very much for the money and sweets you have sent and the two comics. We are very happy here and keep quite well.
On Tuesday I went to Old Balderton and fetched the parcel and two letters, one from Auntie and one from Grandma. Please thank Auntie for all the money she has sent us and tell her we are very grateful to her. The frocks were a bit creased but we hung them up and now they are alright.
Grandma and Auntie Ida came to see us on Tuesday and we were pleased to see them.
They gave us a lovely lot of sweets and two bars of Nestle鈥檚 milk chocolate.
Please, Mummy, would you send me some brown shoe laces, more hankies and would you mind making me another pair of gloves because my navy ones are all different shades of navy darns, with no original glove left, and as some of the darns are wearing out I do so want a pair of gloves and not darned holes.
Yesterday was Avril鈥檚 birthday, but she did not get the slippers, they came today. Avril says they are very nice and they fit her ever so well. She thanks you very much for them. She wrote her letters before tea last night and the parcel came this morning. When I had had my tea, last night, I went out to play with Avril and around the chickens鈥� 鈥渉ouses鈥� we woke them up! Avril was very indignant about this and she told us off. (John Eley was chasing me.)My pen ran out of ink at 鈥渁round鈥�, that is why it鈥檚 funny. They had some Swan blue black ink so I have filled my pen and it鈥檚 all right again. I am using this paper it鈥檚 light and the envelope is getting heavy and I don鈥檛 want to pay extra. O! By the way, will you please send me some stamps? I want a paint-box, Daddy, so shall I buy myself one or could Avril buy me one as she wants to. She is a lucky gir, 19/6 and 11 cards! I already have received since I鈥檝e been here, 4/6 and for Avril鈥檚 birthday I have received 6/6. I wish she鈥檇 have a birthday every week! We are very happy, Mummy, and I hope you are.XXXX
XXXXXXXlots of love and kisses,XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXMaryXXXXXXXXXXXXX
p.s.My suspenders are very troublesome
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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