大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jan Broderick of the County Heritage Team on behalf of Alan Culpitt and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

This letter was written by my grandmother Charlotte to her husband. She wrote it on the ship she and her children were leaving on to go to Canada sometime in 1940, leaving her husband in England. It is transcribed exactly as it is written and as he kept it, and is on Cunard White Star headed paper. They were travelling a difficult route across the Atlantic and neither knew whether they would see each other again.

"My Dearest One,
I am writing hoping we shall be able to get it to you before we sail. We are very comfortably settled thanks to your generosity darling. I mustn't write what I feel at the moment or I shall break down and I'm in the lounge. So practical things. We went through the customs with no trouble. And were sitting down to lunch at 5 to 1 so you see that did not take long. There seems to be no trouble with our big baggage and our cabin trunks arrived alright, marvellous management. The 2 boys are now in bed, eight o'clock, having wandered round the deck ship etc. Peter had a rest after lunch seems a little tired now and ready for bed. It was lovely to catch sight of you on the ferry boat and rather remarkable as so many seemed to pass and we did not stay that side of the ship as the breeze was rather strong. As you say dear we shall be perfectly comfortable on the trip, if only you were with us.
God bless and keep you my dear one. Stay with Will and Edie as long as you can and visit them again if it helps you. This parting is awful, I pray God it will not be long. There are quite 80 children on board I should think. All our love. David said he wanted to cry when he said goodbye. As usual Peter says nothing. They both enjoyed dinner at 6.

As ever
Lottie xxx

PS. Tell Will and Edie how grateful I am for their real friendship in helping us with our parting.

PS. By the bicycles that came on deck it looked as if the boys could have had theirs, but it might have been difficult to take it from Montreal.

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