Another Letter From England

Feel None Left To Let Them Down

ANOTHER LETTER

(This letter was received by Dr.Arthur I. Andrews of Lower Warner the past week.)

It is strange that we are still quietly confident.  We have had shock after shock, disaster after disaster but it has in no way shaken our morale or our confidence.  We had worried for weeks. (My husband for months expected France to give in) about France giving in, but a few hours after the shock—we felt there was no one else to let us down, we had only ourselves—and many of us felt relieved that our men could fight in our country.  It was then we appreciated your natural reluctance to go to war and send your men so far away.

It was such a relief to know our men would not be outflanked and surrounded as had happened so often is France.

We have our colonies, and our splendid friends in America—none of these will hinder us—so we all feel we know exactly how we stand and can plan accordingly.

It is, as if Providence is being kind to us—most of the bombs that have dropped have missed their mark.  (This is not journalist report!! It is quite true.) John and I went to see one of our local scenes of bombing and I came back feeling much happier.  A bomb in a fairly narrow road only broke window glass.  I have just been painting all the windows in this house with some Anti-Splinter material and we have filled boxes with earth and sand outside the door of our collar.  John has a camp bed in the cellar that he gets into as soon as the warning goes and he has to leave his bed in the house.

I asked John what he thought of the 1st Air Raid he was in, when I was safe in London—and he thought it “very boring”—and I am surprised how dull it is waiting in the cellar, until we can hear planes—then one calls out “It is theirs” and we listen.  We can tell now from the sound whether it is a German plane.

The only excitement that night was when we heard machine gun firing followed by a terrific splash in the sea—half a mile away, we thought it was the German plane but it must have been bombs.

We counted five bombs dropped a few nights ago.  No damage except glass a mile away.

Since France gave in, the house we took for the children’s safety is not too safe, so I hope John will go to Canada.  I am afraid that people like ourselves who are willing to pay will not get such a good chance, though my husband and I are going to live in one room flat to do so.

We do not fear invasion in spite of the wonderful cleverness of the Germans, our men are fine and we have complete faith in all arrangements, and implicit confidence in Churchill.

We are all splendid and ready for anything, we know it is going to be rather terrible but as long as our children are out of it we can face anything.  I don’t know how we are going to part with John but we are going to do so willingly if he is allowed to go.

Siriol will be a guest of one of the girls until school starts in September and then we pay the school fees here and our 1/50th share of the salary of two mistresses that went, so we are pleased it was arranged.

We are really well fed and have no worries about being blockaded. We could do with far less, and are willing to do so.

Our last worry has gone except Ireland now we have the French Fleet.  We are grateful to our wonderful American friends for the way they are doing everything to help us.  Apart from aeroplane and guns etc. your moral support has done us good.

It has become almost a crusade, and we are determined to fight until we win.  Please thank Mrs. A. for her interest in Siriol.  Kindness helps us such a lot these days.  It keeps our faith in people when so many have let us down.

We are thankful to have a man of courage, foresight and one who can make a quick decision. We were tired of waiting: Chamberlain did his best but it was not good enough.

July 10

“We have all read the cuttings you so kindly sent us, with great interest.

It does us good to know we have such splendid friends and that sentiment is on our side. We shall win but it is going to be a hard and long fight, and we shall need moral as well as military support.

Siriol will be delighted to receive your Magna Carte cover and the one received today of Waterloo as well as two parcels of cuttings for us.

Yesterday we had a daylight raid on a port near us.  My father saw part of the fight from his window where he works.  Unfortunately six were killed, otherwise the raids have not been very successful in this district.

Another Letter From England

Feel None Left To Let Them Down

ANOTHER LETTER

(This letter was received by Dr.Arthur I. Andrews of Lower Warner the past week.)

It is strange that we are still quietly confident.  We have had shock after shock, disaster after disaster but it has in no way shaken our morale or our confidence.  We had worried for weeks. (My husband for months expected France to give in) about France giving in, but a few hours after the shock—we felt there was no one else to let us down, we had only ourselves—and many of us felt relieved that our men could fight in our country.  It was then we appreciated your natural reluctance to go to war and send your men so far away.

It was such a relief to know our men would not be outflanked and surrounded as had happened so often is France.

We have our colonies, and our splendid friends in America—none of these will hinder us—so we all feel we know exactly how we stand and can plan accordingly.

It is, as if Providence is being kind to us—most of the bombs that have dropped have missed their mark.  (This is not journalist report!! It is quite true.) John and I went to see one of our local scenes of bombing and I came back feeling much happier.  A bomb in a fairly narrow road only broke window glass.  I have just been painting all the windows in this house with some Anti-Splinter material and we have filled boxes with earth and sand outside the door of our collar.  John has a camp bed in the cellar that he gets into as soon as the warning goes and he has to leave his bed in the house.

I asked John what he thought of the 1st Air Raid he was in, when I was safe in London—and he thought it “very boring”—and I am surprised how dull it is waiting in the cellar, until we can hear planes—then one calls out “It is theirs” and we listen.  We can tell now from the sound whether it is a German plane.

The only excitement that night was when we heard machine gun firing followed by a terrific splash in the sea—half a mile away, we thought it was the German plane but it must have been bombs.

We counted five bombs dropped a few nights ago.  No damage except glass a mile away.

Since France gave in, the house we took for the children’s safety is not too safe, so I hope John will go to Canada.  I am afraid that people like ourselves who are willing to pay will not get such a good chance, though my husband and I are going to live in one room flat to do so.

We do not fear invasion in spite of the wonderful cleverness of the Germans, our men are fine and we have complete faith in all arrangements, and implicit confidence in Churchill.

We are all splendid and ready for anything, we know it is going to be rather terrible but as long as our children are out of it we can face anything.  I don’t know how we are going to part with John but we are going to do so willingly if he is allowed to go.

Siriol will be a guest of one of the girls until school starts in September and then we pay the school fees here and our 1/50th share of the salary of two mistresses that went, so we are pleased it was arranged.

We are really well fed and have no worries about being blockaded. We could do with far less, and are willing to do so.

Our last worry has gone except Ireland now we have the French Fleet.  We are grateful to our wonderful American friends for the way they are doing everything to help us.  Apart from aeroplane and guns etc. your moral support has done us good.

It has become almost a crusade, and we are determined to fight until we win.  Please thank Mrs. A. for her interest in Siriol.  Kindness helps us such a lot these days.  It keeps our faith in people when so many have let us down.

We are thankful to have a man of courage, foresight and one who can make a quick decision. We were tired of waiting: Chamberlain did his best but it was not good enough.

July 10

“We have all read the cuttings you so kindly sent us, with great interest.

It does us good to know we have such splendid friends and that sentiment is on our side. We shall win but it is going to be a hard and long fight, and we shall need moral as well as military support.

Siriol will be delighted to receive your Magna Carte cover and the one received today of Waterloo as well as two parcels of cuttings for us.

Yesterday we had a daylight raid on a port near us.  My father saw part of the fight from his window where he works.  Unfortunately six were killed, otherwise the raids have not been very successful in this district.

John is attempting to write a letter to you.  It is a bit of an effort for him so please excuse it.

I am surprised how calm we all are, even Gareth’s dog, who was nervous at first is getting quite used to noise of firing.

John is attempting to write a letter to you.  It is a bit of an effort for him so please excuse it.

I am surprised how calm we all are, even Gareth’s dog, who was nervous at first is getting quite used to noise of firing.