A Christmas letter of 1942 – overseas away from home

Local Saugeen Shores historian, G. William Streeter of Southampton shares this tender Christmas letter of 1942 written by his father while serving away from home in WWII, and we are sure there are many others that were written by soldiers at ‘the Front’.

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Below is a letter that Dad wrote on Xmas Day 1942. He had been in England since October ’41. I was born in May of 42.  The letter is becoming more and more tattered and faded with age.

He was one of hundreds of young men waiting in England for the invasion. And wait they did, until June of 1944. In his case, it was 32 months of his life just waiting, while his wife and two children were thousands of miles away. It was a full four years that he was away from us.

A photo was sent to Dad for Christmas but he didn’t received it in time. Gloria just had her 2nd birthday on that December 19th and I was 7 months old.

There were no phone calls, no skype or teleconferencing; just these simple letters.  Dad was a very moderate drinker. Only more than one, except on November 11th and New Years Eve. Then he would get a little bit “tight”.

The letter tells a lot about life away from family at this time of year.

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My Darling Jean & Babies

Christmas Day Darling and a very dull Christmas Day at that. Everything has been very quiet today, Jean. You would never know that it was Xmas if somebody wouldn’t have told you.

We had breakfast at 8 o’clock this morning dear. 1 egg, fried potatoes, jam. Dinner at 12:30. Roast pork, mashed potatoes, creamed celery, Xmas pudding; beer for drink. I haven’t received a letter from you for over three weeks darling. I sure hope I get some tomorrow. Perhaps I will feel better then, dear for I feel blue and lonesome for the ones I love who are so far away.

Jeannie Darling, I love you and our sweet babies. It will be grand when I get home to be able to spend Christmas Day with my Jeannie. Oh Darling, I love you so much. Every day I am away from you dear, I love you more.

I am still at the Holding for Reinforcement Unit about 70 miles away from the Regiment dear. And that doesn’t improve the situation any either dear. It just makes me feel more miserable. I didn’t have very much money on Monday so I decided to try to make some money playing cards and lost it all. So if my cable is a little late dear remember that I love you just the same. I just feel like going out and getting really & totally drunk dear. In fact, I am in a terrible mood. I shouldn’t write you dear when I feel this way darling but dearest. I know you will understand.

I sure wish this damn war was over so I could come home with you sweetheart and Gloria and Billy. It would be grand to play with the kiddies before they go to bed and then to knick with their mother for a while before we went to bed. I know that we will be the happiest couple in the world dear.

I tried to get down to see Aunt Emily but couldn’t get a pass, so I have been in camp all day. We have had no snow at all over here. In fact, the weather is very mild. There are quite a few of the boys “tight” today. They seem to be happy, but old George is still sober. They are all trying to sing different songs. It sounds like a madhouse.

Well my Darling Jeannie, news is very scarce, only that, I love only you darling and would give all I own to take you in my arms dear and kiss those sweet lips of yours and tell you how much I love only you dear. So bye-bye for now darling.

Loads of Love and Kisses to the sweetest brown-eyed wife in the world.

Lovingly,

George   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX